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Poly bushes and leaf springs


tony109

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  • 1 month later...

At the risk of being attacked for posting on an old thread (I can live with the shame) are there any new experiences to be reported regarding the use of polybushes?

I'm planning on dipping my LtWtChassis, and so will be faced with reaming the bush eyes out. A job I hate - so if I can avoid it without sacrificing reliability, I WILL.

G.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi, I was just looking through this thread and saw your question.. Im the guy who started this thread, faced with the poly bush/standard choice..

The polybushes are still running very well, as is the land Rover in the pictures.. The springs get regularly flexed which would have destroyed a large number of Bonded rubber bushes by now. But my Deflex poly bushes are still looking good and unworn.

I have RM spings but sadly these still have the bonded rubber bushes in the spring eyes. When I fitted my Deflex Poly bushes to the chassis, I also replaced the bonded rubber bushes in the RM springs,. These are a unique size. The RM bonded rubber bushes in the spring eyes have now fully broken up and will need changing again, but all the Deflex poly bushes in the chassis are still going strong

I fitted polybushes to the chassis for the sake of the galvanizing and they've worked a treat! The bushes saved me from honing out the bush eyes and cutting away all my expensive rust prevention just to fit some cheap rubber bushes., Bushes that'll wear for a pass time.

I would without any doubt, fit the poybushes to your chassis. Just ensure when you fit them to use plenty of greace.

Then report back onto this thread just to keep some sort of record as to how much better, or not, various polybushes are, Both over each other or the standard rubber items

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I don't see the problem in reaming the eye out on a Galvy chassis.to fit the rubber ones.

With the copper grease there and a drift fit..........it aint gonna rust!. Mine haven't.

The problem is removing all the zinc coating from the holes in the first place. The bonded rubber bushes are a tight fit in an uncoated chassis, so all the zinc needs to be removed. You've paid good money for the Galvanized protection so why then remove it?

The untreated steel outer of the bush against/near the galvanize coating will increase the loss of the sacrificial zinc should they start to rust.

Sure with plenty of greace they wont rust, but the rubber will perish from the grease and general oil contact, along with the fact that he bonded rubber bushes will tear if you flex the springs alot. With poly bushes the center pins are free to revolve inside the bushes, so can flex as much as it likes, without a problem.

I fitted brand new bonded rubber bushes in my RM springs at the same time I fitted the poly bushes in the chassis. The bonded rubber spring bushes in the springs are knackered, the Deflex polybushes in the chassis are still going strong. My next task is to fit poly bushes in the RM spring eyes. Then they'll last alot longer.

Lexi, can I ask how long youve had your rubber bushes fitted, how much abuse they get and how did you fit them to your galvanized chassis in the first place. What did you use to ream ou the holes etc?

The Poly bushes that I fitted were not that easy to fit I must say. I needed my bush extractor to fit the center tubes into the bushes, but they'e not worn badly, if at all in all this time, where as, the rubber ones in the springs have had it

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Hi Tony; I only reamed out the rough on the inside with the small flap disc that fits in a drill. It was a push fit once turning.

My way is always to take a slight skim off the bonded bush as they are always oversize. This gives the nice fit. Last ones I put Aluslip paste in the chassis tube and on bush. When changing it the paste was still there.

Truck is light use though. with only occasional off road and pulling a boat or two out of fresh water.

I might try the Deflex, but rubber ones are cheap and I don't mind changing them.

I don't use Paras so don't want any hard bushes . My suspension is quite supple with standard front and heavy duty rear springs.

Have you done any more interesting trips recently?

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry for the early reply..

Standard springs are the future. All these parabolic converts have lost sight of the originals advantages. Shocks now notice when they fail, and they dont last. Ive gone through two in 8 years. Not bad, but not good either. I must say the parabolics do give an amazing ride over corrugations compared to the originals yet there is alot less body roll.

Standards springs and standard bushes are perfectly suited, but with parabolics the movement of the shackles would tear bonded items even quicker.

I've not had the time to think about planning any other trips as Ive been travelling alot with work, not in the Landrover.

I'd still love to get to Mongolia, China overland. Ive been a bit softened I have to say, so I'd take my new-ish Discovery 3. Then I'll have comfort and reliability.

Hi Tony; I only reamed out the rough on the inside with the small flap disc that fits in a drill. It was a push fit once turning.

My way is always to take a slight skim off the bonded bush as they are always oversize. This gives the nice fit. Last ones I put Aluslip paste in the chassis tube and on bush. When changing it the paste was still there.

Truck is light use though. with only occasional off road and pulling a boat or two out of fresh water.

I might try the Deflex, but rubber ones are cheap and I don't mind changing them.

I don't use Paras so don't want any hard bushes . My suspension is quite supple with standard front and heavy duty rear springs.

Have you done any more interesting trips recently?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ah Tony..........age catches up with all of us mate. :D

I was joking you know...... I'd NEVER Ever take Discovery 3, or any of the new Land Rovers. If I go away again it'll be in my series 2A which offers all the comfort and reliabilty I require...most of the time.. Cricky i dont believe I was taken seriously!!!

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  • 8 years later...
On 5/20/2009 at 6:53 PM, Phil Hancock said:

All this talk about having to add washers between the bushes and the swinging shackles, when i had my genuine orange polys from Chris Perfect they came with the washers for the swinging shackles.

 

On 5/19/2009 at 10:35 PM, tony109 said:

Mine are Deflex Bushes also..

I did have to get longer center Bush pins, otherwise the shackles would clamp on the Bush flanges before clamping on the center pins themselves. This leaves the center bush pins are free to turn inside the bushes. I added washers between the swinging shackles and the bushes to prevent cutting by the shackles and spread loads.

Polys' should last alot longer than the bonded rubber bushes, but the ride is virtually the same.

I went for the poly bush (Deflex) option as with a Galvanized chassis, fitting the original bonded rubber/Steel bushes would have meant honing of the bush tubes in the chassis, and I didn't want to remove any galvanizing and compromise the Zinc protection with rushing steel bush sleaves.

Hi there Tony I’m away to fit poly bushes on my 109 as Im doing a complete restoration and jw where you managed to get longer center bush pins from 

Thanks Olly 

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