10 replies to this topic

[toadstool]

Anyone got any experience with Poly front sub mounts?, ive got some but not sure if i should bother using them on my resto project

[dave-88_123]

the tower mounts and teardrops are ok but i have heard of people having problems with the floor mounts

[jaydee]

They're not very good-better to use standard mountings or solid alloy mountings.

[toadstool]

I thought as much, i have got a complete car polybush kit, not sure how many of them i will be using

[Vipernoir]

I'm not convinced by poly at all - even as engine steady bushes.

[Big_Adam]

Be wary of "sporty" subframe mounts if your car has a touch of the old' tinworm.

I've split my floor on just regular rubber mounts, so if your floor (where your feet are when driving, where the rear of the front subframe bolts on) isn't in the best of conditions, then I'd just go rubber.

I'm going solid mounts next time and have 2 x 3mm thick plates in and out the car to spread the load next time.

[tiger99]

The poly mounts which I have seen are very unsatisfactory in their design, and I would never use them. The important point to remember is never to mix solid and poly, or for that matter, solid and rubber, as you WILL get structural cracking, often in the inner wings, but possibly in worse places too. In any case it will handle much better with all solid. Just be sure to fit strengthening plates at the toeboard mounts. Proper pre-rubber mount Minis handled brilliantly, as will any with solid mounts.

Oh, and you don't have to keep replacing the toeboard mounts if converted to solid. The rubber ones fail very quickly. It is always worth eliminating unnecessary maintenance hassles.

[toadstool]

thanks guys, im doing a complete resto which needs new floors so i think i will go with the solid mounts and chuck the Poly's in the bin.

I have had some good results with Poly's on my Land Rover projects but it seems that the mini boys dont much care for them.

anyone got any positve experiences with poly shock, tie bar, bottom arm bushes?????

[jaydee]

Poly bushes are stiffer to deform but once deformed they stay deformed loosing part their bushing function. Plus they suffer of sudden breaking due to fatigue stress and heating.
The only polyflex things i have on my car are rebound buffers/bump stops (not that they're good, its just that the rubber type have too short life) and the outer bushings of the tie bars, those are a very stiff type polyflex.
You can get upgraded rubber bushings for bottom arms, tie bars and even for the engine steadies, Upgraded rubber bushes are normally used in cars with custom suspension settings (competition etc..)

[Cooperman]

Best mountings are all-solid, and never mix them under any circumstances. Poly lower arm inner bushes are OK, but tie-bars are best with standard rubber ones and change them when they wear.

[CityCharlie]

How about the Superflex items? It seems that KC and Dan of this parish have had some success with them over the years. Whilst I admit they are not cheap they have been proven in the Triumph and MG circles to be superior to pretty much any other Poly bush (Heck, my rear suspension was more compliant with those bushes than the stock rubber items, as is a friend's Triumph Mk1 PI :)). However, many do find the cost prohibitive when compared with other bushes (compared to genuine bits, they don't seem like that bad a deal).

It is a crying shame that rubber bushes these days for classics seem to be made of garbage at the best of times IME (2 years and 2,000 miles out of lower arm bushes anyone (MGB)? OK they may be cheap, but I thought cars were designed to be driven, not to be changing bits constantly!).

I can't comment on Minis specifically though (I have only previously used Poly on my old MGB, and now on my Stag).