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<DIV>Gents:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I definitely got ‘chalky cheese” Noltecs! At least for the rear
spring eye and front upper trunion bushings. The lower A – arm bushings
are still on the car, and what can be seen still looks okay. The problem
is that not much can be seen of them – they are mostly hidden by the A – arm
mounting pockets on the frame. Under the circumstances, I don’t trust them
and will replace them – with rubber – this winter. At this point, all I’m
doing is attempting to see if there are better quality rubber bushings out
there It appears not – looks like everyone is selling the same product –
probably only one manufacturer.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>One commercial Austin – Healey restoration shop has indicated that they
have not had any trouble with rubber bushings in the last few years. They
have also indicated that they are leery of urethane suspension bushings for
Healey’s – material deterioration, squeeks, harsh feeling ride, and frame cracks
from the harder ones.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Don – a lot of people here have used the Polybush brand from AH Spares in
the UK – other suppliers probably carry them as well. Most people have not
had rouble with them, a few will change back to rubber because of the harsher
ride feel with urethane (polyurethane). As I recall, the rear spring
shackle bushings installed on my BJ8 are Polybush brand – blue urethane.
When we had the springs out recently to do the front eye bushing replacement, we
re-installed the shackle bushings – not a thing wrong with them. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I’ll be ordering up a set of rubber front bushings for the BJ8 soonish, and
will do the work over the winter. Pain in the butt to have to re & re
the front end again so soon, but that’s the way these things go.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As a matter of interest, my tri-carb – a very original and unmolested (
gold level concours car) car – has all of it’s original rubber suspension
bushings still installed. We keep close watch on everything, but so far
it’s all okay – still rides and handles quite well at approx. 100 K miles.
Amazing! The only thing that was changed were the front roll bar mounting
pin bushings, which eliminated the almost monthly replacement of the rubber
ones. They’re still there after 20 or so years.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial'; COLOR: #141100">Earl
Kagna<BR>Victoria, B.C.<BR>BJ8, BT7 tri-carb</DIV>
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<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=austin.healey@gmail.com
href="mailto:austin.healey@gmail.com">Chris Dimmock [Healey]</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, November 15, 2017 3:34 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=rrengineer.mike@att.net
href="mailto:rrengineer.mike@att.net">rrengineer.mike@att.net</A> ; <A
title=healeys@autox.team.net href="mailto:healeys@autox.team.net">Healeys</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Healeys] 28% OD with 3.54 rearend</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
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style='FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline'>
<DIV dir=ltr>Hi Mike,
<DIV>Noltec bushings - its a long story, but here's a short background.</DIV>
<DIV>The guy who pretty much pioneered urethane suspension bushings here in
Australia was Greg Nolan.</DIV>
<DIV>His first business was Nolathane. Their bushings were red in colour, and
this was the early 1990's</DIV>
<DIV>He sold that business, and started again in the early 2000's, called
himself Noltec, and made Blue and/or black busings.</DIV>
<DIV>Being a long time BMC sportscar racer - he didn't mind making things like
Healey bushes - because he cared and was an enthusiast himself.</DIV>
<DIV>He sold thousands more e.g. Mazda MX5 Miata bushings than Healey - but he's
an enthusiast, and it wasn't all about the money.</DIV>
<DIV>Nolathane still make bushings - but they don't/ won't make them for Healeys
anymore because theyr'e more of a corporate, bottom line focussed enterprise.
</DIV>
<DIV>Ok - thats the history lesson over.</DIV>
<DIV>So in 1998, the only bushings available were Nolathane red ones. They did
many bushings for Healeys - but not all of them - you couldn't do all the
bushings on a BJ8 all in urethane</DIV>
<DIV>My car still has some red Nolathane bushes in e.g. the front wishbones, and
they are still fine. </DIV>
<DIV>i also have some new old stock Nolathane which have sat in a drawer for 20
years - they are fine too.</DIV>
<DIV>Photo attached</DIV>
<DIV>When Greg started Noltec, he made all the same Healey bushings that
Nolathane made, plus he made the ones Nolathane didn't.</DIV>
<DIV>Here's the weird part. SOME of the Noltec bushes turned to a chalky cheese
within about 5 - 6 years.</DIV>
<DIV>Some others are fine.See Pics</DIV>
<DIV>Over the past 19 years, I've replaced Noltec engine and gearbox mounts,
rear spring and rear shock bushes (which turned to chalky cheese).</DIV>
<DIV>Some I've just had made in graphite impregated nylon, rather than
urethane.</DIV>
<DIV>Yet - some old Noltec ones are still good.</DIV>
<DIV>Here are some pics of packets that have sat in the same drawer - out of UV
light - for 19 years.</DIV>
<DIV>Red is nolathane. Blue, and chalky white cheese are Noltec.</DIV>
<DIV>So - I don't know. Some are fine - some aren't. </DIV>
<DIV>If they are still blue, they are fine., The red ones are fine. But some
turn to chalky cheese.....</DIV>
<DIV>BTW, when I replaced my engine and gearbox mounts with Urethane, in 2000,
the 2 year old brand new rubber ones fitted in 1998 were delaminated and
split.</DIV>
<DIV>So the Urethane outlasted the rubber that was available in 1998..</DIV>
<DIV>Best</DIV>
<DIV>Chris</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><IMG src="cid:6F7D3C00515C49B28C4A7BF74546C5D3@KagsLaptop" width=562
height=422></DIV>
<DIV><BR><IMG src="cid:5CA22B1F21AD4ACABBB1A271F5C95C14@KagsLaptop" width=562
height=422></DIV>
<DIV><BR><IMG src="cid:263B1E4489384C17A2BCABBC60E8E92F@KagsLaptop" width=562
height=422><BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV>PS the white ones can be crumbled like old cheese between 2 fingers.....
</DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=gmail_extra>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 4:18 AM, Michael MacLean <SPAN
dir=ltr><<A href="mailto:rrengineer.mike@att.net"
target=_blank>rrengineer.mike@att.net</A>></SPAN> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">Chris,
<DIV
id=m_-6724976812388469606yMail_cursorElementTracker_1510766229673>
How are your Noltec bushings holding up? I only ask as someone on the
list is having a problem with them disintegrating in short order.</DIV>
<DIV id=m_-6724976812388469606yMail_cursorElementTracker_1510766315583>Mike
MacLean<BR
id=m_-6724976812388469606yMail_cursorElementTracker_1510766220640><BR>
<DIV id=m_-6724976812388469606ymail_android_signature><A
href="https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android" target=_blank>Sent
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<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 20px"><SPAN>
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: roboto,sans-serif; COLOR: #6d00f6">
<DIV>On Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 7:18 AM, Chris Dimmock</DIV>
<DIV><<A href="mailto:austin.healey@gmail.com"
target=_blank>austin.healey@gmail.com</A>> wrote:</DIV></DIV></SPAN>
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