Polybush - Views Please....

[reads90]

Nigel

I have had polybush bushes on all my trucks for the past blah blah years

The first set i got was when the the Blues ones came out for the first time. I went into get a red set fitted and the chap Ben at Dovercare did me a very good price on the Blues ones as he wanted somone who did not give a carp about his truck, and drove it like a nutter, to test them for him. And he reconded i was the man for the Job

They lasted very well and since than i have their kits on 4 trucks i have owned since then and will continue to do so

[lrnewbie]

i have always run std and pretty much swear by them, they last, absorob bumpers and keep things tight when no worn out.

however for offroading i am 'trialling' some blue polybush (£100 + VAT) i paid, so far they are good although i have done about 2k on them. they are soft enough to flex allowing articulation etc but firm enough for holding the road. i think red could be too hard for atriculation plus i beleive whilst htey improve road handling they transmit alot of the bumps to the chassis etc.

I've been searching everywhere for the polybush blues, just want it for the family discovery to get back the "factory fresh" feel not for serious off roading. Where can I get them for £100 +VAT, I've seen em for about £150 inclusive?

[Holyzeus]

Well that post is almost 4 years old........

prices do go up you know.......

[lrnewbie]

Well that post is almost 4 years old........

prices do go up you know.......

Bah, still seems a bit dear when britpart specials are in the £60ish region, really worth the extra money do you think?

[Holyzeus]

Superpro ones IMO

[FridgeFreezer]

Bah, still seems a bit dear when britpart specials are in the £60ish region, really worth the extra money do you think?

Since you used the "B" word I'd say anything is a better deal than their stuff, yes.

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopi...amp;hl=Polybush

I bought, I removed / Bined

You read / You decide

Nige

[lrnewbie]

http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopi...amp;hl=Polybush

I bought, I removed / Bined

You read / You decide

Nige

Interesting to note, however I'm not going to be doing any off roading other than getting into the odd green lane/field for camping so maybe it won't get as stressed..... One question; I'm looking out for an hydraulic press in general but want one that can get the old bushes off and possibly oem rubber ones back on (given yours, and a number of people's reservations on poly), will a 4.5 ton press with 1m space between press and table do the job? I have no idea at the moment what is involved with changing the bushes as in whether you take whole arms out, how long they are etc. I'll be researching more on the web but have yet to come across the definitive guide for changing ALL bushes for my K reg 200tdi Discovery.

Thanks,

Sunny

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

Interesting to note, however I'm not going to be doing any off roading other than getting into the odd green lane/field for camping so maybe it won't get as stressed..... One question; I'm looking out for an hydraulic press in general but want one that can get the old bushes off and possibly oem rubber ones back on (given yours, and a number of people's reservations on poly), will a 4.5 ton press with 1m space between press and table do the job? I have no idea at the moment what is involved with changing the bushes as in whether you take whole arms out, how long they are etc. I'll be researching more on the web but have yet to come across the definitive guide for changing ALL bushes for my K reg 200tdi Discovery.

Thanks,

Sunny

IMHO to remove Genuine type bushes and replace with new a 10 ton press is needed as a min,imum for polybushes they can be put in by hand

Nige

[lrnewbie]

IMHO to remove Genuine type bushes and replace with new a 10 ton press is needed as a minimum, for polybushes they can be put in by hand

Nige

OMG that's pretty heavy duty, pity, there's a 4.5 ton press going fairly near me that would have done nicely otherwise. Is the metre height enough space at least and would 4.5 tons just grind to a halt or would it just do it more slowly?

Thanks.

[SteveG]

I'll be researching more on the web but have yet to come across the definitive guide for changing ALL bushes for my K reg 200tdi Discovery.

You can look in tech archive here for pics and advice, but frankly, if you are not off-roading you won't be changing your bushes that often (80,000 miles+) so by the time you've bought a press, knackered some sockets getting the bushes out etc , bought an angle grinder and some cutting discs for the bolts that won't come undone ;) it's less hassle and potentially less money to take it to a local independent garage to have them done there.

Cheers

Steve

[lrnewbie]

You can look in tech archive here for pics and advice, but frankly, if you are not off-roading you won't be changing your bushes that often (80,000 miles+) so by the time you've bought a press, knackered some sockets getting the bushes out etc , bought an angle grinder and some cutting discs for the bolts that won't come undone ;) it's less hassle and potentially less money to take it to a local independent garage to have them done there.

Cheers

Steve

LOL, I can see where you're coming from, I have a decent angle grinder at least and first things first I need to get under the car to check how knackered the bushes really are. I assume they're not great because of the awful ride which is really bumpy, swervy etc. but as I've never had a Discovery before so this could be par for the course. I definitely want to try new gas shocks, nothing amazing just monroes and possibly HD springs although again it's mainly a people carrier with the odd heavy load and trailer full of rubble so would HD springs be over the top? Better to just get new standard? With the bushes is it simply a case of if they don't look physically knackered i.e. melting/crumbling/overly compressed they're okay and just leave em?

Oh and the car's done 150k miles, had full LR history up to 2000ish and can't see any reference to bushes being changed.

Thanks

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

Why on earth would you fit HD springs ?

