Superflex vs Powerflex

[GandalfS6]

My S2 had PowerFlex bushes installed when I got it. Recently, my car started to understeer badly on the track and pull to the right under hard braking. It really puzzled me.

I am upgrading my car at the moment and as part of the work I had the wheel bearings replaced. Geoff Mortimer, who is doing the work, found that the RF wishbone was moving by 8mm by hand! This is what the bushes looked like:



I must have had some of the older PowerFlex bushes. See how much the pin could move inside the bush



Geoff has since made up Vesconite bushes that should last:

[Jon441cc]

Anyone know the OD of the flange on the front & rear wishbone bushes
(forged fronts)

Many thanks Jon

[Jon441cc]

Has anyone used or can recommend these top mounts & bushes from www.furans.se ?

Cheers Jon

[Jon441cc]

Any Swedish or Norwegian guys using these furans Components

[volcano rs]

top mounts look good they have grease nipples .the bushes look like nylon if they are i wouldn't bother, too hard for wishbones

[Corey]

top mounts look good they have grease nipples

Grease nipples in a spherical bearing used for strut mounts is a bad idea!
Spherical bearings using nipple fittings for lubrication have increased gaps between spherical ball and bearing race as thats the only way to get grease in and keep it there.
They are easily "spinnable" by hand as they rely on a precise gap to be filled with grease for them to float on. That layer of grease is TOTALLY inadequate for a major radial load as encountered in suspension compression when hitting a bump or pothole. Yet totally suitable for smooth rotational spinning only without jarring or bumps. Its also a horribly messy affair as any time lubricant/grease is forced in under pressure from a grease gun it forces old grease out. On strut mounts the area that old grease is forced out is un-reachable by hand requring disassembly of the entire strut to get at it to clean it off.
Leave it there and it becomes a dirt magnet, allowing grit, dirt, silica, salt, water and debris to stick to it and migrate back into the bearing wear surfaces. Spherical bearings with nipple fittings are extremely noisy due to increased gaps between ball/race as well as being steel-to-steel and typically found on conveyer or tracked wheels sytems where the spherical ball is continually spinning in its race. Nothng similar to a proper spherical bearing design as a suspension mount that never rotates more than 60 degrees but is subject to TREMENDOUS radial shock loads easily attaining in excess of 35,000psi if the suspension bottoms out! Also they are typically for bearings that are subject to light/moderate "axial" loads rather than the exceedingly high radial loads encountered in a strut mount.

PTFE liners (Teflon) that make for a "sealed/self-lubricating" bearing that doesnt require a wet lubricant as the teflon insert is both a sealing and a lubricating liner that doesnt attract dirt, silica, grit and debris and is LOTS quiter in operation simply KILLS a greaseable bearing seven ways to Sunday as a strut mount. And that its sealed/lubricated "for life" doesnt hurt either!

Take a look sometime while standing in line at one of the popular amusement park rides and look at the spherical bearings on roller-coaster wheel assemblies and all the old grease, dirt, sludge and caked-on crap near those nipple fittings and see if that looks like what you want growing out of your strut mounts and spherical bearings.

Great idea for low-speed rotational/axial loads with "steel-to-steel" bearings/races that rotate (like wheel bearings). The worst thing you can possibly do for a properly designed strut mount utilizing a spherical bearing designed for radial loads.

(Taken from a thread on TDIF, posted by the guy who manufactures my ProMounts)

[volcano rs]

so it looks like a bad idea

[Corey]

Only those ones, sorry. Everyone (wells those that haven't tried them yet) are welcome to try these

[Corey]

If I remember correctly (and I am sorry for the shameless plug) I think GandalfS6 has purchased some?

[volcano rs]

do these have spherical bearing?

[Corey]

do these have spherical bearing?

Yup, custom designed for the application.

PTFE liners (Teflon) that make for a "sealed/self-lubricating" bearing that doesnt require a wet lubricant as the teflon insert is both a sealing and a lubricating liner that doesnt attract dirt, silica, grit and debris and is LOTS quiter in operation simply KILLS a greaseable bearing seven ways to Sunday as a strut mount. And that its sealed/lubricated "for life" doesnt hurt either!

Its the detail that allows us to guarentee these for life.

[Jon441cc]

How much are mance's promounts ?

[GandalfS6]

If I remember correctly (and I am sorry for the shameless plug) I think GandalfS6 has purchased some?

Yup I did buy some from Corey. I haven't fitted them yet - still busy sorting out the engine upgrade.... I'll let you know how they work!