What's up guys n gals!
I'm about to start a bushing project on my Z. Me being me, I'm gonna go ahead and replace ALL, yes ALLLLLLL the bushings. Arms, pinions, diff, subframe, etc.
I don't settle for just a few things. I believe in full restoration. However I am just gonna buy bit by bit until I have everything. Installation won't be until everything is gathered.
Now I've researched different bushing materials like rubber, poly, and something else I can't remember. I've also read that certain materials are better off on some things than others.
Can anyone advise me on which parts the poly should go on? Rubber should go on? SOLID (just remembered it) should go on?
Thanks in advance everyone!

 

Street, track, or both?

I plan to go poly on everything front and rear and have already done engine and trans mounts in poly. Only consideration is whether to do poly or solid diff bushing. This on a mostly street car with what will be occasional track use.

Personally, I prefer poly. I like to significantly reduce moment, but don't believe everything should be locked tight. Issues with breaks and cracks can arise without a little bit of give.

 

Precisely, street with occasional track. And I've heard some people go about 90/10 between poly and solid.
How about the diff?

 

My suggestion? Do poly on everything and decide between the diff being poly or solid. Haven't done the install yet or heard that one makes much of a difference over the other. You do NOT want to do any suspension bushings in solid, trust me you will hate it on a street car. Full front polys, full rear polys, poly swaybar bushings, poly steering rack bushings, poly subframe bushings (or collars if you're feeling lazy, poly / solid diff bushing, poly trans and motor mounts and you will have a completely different car. Definitely do them all together since the steering bushings, front, and rear will require an alignment after.

 

unless a dedicated track i wouldnt do solid.... but that is just my .02

 

Poly it is! Thanks

 

I'm actually against poly in some instances, Nismo bushings are far better than poly, fit better than poly and won't squeal.
I'm actually going to change some of my poly bushings to SPL because of the lack of articulation, specifically I'm using SPL for the shock mounts and compression arms as all those articulate. Those should not be too bad and will keep the best consistency.

 

Also I've seen cars that sound like a swing set because if poly bushings.

 

Just remember that if you go with spherical bearings instead of OEM or poly you may be banned from certain SCCA classes.

 

It's true lol. I wish Nismo sold a complete set, I would have just bought that.

 

Lot's of brands of arms and stuff are all solid like Nismo

 

I'm talking about Nismo rubber bushings

 

Poly in certain area's was horrid for me. Causes a LOT of stiction (whereby it binds and then releases), this feels like a delay in your inputs. For anything rotational it was fine though.
I switched out to SPL but of course that's not for everyone.
I think the best way is to get a decent brand, try it out and see what you think.
Personally I'd rather have rubber/spherical combo in the right areas if it's used on the road a fair bit.

 

Agree 100% that's why I'm changing out all my poly out for spherical, the remaining are hard rubber. Only thing I will have in poly after that will be the diff and FUCA since there aren't any adjustable ones with hard rubber.

 

Anyone make higher durometer rubber mounts/bushings in this application?

 

For what specifically?
Nismo sells hard rubber bushings for almost everything except the compression rods, they used to sell engine and trans mounts but they are now discontinued. Only ones making hard rubber mounts now are Sunline Racing in Japan and Megan racing. Sunline can be a hassle to get, I ordered mine in Nov 2019 and got them in June 2020.

 

Whiteline , there kits are pricy but they did plenty of R&D

 

They are nice but Whiteline are poly, not rubber like he asked for.