roushraven

I'm getting some movement from my rear LCA bushings so I'm going to replace all CA bushings.

So far I have found that poly bushings are recommended and I have found two packages with very different prices.

Here's VB&P's for $299.00

Here's Corvette Forum's Zip Store for $89.95

Why the extreme difference in price? Is the Zip package of inferior quality or is VB&P way over priced?

Thanks for the help,

-RR

Last C5

The VBP pkg has the metal inserts in the polygraphite bushings already installed. The other kit will require you to extract the metal parts from your old bushings. Dynamite, napalm, and chewing have already been tried without much success. Have fun

ghoffman

Pfadt has a very nice set. I just installed the Pfadt set on my C6Z and it even included new rear LCA shock bushings as well. The kit included all new CNC machined "bow ties" in the uppers and all of the lowers had CNC machined inner sleeves with integral flanges.

roushraven

Well that's another option and only $289.00, however, it appears the VB&P has the inserts installed. I guess that alone is worth the $10.00 difference in price.

-RR

aggie_corvette

I just finished (last weekend) installing the VBP poly bushings. The inserts are not installed, all the fittings are exact but the inserts are removable, they have to be for greasing. The big difference in price is that the Pfadt and VBP have all the pieces, incl. the machined front uppers, inserts, and washers. For the zip bushings you have to reuse the factory ones and the rubber is formed to those. Meaning you have to cut and/or burn the old rubber off.

I have not personally installed a Pfadt kit so i do not know the exact details of it, but Pfadt has a very good reputation. The VBP kit is a high quality kit and has everything you will need to install.

Good luck, its a big task for a weekend hobbyist.

Cobra4B

I just got done having VB&Ps installed after my front lowers finally pushed all the way out. It's the first mod I've ever paid to have done, and it was worth it!

It's abunch of work... and my installer knew a few tricks to mitigate the squeeking.

The car rides a good bit firmer and over large dips it will creak, but over normal road bumps it's quiet.

Handling is amaizng, can't wait to get out to VIR next weekend.

roushraven

Thank you, now it all makes sense and you're right it's going to be a helluva weekend project.


Yeah I read your thread about it and decided to stop putting it off.


Thanks for the help guys


-RR

Cobra4B

^ NP... you need to get out for some HPDEs w/ all that fancy suspension and brake coolers you've been up to

roushraven

You betcha, that's exactly what I'm going to do. I got my SCCA membership and worked a corner as flagman at a couple of events, followed by some on-track orientation. I'm going to step it up another level and do a couple of HPDEs. Not going all out because at heart I'm a "waxer" not a "racer".

-RR

Cobra4B

^ I used to be a waxer... then my car got hit... the mil yellow couldn't be 100% perfectly matched... and I stopped caring!

I bougth this car in '03 over an '03 Cobra specifically because I wanted to start doing HPDEs. It's addicting.

trackboss

So what are the differences between the VBP kit and the Pfadt one other than the Pfadt includes shock mount bushings? What about durometer of the bushings? Is one brand firmer than the other?
thanks
-V

Cobra4B

^ Good question... I didn't even know Pfadt made a kit... VB&P was always the way to go.

ghoffman

I have no idea of the durometer values, but the inner sleeves on the Pfadt bushings are machined with flanges, one piece. Also, since I have a C6Z that has the small dogbones on the upper rears like C5/C6 has on the upper fronts, a C5 kit would not work for me, but the pre-production kit I received did have the correct pieces. The fit on the uppers was perfect and since I have coil-overs, it was very important to me that I have the poly shock bushing in the rear. I have used and installed the VBP kit several times and had excellent luck with that as well, albeit 5 years ago, but Aaron needed a C6Z test model so I volunteered to try it. I ran it a week ago at NHIS with new Hoosier R6's and the new bushings and I had excellent results. The car was very quick, but easier to drive near the limit because the aglinment is more precise under load. One of the big advantages of the poly bushings is that I can run less static camber and toe as compared to a stocker for the same tire results (temps, wear patterns, etc). I was only running -1.5 in the front and -1.0 rear with zero toe in the front and 3/16 toe in in the rear. Once I got the RF tire pressure and compression damping correct, the tire wear was almost perfect, and the car was felt great.

trackboss

Hey Gary, any word on the modular bushing idea that Bruce was telling me about over a year ago?

Also, what is the differences between the hardbar alignment blocks compared to the Pfadt?

ghoffman

Not sure about either question, I have not seen the other kit, and I am not sure about what Bruce (Griggs???) proposed...

Cobra4B

That's pretty much my exact allignment Can't wait to run VIR next weekend w/ the new polys