RE: Urethane bushings

["Michael Liu" <mliu@domain.elided>]

> From: AlfaNeely@domain.elided
>
> I have used the bushings from Alfa Bill and from IAP.

Hello Russ,

I am rebuilding the suspension on my '90 Alfa Spider and would like to
replace as much of the stock rubber with polyurethane bushings as is
possible. IAP only sells poly bushings for:

1. The front upper control caster bushing
2. The trailing arm front bushing
3. The trunnion to differential bushing

Centerline's catalog also lists a poly option for the front sway bar center
bushings, although I haven't spoken to them yet about this. The problem I
see here is that by replacing the front sway bushings with poly (but not the
rear), I would be effectively increasing the stiffness of the front sway bar
and thus increasing the tendency of the car to understeer.

I am not familiar with Alfa Bill. Could you (or anyone else) tell me what
other poly bushings (and joint boots) are available for my vehicle and where
I can get them? Btw, I checked out the Super Pro Web site in Australia and
they don't list any poly bushings for Alfa Spiders. However, IAP says they
get their poly bushings from Australia so I wonder if they come from the
Super Pro people.


> Both required removing the stock bushings entirely. Watch out.
> I ruined a trailing arm trying to press out the stock bushings.
> The sleeve the bushing fits in is brazed into the trailing arm
> and I broke the welds.

Ouch! How do you know when to remove the old bushing entirely, and when to
leave the outer casing? Are there detailed instructions with the poly
bushing kits?

Btw, do you know if the diameters of the front control arm bushings are the
same as any of the rear bushings? Or will they require a different set of
mandrels for removal and installation?

Thanks for any info you can provide!


Michael Liu
San Francisco, CA
'90 Alfa Spider
'69 FIAT 124 Spider

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