Suspension: SOS - Wanted!

[classicswede]

Originally Posted by Stephen Edwin

I have heard it said in the forum approx. that if one does want poly one needs to take car what brand one chooses.

.

There are only a few brands about

Superflex/superpro - welll know and no issues other than being slightly hard for track use.
Classic Swede - available in soft and hard grades depending on use
Powerflex not seen any bad reports - possibly slightly on the hard side

As far as I know IPD never made these so no need to worry about the chewy material they use

There are also some Polish bushes on the market now perhaps that is what you have read about?

[Stephen Edwin]

Originally Posted by classicswede

There are only a few brands about ....




....

Over the few years that I have been a member, various opinions have been expressed in the forum as to brands and suppliers. Caveat Emptor re both aspects.

My view would be to want to experience a car of same basic specification as my own fitted with the particular pollies from the particuar supplier, before deciding.

But I am not convinced for myself that the investment would be worthwhile anyway. As they say in France: That's Life !







Reference to Not The Nine O'clock News ... Simultaneous Translation.




.

[Angie]

Thanks for all replies. I've sent lots of links to the garage so they will probably deal with it themselves, or tell me what's needed. Problem solved - almost!

[Stephen Edwin]

Originally Posted by Angie

Thanks for all replies. I've sent lots of links to the garage so they will probably deal with it themselves, or tell me what's needed. Problem solved - almost!

You will like the improvement of new bushes.

Angie ... best wishes and take care.
Stephen




.

[morwenna240]

Originally Posted by classicswede

Poly is not for everyone. I would never fit rubber on anything of my own. If you do want rubber then you need to take care what brand you choose and most are very short lived.

Poly is not the best choice for racing on tight turns as wheel lift happens sooner

Replacing the bush with rubber is one of the very few jobs on a 240 that can only be done with the correct special tool

Erm, i replaced my trail-arm bushes without any special tool. It DOES require a bit of judiciousness, but any decent garage with a halfway old school mechanic could do it. Basically, warm the arm, bushes in freezer. They don't drop in, exactly, but are a light to medium driving fit, you watch for distortion of mounts while driving, whack from other side to correct from time to time. Works fine. C'est la vie!, Stephen.

[Angie]

Well it's good news, the parts arrived from Volvo and being fitted as I write!

Thanks again to everyone for the helpful replies. I've learnt a lot, but more importantly I hope that if parts are needed in future the garage will get me to do a bit of searching before automatically ordering from Volvo!

I say 'good news', but I've not seen the bill yet!

[Angie]

Collected the car yesterday and couldn't believe the improvement. All the little bumps from the back and which I'd assumed were to do with suspension bushes have disappeared, and clutch judder which after 221,000 miles was presumably associated with engine mountings has also disappeared. It's always been a pleasure to drive but now it feels like a new car.

Have to go back next week to sort out one or two niggles, and be presented with the bill no doubt! The partner who did the work seemed to think it would be in three figures rather than the expected four, so I did sleep more soundly last night.

So a new MoT certificate for another year, which will give me time to decide if I want to keep the car long term.

Apparently the other trailing arm will need to be replaced fairly soon, but I've asked them not to order from Volvo this time!

[Clifford Pope]

Originally Posted by morwenna240

Erm, i replaced my trail-arm bushes without any special tool. It DOES require a bit of judiciousness, but any decent garage with a halfway old school mechanic could do it. Basically, warm the arm, bushes in freezer.

We seem to be talking about two different things here. I thought we all meant the big trailing arm bush that presses into the two hoops on the axle casing?
I agree that it is possible without the special tool, but quite difficult. But there is no bush here in the trailing arm - just two holes in the sides that the long bolt clamps together onto the centre of the bush.

Or is this the small bush at the front of the trailing arm?

[AndrewBrown]

Originally Posted by classicswede

There are only a few brands about

Superflex/superpro - welll know and no issues other than being slightly hard for track use.
Classic Swede - available in soft and hard grades depending on use
Powerflex not seen any bad reports - possibly slightly on the hard side

As far as I know IPD never made these so no need to worry about the chewy material they use

There are also some Polish bushes on the market now perhaps that is what you have read about?

PowerFlex now do 3 different grades of hardness, I have some purple ones

Road Series the purple ones for fast road use stiffer than standard. Shore 80A

Black Series the black ones for track use very stiff. Shore 95A

Heritage collection the ones that look like a dark grey/black colour like rubber bushes. I don't know what Shore rating they are but they are said to ride nice like new standard bushes.

The good thing is PowerFlex are all made in the UK.

Superpro come halfway around the world from Australia and superflex also used to import all of their bushes them but now make some of them in the UK

[classicswede]

My bushes are made in Wales

95 shore is way to hard for the axle bushes, max hardness should be 85, 95 is like nylon