[DeTomaso] Was Removing Poly Bushings - now Squeaks

[boyd casey]

Now I an happy i bought the bushings from Dennis  Quella and I installed
zerk fittings on every bushing. Everything I have ever bought from Dennis
Quella has always been top quality and Dennis has always assured me that I
would be satisfied with what ever parts he recommended  and I have always
been satisfied.
Hugh Boyd Casey

On Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 2:18 PM, Larry Finch <fresnofinches at aol.com> wrote:

>
>  I recently spent some time talking with two vendors about their poly
> bushings.
>
> First, it is important to realize that once installed, the clamping force
> of the mounting bolt
> locks the bushing's metal center sleeve to the body mounting tabs so the
> sleeve does not rotate.
>
> Second, where things move, things can squeak.
>
> Read on, keeping the two above points in mind.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> There are two distinct styles of poly a-arm bushings currently available;
>
> One uses a round center steel sleeve.
>
> One uses a hexagonal center steel sleeve.
>
> With the round sleeve style, movement can occur in two places:
> At the juncture of the poly and the center sleeve AND at the juncture of
> the poly and the a-arm.
> Which juncture sees the most movement is anyone's guess.
> But both junctures can see rotational movement from a-arm or poly movement.
>
> Also with this style, since the poly is free to rotate at both junctures,
> the outside faces of the poly
> are free to move in relation to the body mount tabs. This face movement is
> where Mike thinks the
> common squeak comes from. Each bushing has two faces.
> So each round steel sleeve style bushing has FOUR squeak zones.
> Total squeak zones for the four a-arms using the round sleeve style = 64.
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> With the hexagonal sleeve style, movement can ONLY occur in one place:
> At the juncture of the poly and the a-arm.
>
> Why? Because the poly cannot rotate on the hexagonal sleeve as it can on
> the round sleeve.
> With the poly not free to rotate on the hexagonal steel sleeve, that
> movement zone is eliminated.
> Second, as the hexagonal sleeve is clamped firmly to the body mounting
> tabs, the faces of the poly
> hexagonal bushings do not rotate against the body tabs.  Result: two less
> junctures for squeaking.
>
> So each hexagonal steel sleeve style has ONE squeak zone.
> Total squeak zones for the four a-arms using the hexagonal sleeve style =
> 16
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Now of course grease can be used to address the squeaking of poly bushings.
> Some a-arms are modified for the use of zerk fittings so grease can be
> applied.
> Mike suggested the faces of the poly bushings be greased prior to
> installation.
>
> With the two piece hexagonal bushings, (And I assume the round sleeve
> style) each piece has a chamfer
> on the inside edge. This creates a void that can receive grease from the
> installed zerks. Under pressure,
> this grease easily migrates to the poly and a-arm juncture and prevents
> squeaking at that juncture.
>
> Since that juncture is the ONLY movement area with the hexagonal style,
> they are greased at the only point
> of movement. And can be periodically regreased as needed.
>
> While this can also be done with the two piece round sleeve bushings (If
> they are chamfered) to introduce
> grease to the juncture at the a-arm, it does not allow grease access to the
> the second squeak zone: the
> juncture of the poly and the inner round sleeve. Thus that juncture is
> prone to squeaks. One could drill
> a grease passage from the zerk all the way through the poly bushing to the
> center sleeve. Whether that
> passage would remain open and in alignment with the zerk over the passage
> of time is anyone's guess.
>
> Likewise, while grease can initially be applied at the junctures of the
> poly faces and the body tabs,
> all 32 such junctures cannot be regreased without considerable effort.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> The hexagonal style is sold by Dennis Quella. I believe all the other
> vendors use the round sleeve style.
>
> 2511 has Quella's poly bushings. It has seen over 35,000 miles of use since
> my purchase eight years ago,
> the a-arm zerks are regularly regreased and I have yet to hear a suspension
> squeak.
>
> YMMV
>
> Larry
>
>
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