Poly spring bushes

[John Frederick Cockrem]

Going to replace my old rubber spring bushes which frankly don`t last too long with poly bushes, has anyone done this and how did it go? Dose it make the ride harsher to any great extent but improve the handling? look forward to hearing some comments

[Tom Lange, MGT Repair]

I always replace the rubber bushings with poly; my estimation is a 10% stiffer ride, but better handling and longer life. On a TD it's a significant improvement. The poly ones cost a bit more, but last a lot longer.

[Steve Simmons]

My experience is exactly the same as Tom's.

[John Frederick Cockrem]

Thank you Steve and Tom, you have reinforced my gut feeling, will do the mod with confidence now!
Cheers
John C. TC2268

[Duncan M]

Curious what kind of lifetime are you all finding for TC (non-poly) rubber? Rear silent bloc, and rear spring "big" bushings? And the front end shackle bushings? Also damper bushings?

Are you talking all these bushings, when it comes time?

[John Frederick Cockrem]

Good morning Duncan, At least morning in Melb Aust! I have owned 2268 for around 50 years and frankly never have changed the rear spring bushes in that time.They could be original as i have been around this car since 1959 and can't remember the prev owner touching them. They still look OK but the RH spring is a bit saggy now as a result of my rear end pounding it for all that time, so I want to reset it to match the other which is I recon fine.Naturally I`ll change the bushes both sides.
I have had to replace the front shackle bushes a couple of times in the last perhaps 15 years.I am not complaining about them but if the poly bushes last longer, its less grovelling on the floor at my "tender" age. Its the flanges on the rubber bushes that seem to scrub out and look a bit dodgy.My car has VW telescopic shocks and I use VW bushes which seem to last forever. Why teles? Aust roads are not real flash and as a young bloke the car was everyday transport and I didn`t want the thing to rattle to bits.
Really Duncan its only the front bushes that are a bit worn and they are "modern" replacements ,so it says a lot for the original equipment which I recon is still on the rear would you agree?

[Steve Simmons]

I've had poly bushings in my TC's shackles for ten years and driven all over the Western US. They still look fine! Last time I bothered to look, anyway.

[John Frederick Cockrem]

Steve I think you have said it all.i could talk for hours on some of the shoddy repro stuff friends of mine and myself haves bought over the years, some of it downright dangerous too! e.g. a rear wheel bearing carrier that broke after a few miles and my mate looking at his right rear wheel sticking out from the rear wing about a foot!

[Duncan M]

John-
The telescopic shocks for the front have always only been a curiosity, as I have only ever seen them installed in a few pictures. Where are they mounted? Any pics? As for the rear end, the rubber had dried out more than worn out, when they were replaced by me recently. It will be interesting to observe how the front shackle bushes wear with the (apparently) adequate replacement rubber. That is, I have never witnessed the wear, so it will be of interest. Likely I will pick up some of the poly to have around when the flanges begin to get that dodgy appearance you mentioned.

[John Frederick Cockrem]

Duncan I don't have any dedicated pics and I don't know how to post pics on this site,pretty hopeless with all this computer stuff. When my daughter gets back from holiday I`ll ask her to have a shot at it. I could send you some in the mail if you email me your address and you are OK with that. My email is jfcockrem@gmail.com

[Geoff Hemingway]

Hi Duncan

Here's a couple of shots of the telescopic shocks on my '49 TC 7635 when I bought it as a rolling restoration. ( sorry , can't find a way of rotating them )

I've never been able to find out who made them and plan on reverting to stock shockers anyway

Regards

Geoff