[archeologist]

I'm about to refresh the entire front suspension on my 84 GTV6. I haven't ordered the front caster bushings at the body (behind the headlights) but was planning on using poly for those based on other's recommendations.

Someone here was also kind enough to give me a set of poly upper control arm bushings, so I'm debating using those.

Does anybody here have experience either good or bad with either of these poly bushings?

This is a road car, not track. I have a track Milano for that duty. So I'm looking for comfort, control and quiet. I don't want squeaky bushings or a harsh ride.

Thanks!
Ian

 

[Peter A]

Poly on the caster is good, more precise, no impact on the ride, stock is mush. Maybe you have on your race car but doing the change the solid 105/115 is the max control version. FYI I have poly there. Preferred the stock bushings on the front control arms

I also have poly on the big dedion pivot bushing in back. Would use the stock on the rest including the sway bars, which on my prior gtv6 were annoyingly squeaky unless sprayed with lubricant. On my new build I am using the metal joints for the Watts linkages, very precise and will see about the noise.

 

[horsewidower]

I have the poly on the caster, stock on everything else. No discernible problem with the poly on the caster.

 

[Peter A]

BTW I meant to say that I had POLY on the roll bars and they needed regular lubrication, annoyingly squeaky.

 

[AlfaTasteless]

BTW I meant to say that I had POLY on the roll bars and they needed regular lubrication, annoyingly squeaky.

What lube did you use on installation? We've used poly pretty much any time we replace old bushings and have had zero issues. A thin lining of really any grease on the contact surfaces should suffice.

 

[Ranz]

The poly caster bushes we installed in our Milano hardened, cracked and fell out in pieces in just a few years.
Buy those with the best reputation. Ours were purple.

 

[Del]

The poly bushings I have on my aftermarket front stab bar of my 91S do require lubing every several years, since they start to squawk after a couple thousand miles of semi-bumpy suburban driving. The poly is relatively incompressible in comparison to the stock, thus I think it tends to squeeze out the lube faster.

Having said that, though, I don't see poly caster bushings making noise, as there is no axial rotational motion worth talking about as with a stab bar, just mostly compression. I would guess, though, that upper control arm bushings could make noise, there being the rotation. As for how long the poly bushings last, who knows? Some seem to harden up and crack.

Perhaps rubber bushes wear faster, but in general I tend to think they are the better choice all around, for less noise, and better ride, and shock absorption if nothing else, for normal driving.

 

[VabeneGTV]

Poly caster bushings on my 77 sedan, no issues at all, the stockers seem to be not up to the task they were designed for, they seem to kind of shred from movement. As an added benefit I was able to rid my car of a chirping noise I would hear at low speeds over crappy roads.

 

[spannerman]

I have fitted 105 type caster ball joint kits to various cars. Huge improvement and much safer. I have seen caster arm nuts come undone using Polly bushes there.
Poly bushes are a great improvement in a lot of situations, but not all.

Castor ball joint fiting kit for 116 Alfetta GTV6

116 Alfetta GTV6

www.ebspares.co.uk

 

[Gubi]

There's really no downside to poly on the caster arm to body location. The nut won't come loose if you use a proper Nyloc version.

 

[mvgtv6]

I used poly caster bushings on my 82 GTV6. Occasional track days and tours around Michigan. The road conditions here are less than ideal and as the bushings aged they cracked and fell apart. I replaced them with new Alfa replacements and am very happy with the ride and sound. I like the maintenance on my Alfa and approach it as a hobby as I should.
Mike V

 

[cda951]

I also installed the poly caster bushings, as the stock versions are laughably soft.

Poly bushings do wear out; they often do not last nearly as long as a quality OEM rubber bushing, but the upside is that once you have put in the grunt work of extracting the original bushing, replacing poly bushings is a piece of cake!

