Experience with Superformance A-arm Bushes

I've got a full set of the 'hard rubber' wishbone bushings from them waiting to go into my '85 GTS, so interested in hear more about this as well...

 

Isn't there a metal sleeve through the center of the rubber bushing? Is that sleeve the width of the mount on the chassis? My recollection is that the bolt squeezes this sleeve so the mount won't distort if the sleeve is the right width.

 

The clearance between the bolt and the tube should be so minimal that if you were crushing the tube I would expect that you wouldn't be able to get the bolt in and out very easily anymore. Also the chances of it buckling in a nice line seems slim. If you remove the bolt and the A-arm can you see the metal tube inside at all? Is it distorted from being crushed? Are you sure the metal tube is in there? Do you have pictures?

 

Yes, it sounds like the inner steel sleeve is either not present or is inserted in two sections which don't meet in the middle. You'll have to take a look.

 

So it sounds like a manufacturing error.....

 

It is our view that the performance of these bushes when subjected to the expected loads is unsatisfactory and clearly different from the performance of the Ferrari bush. It is our intention to remove all 16 of these bushes from the arms and replace them with genuine bushes as we maintain that the Superformance bushes as tested are not fit for purpose. You may be able to imagine our disappointment at the increased time and expense involved in this.


If I was Colin I would have taken the hump over that statement.

 

which bushings on Superformance's website did you receive?
There isn't anything called "metalastic" that I can find

http://www.superformance.co.uk/a-308/suspension.htm

Or are "metalastic silentbloc" not listed?
Googling "metalastic silentbloc Ferrari" comes up with absolutely nothing for 308 suspension bushes.

I have a set of front and rear "hard rubber" (which was described by Colin as falling inbetween OEM and Polyurethane bushings as far as stiffness, which sounded good to me) being installed in a few weeks.

 

Next time I would install the urethane bushings made by Energy Suspension. No cutting, no welding, no burning rubber, the ride quality is great and, if properly lubricated at time of installation, no problem with squeaking. I've installed them in several 308s with great results and much lower cost than struggling with OEM type bushings. Just push out the inner steel sleeve and the rubber, leave the OEM outer sleeve in place, clean and lubricate the inside of the sleeve well with the supplied grease, pop in the new urethane bushings with new inner steel sleeves and re-install your A-arms. As with any new bushings, check/adjust your wheel alignment when done. Pitch the new outer sleeves. You don't need them.

 

Ditto on the Energy Suspension Urethane bushings. It took my wife and me about 8 hours to do all 4 ends IIRC.

 

I bought the Energy Suspension parts for my rear suspension, but they didn't come with grease. I also didn't order any. I did grease mine up with some molybdneum grease, but they do creak over bumps. I still want to do the fronts, so I guess I need to make sure I get the grease and I'll have to re-lube the rears. I'm really torn about ever using poly again for suspension bushings, they seem to always creak and groan over bumps.

 

The bushings should have come with a tiny blister tube in each package containing special grease. I think it's silicone grease and it works well.

 

Acording the mfr, only lube the inside of the bushing, i.e. where the bolt goes through. Do not lube the outside. The urethane bushing should be pressed in dry.

 

Paul, you're right that the outside of the urethane bushing doesn't get lubed, that was a slip-up, but the grease should go on the outside of the inner steel sleeve and inside the bushing bore so the urethane bushing can rotate on the inner steel sleeve. It shouldn't go inside the inner sleeve bore where the bolt passes through. The inner sleeve should be locked in place when the through bolt is tightened.

 

Just want to put in a plug for Superformance shipping to the US - I put in a good sized internet order on March 25th, boxes were delivered in Milwaukee on April 1st. Couldn't be happier with the ease of ordering on their site, very reasonable shipping cost (about $70 for several large boxes), and 1 week delivery.

have the following parts to go in over the next weeks from Colin: 30k service parts, quick ratio steering rack, hard rubber bushes f/r, SS brake lines, aluminum gas cap.

salud
Kurt

 

Just another point to beat it to death.

I installed them back in '96, freshened up my suspension a couple years ago and they were dry as a bone. I could see them starting to wear the suspension pick up points a bit on the thrust surfaces. I've been playing with dry lube that you paint on parts. I painted these bushings and no squeaking but no squeaking when I tore her down either. It's been over a year now with the dry lube and still no squeaking. I'm not sure how many years that grease stays effective for realistically.

So I used it on all the urethane bushings in my 911 and no squeaking (they were squeaking with grease ... also I think the 308 bushigns are graphite impreganted vs. staright urethane on my 911). When I moved the suspension by hand on the lift during assembly I would hear a slight squeak, but absolutely nothing once it's loaded.

Just curious if anyone else has played with graphite dry lube.

 

Not on Ferrari, but on my Land Cruiser, I have energy spring bushings and all of my shackles have grease nipples, and I did grease them during the installation and later maintainance