Trailing Arm Bushings

[Thomas F.]

Has anyone experienced the destruction of a trailing arm bushing made out of urethane? Mine decided to self destruct and it crumbled like a cracker. This was on the driver's side of my 69 Vette. The passenger side is just fine.

[Joe L.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

Has anyone experienced the destruction of a trailing arm bushing made out of urethane? Mine decided to self destruct and it crumbled like a cracker. This was on the driver's side of my 69 Vette. The passenger side is just fine.

Thomas------


I have no experience because I would not use urethane bushings under any circumstances. Never. Ever. Period.

[Jim L.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

Poly bushings in the trailing arms is a really bad idea. You need to go back to the original rubber bushings for the trailing arms to work properly.

[Frank D.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

That other side won't last long....poly is not up to the compressing and twisting force of the T/As...here is what happened to my poly bushings a prior owner installed:

[Duke W.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

As you probably understand, as the rear suspension moves up and down the wheel travels in an arc. So in addition to rotation, the bushing must have sufficient compliance to allow it to twist. Polyurethane has insufficient compliance and failure is pre-ordained, 100 percent, absolutely, positively they will begin to disintegrate, some in as little as a few hundred miles.

There have been many reports and discussions about this issue on the Corvette Forum.

I suggest you go to the NHTSA Web site and file a complaint. Someone needs to stop these stupid vendors from selling this unsafe junk.

The only type of "solid" bushing that will work in this application is a spherical Heim joint, but it's a dumb idea for a road car... dedicated race cars only.

Duke

[Russ S.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

Thank you Duke for a great explanation.

As you probably understand, as the rear suspension moves up and down the wheel travels in an arc. So in addition to rotation, the bushing must have sufficient compliance to allow it to twist. Polyurethane has insufficient compliance and failure is pre-ordained, 100 percent, absolutely, positively they will begin to disintegrate, some in as little as a few hundred miles.

There have been many reports and discussions about this issue on the Corvette Forum.

I suggest you go to the NHTSA Web site and file a complaint. Someone needs to stop these stupid vendors from selling this unsafe junk.

The only type of "solid" bushing that will work in this application is a spherical Heim joint, but it's a dumb idea for a road car... dedicated race cars only.

Duke

[Larry M.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

YES...........happened to a good friend here in Louisiana. Essentially no miles ever on the bushings, just about 10 years sitting in a garage. They literally fell apart.

Urethane TA bushings are bad news!!

Larry

[Thomas F.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

Thanks Frank....this is exactly what happened to mine.

[Thomas F.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

Thanks to all who responded to this question. I value all your info and opinions. Now I need to find some good bushings.

[Larry M.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

Thanks to all who responded to this question. I value all your info and opinions. Now I need to find some good bushings.

Contact Bair's in Pennsylvania.

Larry

[Joe L.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

Thanks to all who responded to this question. I value all your info and opinions. Now I need to find some good bushings.

Thomas------


Easy. GM #3743857. About 20 bucks each, GM list (4 required per car). There may be other equivalent bushing available in the aftermarket for a lesser price but the problem is figuring out if they are ACTUALLY the same or equal. With the GM parts, you don't have to figure it out.

[Jim L.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings



NAPA NCP 2674406, $22 apparently for a pair

[Larry M.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

Same for Bair's bushings. #5220. $22 per kit (does one TA). But NAPA is also good.

Blair's has likely done more TA rebuilds for our cars than the others combined. I am one of their happy customers.

Larry

[Gary R.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

Oh about 10 or years ago, back when everyone was up on using poly in arms, I said I wouldn't use them in my builds. A lot of guys thought I was uninformed and all the vendors wouldn't sell them if they were a problem. Fast forward 8+ years and they are coming apart all over the place.

The quality of rubber bushings in the aftermarket is all over the place. I use GM or Bairs rubber bushings and they are the best. I have had some come in with arms that the bushing OD is off, the sleeve ID is off, the sleeve length too short or too long. Remember those days when you needed a part for your GM car and a dealer would have it on the shelf and the quality was the best? NAPA would have high quality USA made parts, the local mom & pop did too, there were no "chain" stores with non automotive employees. All pretty much gone now.

The one exception on poly and only because the makers of the arms, is offset arms. They come with odd ball size poly bushings. Most of the time offset arms are not even needed. We ran new USA made stock arms on our drag car and they were fine- until the spicer joint sheared and wrecked the arm. Then went with offsets and the new one was made wrong and couldn't be used!

[Timothy B.]

Re: Trailing Arm Bushings

I bought these at a swap meet for $.50 ea, the rubber looks normal and there is surface rust on the bushing housing. Are they OK to use, the box is probably from the 1970's.