My fleet ranges from a track-prepared (but still street-driven) Porsche 944 Turbo with all spherical bearings, a BMW 2002tii with mostly poly or harder rubber bushings, and the GTV6 and Jensen-Healey with mostly stock rubber bushings, but with a few strategic poly bushings to enhance response. Our BMW Z3 Coupe has all stock bushings.

It depends on what you are going for. I regard the GTV6 as our "Grand Touring" car and enjoy the relatively long suspension travel and supple ride---I even found a set of NOS Spica shocks that actually work great! All of the German cars mentioned about have varying degrees of stiffer springs and shocks and are more set up for canyon carving.

 

[archeologist]

THanks all. I think I will try the poly bushings. The car will probably only get a few thousand miles per year, so if they wear out in 10 years I can live with that.

 

[archeologist]

I also installed the poly caster bushings, as the stock versions are laughably soft.

Poly bushings do wear out; they often do not last nearly as long as a quality OEM rubber bushing, but the upside is that once you have put in the grunt work of extracting the original bushing, replacing poly bushings is a piece of cake!

My fleet ranges from a track-prepared (but still street-driven) Porsche 944 Turbo with all spherical bearings, a BMW 2002tii with mostly poly or harder rubber bushings, and the GTV6 and Jensen-Healey with mostly stock rubber bushings, but with a few strategic poly bushings to enhance response. Our BMW Z3 Coupe has all stock bushings.

It depends on what you are going for. I regard the GTV6 as our "Grand Touring" car and enjoy the relatively long suspension travel and supple ride---I even found a set of NOS Spica shocks that actually work great! All of the German cars mentioned about have varying degrees of stiffer springs and shocks and are more set up for canyon carving.

That's the same basic setup I'm looking for. I like it stock, it's firm enough already. I did add Koni shocks since I assumed the original Spica shocks were, well original. But when I pulled them off they still feel fine. Well built shocks! Koni's on full soft should be just what I'm looking for.

Now I need to get the front end apart and replace all that stuff!

 

[horsewidower]

I can tell you that I miss the Koni reds I swapped out for new Bilsteins. I find them to be too stiff for stock TBs and springs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Del]

I put Bilsteins on our Milano, and yes, they are pretty stiff. I keep thinking that I might put the original shocks back on, as they had only about maybe 80k miles on them. Probably still fine, as they are well built shocks. I just thought slightly stiffer shocks might match up with the aftermarket Shankle Sport suspension Carlo put on the car many years ago, but the Bilsteins turned out to be stiffer than I had wanted. Should have bought Konis, lol.

 

[archeologist]

We have Bilsteins on our Lemons Milano and they're great. I find Bilstein and Koni Yellows too stiff for road cars. I tend to feel every pebble and expansion crack. Fine on the track, annoying on the street.

I had a Ford Focus with H&R Race springs and adjustable Koni's and man was that fun. Stiff, but not harsh.

 

[Gubi]

Well, it's not a GTV6, but I put Koni yellows on my Milano with stock springs and they were awesome. They were not at all harsh on the street: I really liked them.

Bilsteins, on the other hand, are awful on street Alfas.

 

[slowcreek]

I've installed poly front and rear swaybar bushings, swaybar end link bushings and caster bushings on mine.
Not a peep out of them. Got them from Performatek. From what Andy says, poly these days is way better than the old days. I'm gonna agree. I've had those squaky poly bushings in other cars years ago.

The caster bushings are a must IMHO. The originals are somewhat akin to marshmallows between 2 Oreo cookies.

 

[Mark_toro]

Poly upper control arm bushings can be a pain. I have them on the GTV6 and Milano. Once installed correctly, they have been quiet and effective. But until I figured out that they needed additional spacers to keep them from backing out of the control arms, they would work out ever 6 months or so. Not fall out mind you, but just move out maybe 1/4 inch from the arms. Annoying.

They do not squeak and are not "harsh". But then again I like Bilstein shocks (which I have on both cars as well)