Vixen S2 Nylon bushes
Discussion
From the wedge forum, consensus is that the polybushes give a firmer ride, improve steering etc. but can be a bit harsh over some surfaces. This is probably true for Vixens as well ?
Generally I guess that fits with what you get for bushes with a bit less compliance than the originals.
Generally I guess that fits with what you get for bushes with a bit less compliance than the originals.
You will hear as many views on this topic as there are posters on this board. I have asked the same question in the past and I am told that poly bushes are likely to lead to quite a harsh ride for a road car. They are intended to be less compliant than rubber. I was also told that mounting the diff I n polybushes is likely to make the drive train slightly more noisey.
I would also point out that rubber bushes are readily available and cheap, and are what the car was designed to use. They are also a pain to replace.
That said, I have polys because they came with the car. I may well switch back to rubber before I put the car on the road. But I am perverse.
I would also point out that rubber bushes are readily available and cheap, and are what the car was designed to use. They are also a pain to replace.
That said, I have polys because they came with the car. I may well switch back to rubber before I put the car on the road. But I am perverse.
The OP asked about nylon bushes not poly bushes.
Nylon bushes are very hard and also cannot cope with misalignment. The standard TVR suspension is not engineered to high tolerances and you will probably experience binding issues with nylon bushes unless you are prepared to do a lot of work in ensuring everything aligns perfectly. Fine for track use where hours are spent in building and setting up and where suspension movement is limited, controlled and deflection causes handling issues under extreme load. Personally for road use I'd say not necessary, probably more trouble than they are worth and more likely to cause issues due to lack of compliance on bumpy road surfaces.
As for Poly bushes, from personal experience poly bushes are actually generally a lower shore rating than metalastic (rubber with bonded steel tube insert) bushes. Therefore they are actually more compliant. In addition a metalastic bush does not exhibit a linear rating as the rubber twists it becomes progressively stiffer therefore the effective shore rating is variable. I think the benefit of poly bushes is that they don't suffer the degredation that metalastic do and are very easy to fit plus cope with high misalignment. For a home builder of a road car the polybush is a no brainer.
Nylon bushes are very hard and also cannot cope with misalignment. The standard TVR suspension is not engineered to high tolerances and you will probably experience binding issues with nylon bushes unless you are prepared to do a lot of work in ensuring everything aligns perfectly. Fine for track use where hours are spent in building and setting up and where suspension movement is limited, controlled and deflection causes handling issues under extreme load. Personally for road use I'd say not necessary, probably more trouble than they are worth and more likely to cause issues due to lack of compliance on bumpy road surfaces.
As for Poly bushes, from personal experience poly bushes are actually generally a lower shore rating than metalastic (rubber with bonded steel tube insert) bushes. Therefore they are actually more compliant. In addition a metalastic bush does not exhibit a linear rating as the rubber twists it becomes progressively stiffer therefore the effective shore rating is variable. I think the benefit of poly bushes is that they don't suffer the degredation that metalastic do and are very easy to fit plus cope with high misalignment. For a home builder of a road car the polybush is a no brainer.
Oops - nylon is not the same as polybushes ?? I didn't know that.
So racers use [hard] nylon inserts ? Ok.
But the wedgers still reckon the ride is firmer, which doesn't seem to tally with a more compliant bush, unless
1) as you said, metalastik response is not linear, so small bumps would be 'handled'.
2) perhaps the original bushes were knackered.
So racers use [hard] nylon inserts ? Ok.
But the wedgers still reckon the ride is firmer, which doesn't seem to tally with a more compliant bush, unless
1) as you said, metalastik response is not linear, so small bumps would be 'handled'.
2) perhaps the original bushes were knackered.
Edited by RCK974X on Wednesday 3rd February 23:51
I tried to press the bushes out of the Vixen diff with an assortment of sockets in a vice and used a steel pipe on the vice handle to get extra (massive) leverage.
Bang
I'm on the ground with blood all over the shop. The vice jaws snapped.
So I burnt the bushes out wearing a face bandage.
Bang
I'm on the ground with blood all over the shop. The vice jaws snapped.
So I burnt the bushes out wearing a face bandage.
V6Pushfit said:
I tried to press the bushes out of the Vixen diff with an assortment of sockets in a vice and used a steel pipe on the vice handle to get extra (massive) leverage.
Bang
I'm on the ground with blood all over the shop. The vice jaws snapped.
So I burnt the bushes out wearing a face bandage.
Nasty.Bang
I'm on the ground with blood all over the shop. The vice jaws snapped.
So I burnt the bushes out wearing a face bandage.
Sort of been there - not a vice, but a home made thing with a long screw thread.....socket at one end.
I still have the scar....on my hand.
I took mine to get a shop to do it - I thought they would cover area in WD40/penetrating oil, and wait a bit, then the 20 ton press.... but NO, they burnt the buggers out too....and pressed in the new ones to push out the old shell.
Polybushes every time but don't go higher than 80 shore if you want a reasonable ride. Having said that ride is more determined by suspension and tyre aspect ratio. Many TVRs are sprung very hard to overcome the inherent deficiencies of the chassis.
Nylatron is used on some race cars not nylon. It has graphite in it and self lubricates. It's very harsh and may well lead to chassis fatigue when used on a road TVR
HTH
Nylatron is used on some race cars not nylon. It has graphite in it and self lubricates. It's very harsh and may well lead to chassis fatigue when used on a road TVR
HTH
Gassing Station | TVR Classics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff