Advice on Bushes please! (and other bits of forest.....)

[Vimeous]

Maybe you guys can help me with this as well ......

My baby has been given the once over and is in need of her first replacement suspension bushes. Advice please!

What I know
I need rear trailing-arm bushes (the big-uns), one each side, and rear anti-roll bar bushes (the pair on the cross-member not the end-linkage).
Everything I've read on these here forums points to poly bushes as the way to go. The trailing arm bushes I understand are a particular pain to fit so I've organised fitment.

What I don't know
Recommended manufacturers, parts available etc. Who's tried what and where to get them at the best prices?!
Are there rear ATR replacement kits that I can have swapped in straight-off for less cash (Whiteline maybe?).

So far
I checked out Superflex but they seem to do all Civic's and Integra with exception to my MB6. Anyone know better?

Meanwhile Powerflex details seem to be :
Rear ATR Bush - PFR25-112 - 22mm - £12.95exVAT RRP (each)*
Trailing Arm Mount Bush - PFR25-113 - £18.95exVAT RRP (each)
*Erm I thought the rear ATR on a 1.8VTi is 18mm? Is this simply the bush max diameter?

Are there other manufacturers I should know about? Do you know where the prices are lower? All help welcome!



Incidentally I've been quoted £84.50 all in at Honda for EACH trailing arm bush fitted and £110 all in for both ATR bushes. My fave local garage pointed out the trailing arms are the same as the Rover and he's done them often in the past. £40 inc VAT minus parts for the trailing and approx the same for the ATR pair.

'Tis all for my motor so any help would be appreciated!

[TeePee]

Can't help with the parts, but that sounds like Honda pricing. I was quoted £195 for replacement front break pads. I did them myself for £30 and an hour. £165 for an hours labour? I'm in the wrong job.

[Vimeous]

TBH £84.50 for the trailing arms isn't as bad as it sounds. The job is apparently an arse to do and if the parts are say £20exVAT from Honda, add to that an hours labour per side and the price is reasonable for a main dealer who've served me well in the past. I'm interested in poly bushes for better wear resistance and less play to improve the responsivness of the car before deciding if I want additional suspension changes.

Johnsons Honda in MK are by far the best main dealer any of my family have ever dealt with, friendly, fast, efficient and willing to let you chat to the guys working on your car. The fact they collect and deliver the car, the person or both is a huge bonus. If I didn't want the uprated bushes I know I could probably get Honda to do it today!

[Zak33]

Bushes rock

but they aint a job for the front drive.

SOme fall out with only about a zillion tons of pressure....and some need more

Many very stressed mechanics do normal ones, so hard ones are gonna be a nasty job. But any mechan ic with TIME on his hands will do it. But they can be damaged by putting them in squiffy with huge pressure

and they make a mammoth difference to your car.

the thing feels like it has had concrete tyre walls for the first mile but with new found sharpness too.

Do it

[Vimeous]

LOL

A colleague here said it took him three weeks to change the ones on his Landie. He ended up manufacturing a specialist tool for the job and even then heavy hammers etc were needed

He said he loved the idea of poly bushes as they should just fit! Unlike you slightly more unfriendly rubber items

'Ere Zak, what flavour do you use on the Astra?

[Jiff Lemon]

Just one thought.....

Your adding poly bushes at the rear, but nothing at the front? Stiff back and soft front is a nice recipe for oversteer on a FWD car...

[Vimeous]

LOL
You've never been four wheel drifting in my motor yet Weather's getting here, a touch more rain and we'll be sorted.

Actually the ATR's in my motor are pretty tidy as standard, 18mm at the back and I think 24mm at the front (need to check that). TBH as long as it's progressive I'll be fine, my worry is getting what I had with new tyres on the front and oldies on the back, understeer to snap oversteer, successfully proving once again new tyres ALWAYS on the front! lol

N e way it's going to be interesting finding out, if I need to stiffen the front to fix balance problems it'll be done when funds allow

[schrickvr6]

I've got powerflex on the front of my golf (vwm bearings on the rear beam to stop the rear wheel steer) and they make it fell alot different, it feels quite a bit harder with a fair bit of vibration tranfered through to the cabin, the steering feels more twitchy but thats because it is actually alot more precise. You could also try vibratechnic as they make poly bushes.

[hotpurple]

Sorry, what car have you got? Is it an integra? The reason the trailing arms are the same as the rover 200/400 is that they are based on the same platform.

And yes, they are an absolute arse to do! I did them on my CRX 16v. To be honest £110 sounds pretty reasonable considering what's involved.

Chris

[Vimeous]

The car is Civic 1.8 VTi 5dr (mb6), the better half of the Rover 400
I've ordered my bushes and should getthe fitted next Saturday. In the end I've got Powerflex trailing-arm bushes specifically for my motor and Superflex RARB bushes from the Rover 420. Turns out Powerflex only do 22mm RARB, not the 18mm the mb6 uses.

I have made a minor boob. I was told one of Mobys SXOC guys that bushes come in two different colours to signify the level of stiffness, yellow and purple. This has caught me by surprise as I wasn't offered different ratings and I just thought Powerflex's company colouring is purple and Superflex yellow!
Erm!
Still it's gonna be fun finding out!

[hotpurple]

Even new stock bushes make a huge difference so the powerflex ones should be great!

Chris

[[GSV]Trig]

I'd stick with the std bushes tbh, ok so the powerflex ones are better but not for the roads in this country...

[Vimeous]

The specialist bushes were purchased for two reasons:

1. Being poly and not rubber they're easier to fit. (I understand trailing arm bushes on any car are horrendously evil to fit).
2. Cheaper to buy and fit than Honda bits!

The fact they'll be a little stiffer is a minor benefit. The car already rides well but is 91k miles old now and is gradually getting softer at the corners. Ideally I want fully height adjustable suspension (Eibach now make a set for my motor) but I don't want a height reduction for road use. Unfortunately even those knock the basic height down yet I only really want that for circuit situations.
At the end of the day a slightly stiffer setup should suit the car well. I COULD have done all the bushes front and back and swapped the ARB's for thicker items all round!.

Then again I'm not made of money

[Vimeous]

Bushes arrived
Purple for the trailing arms and red for the ARB.

Been testing the roll @ the rear of the car round MK over the last few days to get an idea of the current handling properties. It's quite pronounced so we'll see how things improve.

Best bit so far has been reminding myself just how good the Goodyear F1's at the front are. Grip in the damp is way beyond everything else I've had fitted to the front.

God it feels superb

[Vimeous]

YIPPEE!

The application of the purple and red forestry products is now complete, the bushes are in place and doin' their thing.

So far?

Less rear body roll (15-20% maybe), faster responses from the rear and better control over long-wave undulations. Short sharp stuff is more .... short and sharp but I guess that's to be expected.

Things may be even better but I've only had a couple of full bore runs to and from work so really judging things will take a bit longer.

Of course what it has highlighted is the roll at the front of the car, despite everything being in full working order. I'll have to live with it though, finances dictate.

Then again Christmas is coming