13 replies to this topic

[Dusky]

Hi guys!

Me again!;)
Had anyone had experience with these bushes? http://minispares.co...|Back to search

Are they really mandatory to fit after adjusting the camber on the front?
I have very little experience with road suspension , when we built my dads racer we just bought the racing bushes etc. so all input is appreciated. :)

[Spider]

I have them in a few of the cars, they do seem to be lasting well, better than some of the other rubbish getting about.

[Dusky]

Cheers! Would use minispares standard bushes otherwise. Heard these can increase camber even more? (Though no Idea how that would be possible unless they had An Oval hole?)

[nicklouse]

the hole is offset.

 

there was a topic about these a while ago about them not fitting. i think it was more to do with the OP not fitting them correctly. and our favourite grumpy poster described them not fit for purpose and report them to trading standards etc.....

[Spider]

I recall there were / are some off set types available as well as the 'centred' or 'neutral' types, which these are.

 

The off set types can be used to give small changes to the geometry.

[Rorf]

that's why they have a dot and a line marked on them - they must be installed in a certain position in relation to the lower arm in order to get the negative camber. Also remember to only tighten the lower arm bolt when the suspension is loaded, not hanging in the air.

[Swift_General]

I have these. The metal sleeve runs diagonally inside the rubber. As Moke Spider alluded to the purpose is not to alter the suspension geometry and will not change the camber but to lessen the strain on the rubber then the bottom arm does not meet the lower pin square.

[Dusky]

Cheers guys!
Massive thank you!
While you're all here, whats your opinion on HD tie rods? Some say standard Will bend,others say its impossible. I only have 75-85bhp and drive on normal Roadster,no circuit use etc.. Thanks !

[Spider]

A while back they had another type, though similar which were not off-set. These are the main types I've use.

 

From http://minispares.co...ttom-arm-bushes :-

 

"Aftermarket bushes for suspension and subframes have been a topic of conversation for some time now. Many folk have become obsessed about fitting brightly coloured plastic (polyurethane) bushes in place of any rubber bush they can find in the belief they will improve the performance of whatever bush has been replaced. Whilst it is true that polyurethane is harder wearing - and therefore longer lasting - than rubber in many applications it is not necessarily the best material for the application every time. Polyurethane has greater abrasion resistance and is stiffer for a similar hardness, is much cheaper to produce (and therefore sells at lower cost) and can be produced in a wide variety of gaudy colours.
However, it does not posses the elasticity, vibration absorbance or deflection tolerance of rubber, pretty much why manufacturers use rubber on production cars instead of the cheaper polyurethane. A case in point (and what brought this subject to the fore) is bottom arm bushes used in competition where spherical rod ends are not allowed. Increasing the caster angle to improve handling distorts the inner bottom arm bush dramatically. The more caster angle used, the more dramatic the distortion. Whilst a rubber bush will tolerate this to a certain extent, a polyurethane bush will deform and stay deformed - adversely affecting the bush's performance and eventually failing in an unwanted - and possibly dramatic way - by falling out, split into several pieces. Ideally a rubber bush with a metal sleeve in it to reduce the quantity of rubber in the installation to improve stability and control is the way to go; especially if that metal insert is offset at an angle in the rubber to counter or reduce the deflection applied by greater caster angles than standard.
And that is exactly what Mini Spares have come up with after protracted investigation into materials, suitability and performance. The new offset performance bushes are available in 80 or 90 IRHD rubber for fast road/competition and race use respectively. Although being a little more expensive than the plastic alternatives they will do a far superior job for longer.
C-STR631 - 90IRHD (white identification dot) hard bush for race use
C-STR632 - 80IRHD up-rated bush (yellow identification dot) for fast road/competition use
Fitting:
In both cases the bushes need to be properly orientated to achieve the correct angle of fitment for the offset steel sleeves. The bushes are therefore marked with a fine line on the narrower side of the bush flange (check top and underside of flange). The front bush (nearest front of car) should be fitted with this line pointing down the centerline of the bottom arm towards the wheel. The rear bush should be positioned with it's line 180 degrees the other way, so pointing in towards the centerline of the car. Trial fit the bushes and bottom arm pin to the arm before fitting to the car - the pin should fit easily through. If the bushes are not correctly aligned the pin will not fit easily."

 

It's this last bit that I've bolded that probably concerns you Dusky.

[nicklouse]

Cheers guys!
Massive thank you!
While you're all here, whats your opinion on HD tie rods? Some say standard Will bend,others say its impossible. I only have 75-85bhp and drive on normal Roadster,no circuit use etc.. Thanks !

tie rods.

 

adjustable ones may be needed to correct the geometry of the car.

 

it depends on what your setting are.

[Dusky]

Cheers guys!
Massive thank you!
While you're all here, whats your opinion on HD tie rods? Some say standard Will bend,others say its impossible. I only have 75-85bhp and drive on normal Roadster,no circuit use etc.. Thanks !

tie rods.
 
adjustable ones may be needed to correctthe geometry of the car.
 
it depends on what your setting are.

Optimising the standard standard settings really, standard tracking , -0.5-1 degree of Camber

Just dont know if standard would bend etc

Edited by Dusky, 02 August 2017 - 10:51 AM.

[Dusky]

Got (and plan to keep unless someone advices otherwise) 1.5mm toe.out on the front of that makes any difference.

[SolarB]

Standard tie rods are strong enough for every day use. Whether they will give you the geometry you are after is another matter.
I've had a set of the off-set bushes for 6 years now and they appear to be lasting well.

[Dusky]

Cheers, according to a calver's article it does look like the standard tie bar will keep the caster in spec 😊