[DeTomaso] [POCA Forum] A-ARM BUSHINGS (Pantera Technical)

[John Donahue]

Ah yes, life is but a trade-off. Stiff and squeaky or softer and quiet, The older you get, the more you like the latter. 

> On Apr 30, 2015, at 8:20 PM, Mike Thomas <mbefthomas at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> I have a set of the original style bushings, but as I'm running an offset
> set in the front for more caster, and the shims are all forward, I'd lose
> some of the caster by going back to the stock bushings.
> 
> I am getting awfully tired of the squeaking . . . .
> 
> Mike Thomas
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: DeTomaso [mailto:detomaso-bounces at poca.com] On Behalf Of Mike Drew via
> DeTomaso
> Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 2:12 PM
> To: demongusta at me.com; sjcarguy60 at yahoo.com
> Cc: deTomaso at POCA.com
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] [POCA Forum] A-ARM BUSHINGS (Pantera Technical)
> 
> 
> In a message dated 4/29/15 12 34 27, demongusta at me.com writes:
> 
> 
>>      What is the main advantage of the Poly A-arm bushings? If they 
>> are
>>>      replaced with the stock rubber, I assume you would not have the
>>>      squeaking, correct.
>> 
> 
>>>> Interesting--I never saw this original message, or John Donahue's
> response, or Dennis' response to that; the only thing that came through is
> John's 
> subsequent reply.   Is this something that bled over from a web-based forum 
> perhaps?
> 
> As to the question above--the principal selling point of poly bushings is
> that they offer less compliance (which is what bushings are for in the first
> 
> place).   They are favored by racers and autocrossers (back in the day, race
> 
> Cobras came with solid metal bushings, yow!).   The main advantage they 
> used to have over factory bushings was greatly reduced cost.
> 
> Drawbacks are many, however.   As you mentioned, they can squeak something 
> awful if they aren't properly (and routinely) lubricated.   (People often 
> fail to lube the outside ends of the bushings, which is where most of the 
> squeaking happens).   Too, they can deliver a somewhat harsher ride, and
> fail to 
> absorb road shocks as well, transmitting them through the body instead.
> 
> Now MaseratiSource sells stock-style bushings at a very affordable price, 
> making them competitive with poly bushings.   I vastly prefer stock-style 
> bushings for a variety of reasons.
> 
> Getting the old ones out is time-consuming and labor-intensive, but not 
> especially difficult.   Using a sawzall (you can use a hacksaw but it would 
> take forever), you cut the large end off the bushing.   Then you use a 
> just-large-enough deep well socket on one side, and a just-small-enough
> socket on the other, put the whole affair in a vice and compress it; the
> small socket should be small enough to fit inside the A-arm tube, and the
> large one large enough to accept the bushing as it is pressed out of the
> A-arm.
> 
> My wife Lori changed all 16 of her bushings herself, once the process was
> demonstrated, so you can definitely do it too! :>)
> 
> Mike
>