OEM or Powerflex?

[Fat Audi 80]

I know this has been discussed before, but can anyone recommend Powerflex over OEM (or another make)

I have to do my wishbone bushes for the upcoming MOT and am considering doing them myself to save money. I know the Powerflex ones are easy to fit yourself whereas the OEM ones need to be pressed in.

Which should I go for? Can you feel a difference and do the Powerflex last significantly longer.

Will the Powerflex be too hard? I want a standardish ride...

Cheers,

Steve.

[Greg_S]

Go for Superflex if you can get them. Much better bush design compared to the powerflex and I would have used them if I had known of them prior to installing powerflex.

Powerflex's are harder and you get more road noise but does improve handling. Another option which has been looked at in past and got good results is solid subframe mounts and standard wishbone bushes

[Crawford_S2]

Would always go poly bushes over standard, doesn't seem to compromise ride and the turn in after is awesome, really tightens things up! Think lots on here prefer another make though, can't remember which but expect somenoe to chip in soon Might be Sureflex

[Crawford_S2]

Doh! too slow, superflex then

[Jamo]

Superflex dont do ones for the forged wishbones though.

[4WheelDrifter]

I had to fit both Powerflex and Superflex to my car, as pointed out Superflex only do bushes for the pressed steel arms.

I'm not sure if it means anything, but when I had the Superflex and Powerflex bushes side by side, the Superflex items just looked to be better made than the Powerflex.

It took about 15 minutes to fit the rear Superflex bushes on my car, whereas it took 3 of us and a large mallet about 2 hours to fit the front Powerflex bushes, such a PITA. I hope I don't have to do those again, and if I did I'd probably borrow the press and fit OEM.

However, if you have pressed steel wishbones, to me it's a no-brainer. Superflex every time. Even if they don't last as long as OEM, I would still have them just because they are so easy to replace.

I can't really comment on whether Polyurethane bushes make the ride harder than stock bushes. I've only replaced worn out items, and I have mostly polyurethane and alloy bushes everywhere else anyway.

HTH

[newsh]

Just put new stock rubber ones in, the solid ones are not worth the extra noise and they wear out in no time at all and you end up rabbit holing all over the place. Trackday car only IMHO.

[zdo]

034 makes delrin bushings for the cast arms and solid bushings as well.

[Fat Audi 80]

Hmm. I might just go for the OEM and take the arms to my local garage and ask him to press them in and then refit myself....

Cheers,

Steve.

[s2driveruk]

I've got standard wishbone rubber and solid subframe mounts and I think its a reasonable compromise to be honest. I'm hoping for a further improvement in the spring when i finally fit the forged wishbones .

Quick tip if you cannot be ar*ed to fight to get the old ones out, find a local garage and ask to use their press, easier by far and for a £10 will probably save u some time too!

[hybridavant]

I changed genuine wishbone bushes without a press,my method is use a long piece of 10mm threaded bar and appropriate spacers such as sockets to draw the old bushes out and pupp the new ones in ,the ,the long piece of threaded bar goes through both bushes ,thus keeping the new bushes level when you draw them in , used a similar idea for subframe bushes also!

[rj scotty]

I changed genuine wishbone bushes without a press,my method is use a long piece of 10mm threaded bar and appropriate spacers such as sockets to draw the old bushes out and pupp the new ones in ,the ,the long piece of threaded bar goes through both bushes ,thus keeping the new bushes level when you draw them in , used a similar idea for subframe bushes also!

Thats is the best tech tip I've ever heard

Give that man a cigar

[1975DCS]

Interesting thread this is!

On one of my previous cars it was recommend to change to harder on some place and keep the OEM on other places to give the "best" compromise... Trouble is I can't find it anymore...

[Corey]

IMO for a road car your best bet is to use alloy subframe mounts and stock OE wishbone bushes, so you retain a bit of comfort but I like the feel of the uprated bushes but it is a personal choice.
If you are going to use uprated wishbone bushes then make sure you grease them well, the 034 items have a unique internal groove and a hole to allow you to apply a marine grade grease (supplied) so you don't have to strip them down to regrease.
Fatty what strut top mounts you using?

[iain1067]

Agree with Corey on the subframe bushes/oem wishbone setup

Iain