Peter,
I respect your willingness to reply on this one, but, unfortunately, this
list is far too well connected to be able to let very poor explanations go
by without comment.
My engineering background made me suspicious, but a call to one of my pals
(I live in Midland, MI which has one notable feature - the headquarters of
Dow Chemical, and Dow Corning ... we have more chemical/plastomer engineers
per sq. ft than anywhere on the planet!) very quickly confirmed my first
read on your reply.
If Moss bushings are failing in less than a year, unless the vehicle is
heavy daily use (and in this case it sat unused!), it is not likely to be a
function of usage. The information I'm getting indicates that it is highly
likely that it is a function of the plastomer mix. The folks over here are
of the opinion that the plastic used for the bushing was either poorly
selected, or the mix was poorly monitored for quality, for the desired use.
The Dow engineers I spoke to recon that a well designed plastic bush
replacement not exposed to high levels of UV, chemical solvents, heat, or
usage-abrasion, should last as well as, and beyond, the expected life of
the original component. The person in question clearly did not suffer any
of the above factors to any significant degree.
If you are willing to let me post the results, I have an offer of a full
chemical analysis at no cost to Moss to see whether this is a material
matter or not. I will offer this service to the original poster of the
message to ensure that we are dealing with like-for-like matters on this
one.
I look forward to your reply with great interest! To expidite matters, my
tagline lists my home address. Needless to say, I'll advise the lists of
your decision.
Tony
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As regards pre-mature deterioration of seals.
It was mentioned the car sat for a year after the new one's were installed.
then it was discovered that they were split. Not to jump to a conclusion on
this specific case, but it is very common to see these type of components
fall apart when not used.
I have a daily driver '71 TR6 and very little goes wrong with seals,
bushings, hydraulics. Have noticed that the less a car is used, the more
likely it will develop problems in those areas. Conclusion: when it's not
used, no lubrication. Things dry out and rot. This is especially true of
trailer-queens. It may seem that suspension bushings should last regardless
since they are not in the normal lubrication stream, but the lack of use has
the same effect.
This does not mean there are not bad components out there, but letting a car
sit for long periods is death to components that need to move: use it or
lose it.
Peter Arakelian '71 TR6
Domestic Buyer
Moss Motors, Ltd.
(805) 681-3400 x3214
(805) 692-2510 - Fax
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_____________________________________________________________________
Tony & Shirley Gordon tel: 1-517-631-9716
500 Wanetah Dr fax: 1-517-797-4778
Midland, MI 48640 email: tgordon@saginaw-city.k12.mi.us
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