[Healeys] Suspension bushings

[Earl Kagna]

All:

Just to muddy the waters, I will comment on my experience with polyurethane suspension bushes.

The car is a late BJ8 – a recently completed full restoration.  Noltec road bushings (as opposed to competition bushings) were installed throughout – except for the rear radius arms – the original rubber bushings were in good shape and were re-used.  The Noltec units use a crush tube – stainless I believe -  that gets securely clamped by the mounting pins (bolts), so that the bushing freely rotates around that tube.  I used the lubricant that was supplied in the packages of bushings – seemed to be a normal silicone lube to me.  I call them a free pivoting bushing as opposed to the original  torsion type rubber bushing that Michael S has so aptly described.  There are no creaking, groaning, or cracking sounds from the suspension, and the chassis feels completely at ease in all normal attitudes at all speeds.

I also installed a Putzke Bilstein tube shock conversion kit.  The car now has approx. 5K miles on it – I very much like the ride quality.  It is a bit stiffer that a stock BJ8, which I have always felt could bit a bit sloppy.  I think that the increase in stiffness is more due to the shocks than the bushings.  At cruise on the freeway, the car still feels like a BJ8 should – a relatively plushy ride compared to the roadsters.  I have definitely concluded – surprisingly – that I would not go back to the stock set up on this car.

Unfortunately, Noltec (in Australia) has been acquired by another Aussie suspension outfit called Whiteline Performance Suspension.  In perusing the website, it isn’t clear to me that big Healey suspension bushings are available at this time.  Perhaps some of our Aussie listers could check on this for us.  In my opinion, these are good products.

Earl Kagna
Victoria, B.C.
BJ8, BT7 tri-carb


From: Michael Salter 
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 8:58 AM
To: Mitch 
Cc: HEALEY 
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Suspension bushings

Hi Mitch,

Since I wrote that article http://www.netbug.net/blogmichael/?p=103 I have encountered several other people complaining about problems with Urethane bushes the worst of which was a case where the forward radius arm on the rear suspension of a MkIII actually broke out of the body.

I'll be interested to hear what your experiances are.


Michael S 


On Wed, Oct 21, 2015 at 10:12 AM, Mitch <dayton21 at comcast.net> wrote:

  Hello list,


  I would like to hear the collective wisdom.............on suspension bushings

  About a year ago I bought all the bushes  (SuperPro brand) to rebuild my rear suspension........I am getting ready to install them soon...... I was also going to order my front suspension too from (SuperPro)   BUT, I did a little reading last night  ....Michael Salter's site,etc,etc.    Now I am not so sure about poly urethane bushes verses  rubber.......The SuperPro bushes I bought already were expensive...........but its a fair job to replace them....only to have a harse ride, sqeaks ,groans, cracked frame etc,etc,   
  When I bought the SuperPro bushes ....someone do not remember who told me they were the best....so I bought them
  So what is the BEST bushes and who sells them??   will the SuperPro be alright for the rear? or not?

  Thanks for any help
  Mitchell
  1966 BJ8

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