EOI: Solid alloy or urathane Subframe bushings

[Adam.Findlay]

Just putting it out there. Who is intrested in a full subframe bushing kit.

Scott and I are in the process of removing standard bushings from spare subframes scott has. We are going to measure them up and will be making some new ones from either alloy or urathane. (probably both so I can test alloy and if its far too noisy and if it is )
There are 6 bushes for the front subframe and although we have not removed the rear subframe yet I think there are four securing the subframe to the car along with the two diff mount bushings

I will make the first set and then update thread with and aproximate kit price dependant on material cost and machine time required to turn them up.

@Kenneth
@swinks

[swinks]

Provisionally I'm in.
But I think urethane bushing is a way to go. Both subframes require some play, with alloy stiff joint that may have deteriorating effect for other elements in chassis..

[Adam.Findlay]

cool will put you down as a maby for urathane.

I personally swing toward solid mounting the subframes as suspention bushings should provide more than enough dampening from impact loading. For the solid mounts i plan to machine a grove into the top to take a big rubber o-ring which should minimise any noise transfered to the chassis.

also considering changing the thickness of the top halves of the subframe-to-body bushings to adjust the subframe-to-body clearance to adjust the rollcenter of the car for further handling advantages. provided that moving the subframe closer to the body is possible.

[Kenneth]

If the price is reasonable, solid for me. I have been planning on doing this myself at some stage but time has been a factor for me

Can you also make solid diff mount bushings while you are at it? No point in half arsing it.

Use a solid bushing with a thin urethane (rubber would be better) washer.

Just sorted a new alignment person (after having moved over a year ago) who seems pretty good. Said that our subframes have a tendency to move a bit when thrashed. Would be better if they didn't (so long as the alignment was all OK, of course.) My car was running some thrust, which he managed to eliminate (Among a couple of other alignment issuse). I'm hoping to get even better fuel economy now

[Subaru ETA]

I know a lot of people wouldn't really care but I will put it out there - solid mounted subframes make the car a little bit average for everyday use!

A mate of mine did it to his nissan and he ended up making it a dedicated track car just coz it was so hard, creaky and noisy lol

[Adam.Findlay]

If the price is reasonable, solid for me. I have been planning on doing this myself at some stage but time has been a factor for me

Can you also make solid diff mount bushings while you are at it? No point in half arsing it.

Use a solid bushing with a thin urethane (rubber would be better) washer.

Just sorted a new alignment person (after having moved over a year ago) who seems pretty good. Said that our subframes have a tendency to move a bit when thrashed. Would be better if they didn't (so long as the alignment was all OK, of course.) My car was running some thrust, which he managed to eliminate (Among a couple of other alignment issuse). I'm hoping to get even better fuel economy now

Yes will be doing diff mount bushings too. as mine are shot.

that was my other idea but accurately slicing rubber or urathane into a thin enough washer will be difficult. maby a small diameter oring on the inside of the bushing near the bolt and another near the other edge. will provide the same noise/vibration dampening effect.

After pulling the stock bushes out I can see how far they would be able to flex under hard cornering etc. one of the bushings is just a lump of rubber 50mm round, they have alot of flex in them. (some were bending quite far when scott and I were pressing them out.)

SubaruETA yeah we know it will be noisy thats why Im thinking about adding in O-rings/rubber washers to dampen some vibration out. ive driven some cars with pillowball upper adjustable suspention and alloy top hats and lotsof noise was transferred to the chassis. where my teins have only a small rubber o-ring on the top hat and rubber bushings not pillowball and its not noisy at all.

[c0xxy]

very interested

[Adam.Findlay]

Righto sofar its

Scott (Alloy)
Munkeywrench (Alloy)
Kenneth (Alloy)
Me (Alloy)
c0xxy (Alloy)
Carl "patryn999" (Alloy)
Swinks (Alloy)
Mark4 (Alloy)
Oblivion (Alloy)
Colin Wiltshire (Alloy)

also @SubaruETA there are alot of cars that have solid mounted subframes from standard. MX5's i beleive the rear subframe at least is solid mounted all vibration dampening is done soely by the suspension bushings. tony (munkeywrench) mentioned something about the late model evos 7+ having solid mounted subframes also.

[Kenneth]

that was my other idea but accurately slicing rubber or urathane into a thin enough washer will be difficult.

Get or make some tube / pipe of the right diameter, sharpen one end and use it as a punch on some old rubber tyre tubes.

[c0xxy]

alloy preferred here

[Adam.Findlay]

Get or make some tube / pipe of the right diameter, sharpen one end and use it as a punch on some old rubber tyre tubes.

your an ideas man kenneth!

[Subaru ETA]

Off topic but mx5 and rx8 use a brace which runs the length of the car to compensate for any harshness

[Patryn999]

Might as well add me to the list for alloy+oring. I'm throwing a bit at the poor subframe now, so that flex is probably there haha.

[Adam.Findlay]

sweet. will update when ive made one set. and see how they fit.

[Adam.Findlay]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yOz--DIuIc

found this illustrates the point quite well i think.

also all the bushes are out. will hopefully be turning up and test fitting the first set next weekend or the weekend after.

[swinks]

Just little word of advice to all who get solid aluminium bushing...
Highly likely you will need to upgrade following:
Rear end, in example:
- rear arms bushing to urethane (top hard compound)
- rear hub carrier bushing as above
- struts and springs for hard one
The same in front.
Also replace drop links with upgraded ones, i.e. rose joint ones.

[Colin Wiltshire]

ok, after watching that, I'm now interested. in the solid mounts

[Adam.Findlay]

just bought some alloy today to make the first set. was pretty cheap compared to the price of urathane
the alloy was 70nzd for 700mm long 63.5mm diameter
where the urathane was well over 120 nzd for 50mm round 300mm long.

[scott.mohekey]

I'm keen for Alloy too now, after seeing that video.

We should probably mention that you can't install these with the subframes on the car, so it is quite a big job to do. Also, even once you have the subframes off, you will have a hard time getting the old bushes out without some sort of air jack hammer or something. The shape of the subframes makes it pretty much impossible to get them out in a shop press.

[scott.mohekey]

Oh, and we can confirm the total number of bushes now. There's 6 on the front subframe, and 10 in the rear (four for the subframe mounts, four for the diff mounts, and two for the leading arms).