Having different durometer bushings allows you to pick the level of performance you want. It is used for control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, differential bushings, engine mounts, transmission mounts, and body mounts.Īnother benefit to polyurethane is the ability to make bushings in different durometer (hardness). Polyurethane is also an extremely versatile material. This means high volumes of bushings can me made without a huge investment in equipment or machining costs. Polyurethane is a chemical that is poured into a mold, and it solidifies into a bushing. One of the biggest benefits to polyurethane is its relatively low cost. It is hard enough to stand up to high compression loads (hard launches, hard acceleration), while remaining compliant enough to give you enough articulation for handling applications. It reduces deflection over rubber bushings, while still absorbing good amounts of NVH. Polyurethane is a synthetic material that doesn’t rot or deteriorate due to normal environmental factors (oils, road salt and grime, ozone, etc.). For everyone else, there are much better performance options. If you want a smooth, quiet, noise-free ride, then rubber is for you. They rot, rip, wear out, deflect (a lot!), and are simply inefficient at transferring large amounts of power. Rubber bushings are what come from the factory. Thankfully, this leaves room for aftermarket suspension companies to greatly improve on the factory product. They are also trying to do this as inexpensively as possibly. The focus is on giving the customers a product that will absorb as much NVH as possible so the ride is quiet and comfortable. When cars are designed, the factory doesn’t think about performance when picking bushings. Another person may love the race car-like feel, and solid-mounted rod ends are just right. One person may want a plush ride with no noise, and a polyurethane bushing will be too aggressive. A simple way to look at it is the harder the bushing, the higher the NVH. What are considered tolerable levels of NVH is very subjective. With harder bushings, NVH is transferred through the chassis, and things like road noise, gear noise, and driveline vibrations become much more apparent to the vehicle’s occupants. Harder bushings do not absorb noise and vibration commonly known as NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness). Bushings with harder (higher durometer) material will reduce or prevent this deflection, but there is a tradeoff. This movement can allow the suspension to move in weird ways, throwing off the alignment of the front or rear wheels. When the bushing deflects, it also allows for unwanted movement. When a bushing is compressed and deforms under load, it absorbs energy instead of transferring it to the rest of the chassis. Soft, broken, or worn out bushings deflect, and deflection is wasted energy. In the front, the bushings directly affect steering input and performance, as well as how well your vehicle traverses imperfection in whatever road you’re driving on.” Most importantly, torque is transferred through the drivetrain and the bushings are the first piece of rear suspension that sees the forces of that energy. “Though this seems like an obvious and almost insignificant fact, the bushings do a lot more than you may think. “Bushings are the direct connection between the suspension link and either the chassis or the differential (rear), or front tires and the chassis (front)” said Brett Rockey, BMR’s Product Development Manager. To learn more about it we turned to the experts at BMR Suspension. There are a bunch of options and each comes with its own set of pros and cons. There are a lot of factors that play a big roll in the decision you have to make. The simple fact is the choice is very subjective. If you want to know why bushings are that important and want to know how to pick the bushings that will work best for you, this story is for you! BushingsĪsk five people which bushings you need in your car and chances are you’ll get five different answers. ![]() If you’re just looking for a stock replacement for a worn out rubber bushing, there isn’t much need to keep reading. Here’s the problem-it’s the most important decision you have to make! The bushings you pick will directly affect performance, ride quality, and comfort of the vehicle. That’s OK, like most enthusiasts, you probably haven’t given that one much thought. ![]() What bushing do you need? …um.Ĭhances are that’s the most difficult question you’ve had to answer yet. How about color? These questions are getting simpler. Are you going to race the car? It’s a legit question. Do you want tubular or boxed arms? Picking a design style is fairly straightforward. So you want to buy a set of control arms.
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