Unsure whether to go with poly or rubber A-Arm bushings. Some people on another website seem to feel that poly bushings will limit front to rear weight transfer and therefore hinder straightline traction.

Although I have poly bushings in my 69 vert and am very happy with them, I am starting to build a 1980 Malibu that will most likely be traction-limited off the line. It will be set up with a soft street suspension and will run only street tires. I'd like it to handle decently, but it will not be a "corner carver" by any means.

Of course poly bushings are better for maximum handling ...but does anyone have any opinions on whether poly bushings will hurt front to rear weight transfer and straightline traction??

Thanks
Chris

I don't see how poly bushings could hurt weight transfer. To me transfer of wieght is mostly the job of springs and shocks anyway. Poly's might even make the transfer better since there would be less slop between parts, though you might have to tweak settings a bit after the change.

How could poly bushings possibly hurt your weight transfer?? The idea is to move as much weight as you can as quickly as possible while wasting as little energy as possible durung the transfer. Sloppy rubber bushings will slow down the weight transfer and absorb enrgy in the process.

Paul D.

If you're talking about the front A-arms, it's important to understand the difference between how poly bushings work vs. rubber. Rubber bushings are bonded between a steel outer sleeve and a steel inner sleeve--where the bolt passes through. The idea is that the inner sleeve is clamped tightly to the cross-shaft so it can't turn. When you bounce the suspension, the rubber is actually shearing--not sliding--between the metal sleeves. The rubber dissipates energy this way, and acts a little like a small torsional spring and damper. Polyurethane bushings work like a *bearing*--what I mean is the urethane insert is free to rotate around relative to the inner and outer metal sleeves like a roller bearing. All else equal, and provided you lube the holy hell out of the urethane inserts, the poly will allow your A-arms to move more freely, which ought to cause the front end to rise up a little easier. That raises the height of your car's center of gravity, and with all else equal, you should transfer more weight off the front tires and onto the rear.

Hope this helped. Good luck!

Very Interesting!
Thanks for the replies.