Wishbone bushing comparison

[redcar9]

Looking to replace these on the elise, looking for feedback or pro/con of each set.


Seriouly lotus


SuperPro Polyurethane


Powerflex


Nylon Self Lubricating

BWR self lub same?


mono-balls


Nitron - may be too track focused?


Lotus OEM

Am I missing any?

For my use Figure 30% track 70% street. I'm going to add a rear shear panel to hope reduce the bushings from shifting again...

[<@¿@>]

In the late 70s, I machined Delrin suspension bushings for my car…they got beat out in no time (like several months). For that reason I keep away from hard plastics like Delrin and Nylon. Polyurethane is a great material, but if the lubricant gets washed out (or don’t get lubricated at all), they will squeak and drive you nuts…it’s like having an annoying cat in your trunk. Once you get into the hard plastics (Delrin, Nylon, Polyurethane, etc.), I bet you won’t be able to tell the difference in added road noise in your car from the ball joints. Go with the ball joints (Sector111, Nitron) and do it right. I got Nitron’s for mine.

[Apex_in_sno]

+1 on the plastics.
I've got mono balls, they have very nice seals in them. Been in the car for almost three years now, took them apart a few months ago, still as tight as when I put them in.

[mikelr]

Big fan of the mono-balls myself... had the nylatron (Nylon) bushings when I bought the car, they were shot pretty quick, ran the polyurethane bushings next, better wear but they walked a bit. The mono-balls have been the best so far, well designed to stand up to all weather use.

[ChrisH]

I am replacing my bushings slowly (I had a couple of bad stock bushings in the front). I have done the fronts so far. I researched the same set of potential bushings, and decided on monoballs. The handling has improved, and there really are no significant drawbacks on this car with solid bearings. The only minor drawback is that going over sharp bumps or holes is louder, but no difference for regular road noise or vibration.

And like a previous poster said, they have some nice thick O-rings to seal out water and dirt. However, I imagine that those O-rings won't last forever, so may have to be replaced at some point. (It would be nice to know the specifications and a source for those O-rings.)

[redcar9]

Thanks for the input! That is what I'm concerned with small sharp bumps. Or large gaps in the highway and mono balls.

I was leaning towards the self lub ones. But I'm shocked with the almost 100% mono ball vote.

Does anyone have experience with any of the other types listed?


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[ChrisH]

I recommend you investigate further what is actually meant by "self-lube". The one I looked at simply meant the material exudes a greasy film. It does not mean that a real bearing grease is involved, nor that the greasy film effectively protects the inner sleeve from corrosion, nor that it is an effective lubricant. You want the long term experience from people who have used them.

[redcar9]

That's exactly my concern. The "self-lube" will likely dry up, then I'm back to replacing them. I would like to do this once and last a long time!


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[Frank Amoroso]

Originally Posted by redcar9

Looking to replace these on the elise, looking for feedback or pro/con of each set.

[SNIP]

Am I missing any?

For my use Figure 30% track 70% street. I'm going to add a rear shear panel to hope reduce the bushings from shifting again...

These...

DRS Delrin Control Arm Bushings