The bushings that come pressed in rear upper control arms are those for the chassis side? If so I assume I will need to purchase new axle side bushings?
Bushings That Come W Rear Control Arm Those Chassis?
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5.0 Ford Guy
Founding Member
Correct, the upper rear control arms only come with bushings for the chassis side. The ones in the axle are pressed in. Maximum Motorsports sells a tool that lets you use a couple of ratchets to remove and install those bushings; I have one and it's well worth it. I'd also recommend buying Ford replacements for the bushings. I was told that poly bushings in this case would create too much bind in the suspension.
5.0 Ford Guy
Founding Member
Sharad
ALWAYS choose the V over the P!!! Wait... what?
I have a spare set of poly bushings for the axle. If you want the car to perform, use poly bushings. If you want to keep a good ride quality, then use the stock rubber bushings. If there is any binding with poly bushings, no one ever noticed it. That's some myth someone made up to sell spherical bushings.
Kurt
Kurt
While I agree that binding with poly bushings may well be myth, do you have any links to tests disproving it? I'm curious.
Not off hand. I just know that we ran poly bushings on Mustangs for damn near 20 years and no one ever heard of any binding problems. Then all of a sudden MM or whoever came out with spherical bushings for the rear control arms and all these stories of binding issues with polyeurothane bushings started appearing all over the internet. Do they bind? maybe. Does it effect the car in any way? not that I have ever seen. You just have to make sure that they are lubed properly so they don't squeak. I truly honestly believe that they made up the binding myth to sell spherical bushings. It's a correction for a problem that really isn't a problem. Another consideration is that over time dirt and other road debris is going into the spherical bushing and wear it out. So while it might be a perfection issue on a race car, for a street car that gets driven a lot, it's just not practical.
Kurt
Sharad
ALWAYS choose the V over the P!!! Wait... what?
Actually MM says the poly bushings bind and they only use rubber.
In my experience oem rubber bushings are garbage.
In my experience oem rubber bushings are garbage.
Thanks for all the replies fellas, I've been out of pocket for a couple days. Just how harsh a ride are we talking with the poly bushings in the axle side? Say like on a scale from caddi to chuck wagon?
Thanks for all the replies fellas, I've been out of pocket for a couple days. Just how harsh a ride are we talking with the poly bushings in the axle side? Say like on a scale from caddi to chuck wagon?
5.0 Ford Guy
Founding Member
I stopped by a Maximum Motorsport booth at a Fun Ford Weekend event one time and the guy there told me "You never weld on a rear end housing. The heat will warp the housing". To which I asked him "How he would make a narrowed 4-link rear end out of a Ford 9 without welding on it"? He could not answer me and I chuckled and walked away toward the Griggs racing booth.
5.0 Ford Guy
Founding Member
I just don't want to say anything bad about any particular company. Maximum Motorsports seems very set in their ways, and has some weird opinions. I'm just an old school Steeda guy.
Kurt
Kurt
I didn't notice any change in the ride quality whatsoever. The only thing I did notice was a little more transmitted noise from the rear axle at certain speeds (roughly 45-65mph).
As for suspension bind if you use only urethane bushings on both pairs of rear control arms, you wouldn't really notice any unless you're driving close to the cornering limits of the car. I do find that the spherical bearings help to keep the rear wheels firmly planted during hard cornering so there's less chance of the inside wheel lifting off the ground.
Thanks for all your help fellas. I researched the subject to death and to the point where it got frustrating. All this talk like oh it'll bind and kill ya blah blah. Thanks for the clarity
mike
mike
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