Anybody have an opinion on using the harder polyurethane upper and lower control arm bushings in the front suspension versus the OEM rubber for 70 gs 455. How is the hardness of the ride etc? thks Tom
I used them in my car and I like them (Energy brand). I don't see any downside other than experts can obviously see they are not correct (I don't care). My feeling is these cars have plenty of ride , and the slight difference Urethane bushings might make is only a positive to me.
If you have any issues with squeaking, you can fix it with a hacksaw. Mufflers are for considerate neighbors...
I used them last build (front/rear/upper/lower) along w/a T/A front anti-swaybar/stock rear & bolting @ the bodymount cushions & was very pleased with the ride/handling
My car came with Poly bushing... For in general driving they are Ok. I cant say if there is any improvement or not..... One thing for sure their are lot of speed bumps in my community,,, the poly bushings going over the bumps makes the sound like a pile O dung.... The squeaking noise is not worth it... If you can find real rubber that would be my choice....
I am not a fan of the poly bushings. Harsh ride, and squeaks are the biggest complaint. The old rubber gets soft after 50 years. New rubber bushings restore a firm comfortable ride.
I replaced all the 55 year old suspension parts/rubber bushings with new brand upper/lower UMI control arms in the front and a mix of hotchkiss/Lakewood in the rear- all poly. The handling is impeccable and very smooth if the roads are good. But with rough roads and bumps it does get to be a noticeably harsher ride. It was way too squeaky too but that went away after several months of break-in and relubing with prothane poly grease. So now I am going to replace both the front and rear bushings again but with rubber this time— This is probably a dumb question cause I am 99% sure the answer is yes, just to confirm: are the OEM factory size rubber bushings we can get from acdelco/moog for our stock control arms, a interchangeable swap out with the poly bushings in our aftermarket UMI/Hotchikiss/etc. control arms ? They have to be right?
How can you hear the squeaking with that cam and mufflers making all that noise? I have the set up and I can't hear it unless the car if not running and I bounce the car up and down and then it does not move much with the heavy springs. Need more watts in the stereo lol
On my 66 I put new rubber in front lower control arms and used poly on upper front for less deflection. In rear I went with poly upper and lower but made sure to liberally apply the poly lube on all surfaces.
I did give hotchkiss a call and the the answer I received was a hesitant yes, lol. That’s why I was asking here from anyone else’s experience. I’ll give umi a call when I get a chance.
I used this kit. It does squeak when cold but quiets down once everything warms up. https://p-s-t.com/i-23160226-polygr...||model=SKYLARK CUSTOM||make=BUICK||year=1970
I think it depends on how good your roads are around your area, I had poly bushings but being in Minnesota, where the roads can be bad, i hated them. I swapped out the poly for rubber and am glad i did to save wear and tear on the rest of the car body. I did notice a difference between the two, the rubber is definitely a more comfortable ride.
I run poly all around on the GS. You guys probably wouldn't appreciate the ride & handling stiffness of a Corvette.