Smoothing things out a smidge..

[Conor]

So, i've been back on Irish roads for about a month now.. let's just say they aren't as kind to cars as the Queens highway!

I also took a spin in 2017 Golf the other day which had some nice tight steering and little bumping from the road. (Everything else is better in the old MB though )

Anyway, it got me thinking. I had known for a while I probably needed some new shocks all around, but i've also been thinking about changing "all" or many of the important bushes.

Is it possible for me to buy just the rubber pieces for wherever I need without any of the mental components? I see many places are selling them inside metal too. I suppose I need access to a press to change.

I read online in a few places that people who have done this have really transformed the car.

What do people think?

 

[john campbell]

Try looking for polly bush kits as they are really easy to fit and they are a push fit in most cases. They should last around 10yrs and will transform the ride of your car.

 

[Chrishazle]

Don't polybushes stiffen the ride, as they're far more solid than traditional rubber bushes??

 

[john campbell]

Depends on the kit....... you can get different grades so you can either have a standard ride or hard bushes for track use.

 

[LostKiwi]

Personally I'm not a fan of polybushes.
They have a nasty tendency to squeak over time.
Conor, the bushes you're talking about are known as metalastic and yes they are pressed in. If you can find something to use that will fit down the bore of the arm but which will push on the metal sleeve if the bush you can sometimes use a bolt and long socket to press them in and out. In general it's easier to replace arms or use a proper press.

 

[Kev555]

Rough and the fumes are brutal but butchery at its finest

 

[Conor]

Thanks guys.

I won't be going down the polybush route as I don't want to harden the ride at all. While this is my daily beater.. I want to retain some luxury and comfort.

I have a friendly mechanic up the road who I am hoping will let me use his press to change out any bearings/bushings as needed.

What do people think of this list of parts changing? The primary objective is to reduce harshness of ride and generally tighten everything up.

Suspension/Steering stuff always get's me. I think it's because there are so many rods/control arms/links etc.

* Mounts (Engine + Transmission)
* ARB mount bushes (Front / Back)
* ARB link rod bushes (Front / Back)

* Shock absorbers (I am pretty sure they are shot)
* Shock absorber top mounts
* Bump stops for shocks..

* Track / Control arm bush
* Tie rod ends (Do I need new part or is this a ball joint replacement job).
* Bump stop axle beam (Has elastomar so I assume it can be worn and affect ride)
* Wheel bearing housing

Ok, i've just been going through everything on OnlineCarParts.co.uk and it seems hit and miss. I need to create a definitive list before I do this job. I think I need to get some pics of the front and rear setups to proceed. Can't find anything online.

 

[M80]

You might consider increasing the tyre profile.
I found that brought the speedo to near perfect accuracy, but that'd depend on how far out from GPS it is.
That method also reduces the revs so if power is an issue it may not suit, or of course remapping to compensate.
Otherwise reducing wheel size to keep the circumference same /similar is the way.

Have you experimented with dropping the tyre pressures a couple of psi yet?

 

[Conor]

You might consider increasing the tyre profile.
I found that brought the speedo to near perfect accuracy, but that'd depend on how far out from GPS it is.
That method also reduces the revs so if power is an issue it may not suit, or of course remapping to compensate.
Otherwise reducing wheel size to keep the circumference same /similar is the way.

Have you experimented with dropping the tyre pressures a couple of psi yet?

I hadn't considered that at all. But the car has 200k miles on it so I think it would be safe to assume some bushings need replacing. Thats been the logic I have been operating on thus far.