If the ones on there are 150,000 miles, and the shocks equally shot, with worn out bushes

just replace with standard new stuff to transform it

Nige

[FridgeFreezer]

10 Ton press is a minimum I'd say, I've known 40+ ton presses struggle with bushes that have rusted in. You can always butcher them out with a hammer & chisel though, just takes a while. Easiest to remove the arms from the car (one at a time) and do them on the bench. Not a complicated job, just hard work sometimes.

Half way between HD springs and stock would be to put RR police spec springs on. I had those and Monroe shocks on my RR and it went lovely without being a harsh ride.

[lrnewbie]

Why on earth would you fit HD springs ?

If the ones on there are 150,000 miles, and the shocks equally shot, with worn out bushes

just replace with standard new stuff to transform it

Nige

Erm I dunno, thought it was the done thing.....well no need to spend more money than I need. So in actual fact should I just be going for oil filled armstrongs as well then or will a bit extra on basic gas ones make the difference?

[lrnewbie]

10 Ton press is a minimum I'd say, I've known 40+ ton presses struggle with bushes that have rusted in. You can always butcher them out with a hammer & chisel though, just takes a while. Easiest to remove the arms from the car (one at a time) and do them on the bench. Not a complicated job, just hard work sometimes.

Half way between HD springs and stock would be to put RR police spec springs on. I had those and Monroe shocks on my RR and it went lovely without being a harsh ride.

Yeh I've heard of the police spec springs, sounds good. Any ideas of where they can be bought from?

Thanks,

[HoggyN]

Has anyone wondered why polybushes aren't used as original equipment by any manufacturer?

I rate them alongside hiclones, magnetic petrol polarizers, lumps of tin in the fuel tank etc. If they were any good they would be fitted as standard.

[lrnewbie]

Has anyone wondered why polybushes aren't used as original equipment by any manufacturer?

I rate them alongside hiclones, magnetic petrol polarizers, lumps of tin in the fuel tank etc. If they were any good they would be fitted as standard.

Ease of fitting for lazy DIYers who don't have hydraulic presses? So is it impossible to refit original bushes without an hydraulic press?

[HoggyN]

Ease of fitting for lazy DIYers who don't have hydraulic presses? So is it impossible to refit original bushes without an hydraulic press?

It's that ease of fitting that causes them to wear out so fast. Unless everything is tight, or bonded, the bush will rotate in the housing or the central sleeve will rotate in the bush. Given that the polyurethane is so soft, rapid wear is inevitable.

Original equipment metalastic type bushes have no moving parts, except the distortion of the rubber, and are therefore infinitely superior in the nasty, gritty, environment under the average 4x4.

[lrnewbie]

It's that ease of fitting that causes them to wear out so fast. Unless everything is tight, or bonded, the bush will rotate in the housing or the central sleeve will rotate in the bush. Given that the polyurethane is so soft, rapid wear is inevitable.

Original equipment metalastic type bushes have no moving parts, except the distortion of the rubber, and are therefore infinitely superior in the nasty, gritty, environment under the average 4x4.

Sold, I suppose I'll be hacking them off and hammering on new ones, it'll be character building. Or I could cop out and send it to the garage as suggested earlier in the thread, either way I think I'll give polybushes a miss, thanks for saving me some money

[FridgeFreezer]

Yeh I've heard of the police spec springs, sounds good. Any ideas of where they can be bought from?

Mostly everywhere that sells LR parts, a search on here (specifically the RR forum) should turn up some part numbers. I think the rear springs are red/white stripe and the fronts are green stripe. Cost about £10 per spring from Paddocks.

[ChrisV8]

Mostly everywhere that sells LR parts, a search on here (specifically the RR forum) should turn up some part numbers. I think the rear springs are red/white stripe and the fronts are green stripe. Cost about £10 per spring from Paddocks.

I think you are 100% correct that's what we fitted to daughters RR a small lift and a bit stiffer, much better than some replacements !!

[lrnewbie]

I think you are 100% correct that's what we fitted to daughters RR a small lift and a bit stiffer, much better than some replacements !!

Did a bit more research on the RR police spec, apparently they're lower in terms of the weight they're sprung for (or however you measure em...) than standard Disco springs. If this is the case then I think I'm going for standard disco new springs, combined with basic gas monroes or similar (not britpart even though cheaper as they don't seem to be the knowing LR owner's choice?) and renew standard rubber bushes where needed. This reflects a little more faith in the original spec disco to do the job (particularly as my vehicle is mainly a people carrier) but adds the gas shocks as a little bit beyond the factory standard for a bit more control on the road. Or that's what I'm hoping anway....

Thanks for the advice yall, hope I'm on the right track now

[HoggyN]

Did a bit more research on the RR police spec, apparently they're lower in terms of the weight they're sprung for (or however you measure em...) than standard Disco springs.

They are softer because the RR also has a self levelling strut to help out - the Disco doesn't.

[lrnewbie]

They are softer because the RR also has a self levelling strut to help out - the Disco doesn't.

Which would explain some disco complaints of a wallowy ride I guess....it really is a minefield of information out there. Interesting for someone like me as well who's probably in the minority and doesn't really off road and just wants to keep the disco ticking over with minor improvements where I can.