205/309 gti front wishbone bushes

[sniff petrol]

As per my other thread, I'm fitting 309 GTi suspension to my 205. Now before fitting the front wishbones I feel I may as well put some nice new polybuhses in there. The only ones I can find only do the rear bush on each wishbone, like these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PEUGEOT-205-309-GTI-1-6-1-9-...

Do I not need to bother doing the front ones too? If so where can I get some? Many thanks.

Edited by sniff petrol on Friday 18th April 22:49

[sorrento205]

http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?cPat...

[sniff petrol]

sorrento205 said:

http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?cPat...

Thanks a lot Ben.

Do you still want those rear openers for the 309 windows? managed to get them off earlier, will send a pic of them if you want.

[GnuBee]

There's been a bit of discussion on front bushes on forum.205gtidrivers.com and many people recommend fitting OEM spec ones even for track spec. They'll cost you around £17 for both sides including new bolts, nuts and washers.

[sniff petrol]

GnuBee said:

There's been a bit of discussion on front bushes on forum.205gtidrivers.com and many people recommend fitting OEM spec ones even for track spec. They'll cost you around £17 for both sides including new bolts, nuts and washers.

Ah well I've ordered them now along with a quickshift linkage. I've had poly bushes on previous cars and felt great improvments. With my 205 being a purely track car I think if nothing else at least they'll last longer.

[sorrento205]

i think its generallly the bushes found in aftermarket wishbones that are the problem, and lowered cars only speed up the failure rate. Certainly my car knackered a bush in an ECP w/bone within 7 months or so. Ive got polyrace ones ready to fit when i pull my finger out (i really need a second car!)

[Simes205]

OE wishbone bushes have been regularly proven to be better than poly ones including on track.
You can buy each bush for the wishbones totalling around £40 from Pug.
Or you can buy a rebuild kit from Pug including all bushes and replacement nuts and bolts for £17!!

Part number is 3599 07

[sniff petrol]

Simes205 said:

OE wishbone bushes have been regularly proven to be better than poly ones including on track.
You can buy each bush for the wishbones totalling around £40 from Pug.
Or you can buy a rebuild kit from Pug including all bushes and replacement nuts and bolts for £17!!

Part number is 3599 07

I've already ordered the poly ones now. Would you know if there's a part number for just the nuts and bolts? Wouldn't like to reuse the old ones on a track car.

[Simes205]

sniff petrol said:

I've already ordered the poly ones now. Would you know if there's a part number for just the nuts and bolts? Wouldn't like to reuse the old ones on a track car.

3522 22 - Bolt
3522 39 - other bolt
3622 30 - Nyloc nut

This maybe of use

http://public.servicebox.peugeot.com

Edited by Simes205 on Monday 21st April 13:44

[sniff petrol]

Simes205 said:

sniff petrol said:

I've already ordered the poly ones now. Would you know if there's a part number for just the nuts and bolts? Wouldn't like to reuse the old ones on a track car.

3522 22 - Bolt
3522 39 - other bolt
3622 30 - Nyloc nut

This maybe of use

http://public.servicebox.peugeot.com

Edited by Simes205 on Monday 21st April 13:44

Thanks Simon, but I need a login for that site.

[Simes205]

[quote=sniff petrol

Thanks Simon, but I need a login for that site.
[/quote]

It's just a case of registering - no need to pay.

[RT106]

I wouldn't even bother fitting the poly bushes, lob 'em straight in the bin. In my younger days I fitted some to my 309. And then another set. And then another set. They last about 1000 miles in this application before they're completely f*cked and need replacing. I forget the name of the supplier now, but they promised infinite lifetime. To be fair to them, they did make me a replacement set in a firmer material, but that was just as bad. I went back to OE.

OE bushes last much longer and are just as good in terms of handling.

[sorrento205]

how do the polybushes go wrong though? mine just appear to be plastic, no elasticity so i cant see how they will go squidgy (technical term) like the pattern ones from ECP i had ?

[RT106]

Simple, they just wear away. OE bushes that have an inner and outer (and probably intermediate) metal sleeve rely on the rubber flexing to provide their movement. The Poly bushes actually slide on their inner sleeve and inside the wishbone, and that sliding action wears them away in no time.

To be fair it's probably about six years since I last used anything other than OE on a Pug, so perhaps they've improved since then but I've heard of people have the same experiences as me time and time again.

[sniff petrol]

Right, I've got my old 205 wishbones off today and they appear to have OE bushes in which was surprising as the car had been built to a high spec by the previous owner. The 309 wishbones that I'm going to use have some decent OE bushes in them already so I suppose I'll try them and see. I just need to get some new nuts and bolts tomorrow to put it all back together. I've got the polybushes already but I could always fit them later on if they ever need replacing.

Incidentally when I had the drive shafts out and side by side the 309 ones are only a fraction longer than the original 205 ones - I can see how people get away with using them with the 309 wishbones.

[Rob_the_Sparky]

Simes205 said:

OE wishbone bushes have been regularly proven to be better than poly ones including on track.
You can buy each bush for the wishbones totalling around £40 from Pug.
Or you can buy a rebuild kit from Pug including all bushes and replacement nuts and bolts for £17!!

Part number is 3599 07

You do know that OE bushes are an absolute barsteward to fit don't you...

[sniff petrol]

Rob_the_Sparky said:

Simes205 said:

OE wishbone bushes have been regularly proven to be better than poly ones including on track.
You can buy each bush for the wishbones totalling around £40 from Pug.
Or you can buy a rebuild kit from Pug including all bushes and replacement nuts and bolts for £17!!

Part number is 3599 07

You do know that OE bushes are an absolute barsteward to fit don't you...

Most OE ones are TBH

[sniff petrol]

Just waiting for some new nuts and bolts for these to go back on:


Is it just me or are the 309 wishbones actually a tad lighter?

[sniff petrol]

Simes205 said:

OE wishbone bushes have been regularly proven to be better than poly ones including on track.
You can buy each bush for the wishbones totalling around £40 from Pug.
Or you can buy a rebuild kit from Pug including all bushes and replacement nuts and bolts for £17!!

Part number is 3599 07

Top tip on the part number Simon - came to £20 with VAT for all bolts and bushes. Just the bolts on their own would have been over £30, as the Yanks would say - go figure.

[sniff petrol]

Got it all together, you can really see the camber:



Could do with some stiffer and lower front springs though I think. It's already fitted with some Purple Spax springs but I want to drop and stiffen it right up. My first dry trackday in it the other week showed some alarming roll, although that was on the standard 205 wishbones:


What's the lowest I can go? This is what it looks like at the front on a level surface, there's about 70mm from the top of the tyre to the bottom of the arch trim: