That's almost exactly what the VanSteel guy said when I brought up the Poly versus Rubber debate.

 

1980, I put poly up front in control arms. No squeaks. Wont try and compare handling because, it was worn out rubber so anything would be better and I replaced springs and shocks front and rear at the same time. Car handled and rode great. Now my TA bushings are due. I have the energy suspension poly but am considering rubber due to the stated issue that the TA is NOT just a pivot joint. I drive the car like a sports car. My thought is rubber should be ok? Springs, shocks etc all new. Strut rods have heim joints. It is a bit frustrating that opinions are all over the map on this. So to help me decide is there a good description of how the TA is designed to work? I am not convinced poly TA bushings will make the ride that much harsher but if you added them and it did I would like to know.

 

My 2 cents is that it depends on WHERE you use the poly. I use poly motor mounts and love them. My f-body has had some for 10 years now, no problems. I also like them in the rear strut arms of my C3. No issues.

However, I HATE poly bushings in sway arms, too harsh. For road racing, yes. Street driving no. Also when I rebuilt the front end on my 82 I used rubber, fearing the ride would be too harsh.

 

Another thought....if you do use poly, use a quality vendor. I run into this issue all the time for years in my work as a mechanical engineer. They use different extrusion processes for this, and the cheaper brands will try to use compression molding, which typically don't stand the test of time, and end up crumbling. I've pulled many a hair out over this issue on past projects. The more quality vendors will use injection molding which costs more. But the difference is night and day. The injection molded part is nearly indestructible whereas the compression molded part has a high likelihood of failing over time. Just thought I would share that....

 

I'm not sure but I believe there are two sets in the warehouse... I'd have to check to see tomorrow.

 

I have poly and heim joints in the rear of my 80, EXCEPT for the TA bushings. Those are good rubber units installed by Bairs. The TA bushing sees complex motion, not a simple rotation.

 

I put Poly in my 68 when I redid it and it does squeek.
I think it is my sway bar. I will be changing to rubber.

 

I don't use ether one... I use: Del-A-Lum





Del-A-Lum works like a bearing but it’s a bushing!

Del-A-Lum bushings are a direct replacement for rubber or polyurethane control arm bushings. They are perfect for street or race applications. Del-A-Lum bushings feature inner and outer thrust washers, inner rotating sleeve and lube fittings. This unique design provides smooth performance without squeaks or bind. Designed to last over 100,000 miles. Del-A-Lum bushings on the street or the track will give you optimum performance and control.

Welding is required with this product.

 

Wow...this discussion has lots of opinions and real world experiences.

Here is my 40 year experiences using poly on my 78 C3, 73 Nova SS in High school and college, and a few modern cars as well including an 01 Grand Prix, 94 mustang GT, and my 08 Chrysler 300 . My general comment I MUCH prefer poly over rubber in all of the above applications...BY FAR with some caveats....


For the 78 C3, I first put on poly endlink bushings and Nylon sway bar mounting bushings in 1983. Hands down, this application would be the number 1 place for the novice on the street to use poly mounting and sway bar endlink bushings. NO SQUEAKS and makes the sway bar act like a bigger bar if used with rubber. I just recently replaced these bushings after 30 years of use...rubber will NOT last that long..sorry. The benefit is that the sway bar ACTS like a bigger bar and more quickly than with rubber. There is NO RIDE quality penalty in a sway bar application as well.

Upper and lower control arm bushings in poly...been on the car for about 12 years now...ZERO squeaks ever, MUCH better suspension control, no loss in ride quality. Highly recommend poly control arm bushings from a reputable vendor like Prothane BUT you must use loctite on the control arm bolts to prevent loosening. A major upgrade in steering response with no loss in ride quality for the street.

Had poly strut rods bushings for about 25 years and do NOT recommend them in this application...they squeaked but offer much better strut camber control...I replaced them about 12 years ago with heim jointed struts which are fantastic. The poly in the OEM strut rods that I did in the 80's was and is still perfect...again not a chance rubber will last that long. RUBBER WILL NOT LAST AS LONG AS quality POLY..Anyone who tells you otherwise either is not well informed or lying.

Poly in rear control arms not recommended for the reasons stated previously BUT I will probs go with ignatz recommendation with heim joint of some sort in this application.

Poly front shocks mounting bushings instead of rubber..highly recommend them for better and quicker shock damping...Have had them for 15 years on the 78...look brand new. No Squeaks..

The 01 grand prix, 08 Chrysler 300 and 94 mustang GT all have poly sway bar mounting bushings and/or endlinks since the cars were brand new and all look pretty darn good with anywhere from 220,000 miles on them to 160,000 miles with some wear but no squeaks.

Recently put on Lexus F Sport TRD front and rear sway bars on my 12 IS 350 F sport and the sway bars came from Toyota with poly bushings everywhere....no squeaks. If your poly bushings squeak or deteriorate prematurely they are either in the wrong application or cheap junk poly....junk is junk as well for rubber.

Sorry...rubber is NOT in my opinion the way to go for a performance C3 on the street and is validated by my experiences across the car spectrum going back to my 73 nova SS with aftermarket sway bars in the late 70's and even today on my Lexus IS 350 F Sport....Poly in most C3 applications will greatly enhance the handling and steering response of your C3 on the street with little to no ride penalty and for VERY little money..one of the best modifications a C3 owner can do to enhance the suspension of his car........40 years of experience with poly folks.

My vote is strongly for poly and for lots of reasons and years of experience^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ with caveats on the applications for the C3

 

For WILCOX.....Keep reading use high quality rubber parts. Can you provide the P/N for 1980 C3 of yours and who is the manufacturer?

 

Love this application for control arm bushings BUT, welding required, pretty much takes this off the table for 99% of folks looking for street use, not racing.

FWIW-Police applications have been using various versions of solid/poly/ heim jointed control arm bushings for the last 25 years in their VERY heavy duty street applications for police cars. None of this is new technology AND has been used extensively by the OEM's as well for years.......Rubber bushings are ALL about the compromise of ride and decent control. IT is NOT because rubber provides the same suspension control as poly..it DOES NOT. Rubber is more compliant which will give a better ride..they are not the same..make no mistake about that..everything has pros and cons..

 

hotchkis calls them swivel bushings, why don't they offer this type of bushing for the vette TA, the bushing is made of similar to nylon or delrin I think, and uses a pivot ball joint for articulation, no welding

 

I mean with 3D printing, one can make the prototype easily and have it tested, perhaps a company like Van Steel can take up the challenge

 

Wow, lots of good information here - thanks to all that responded. No surprise, it looks like the source of the poly bushings are critical to a satisfactory installation. So based on the info here I think I'll stick with rubber control arm bushings from VanSteel along with MOOG ball joints and poly sway bar pieces.

 

Last word on this subject for me, if you are looking for a dramatic increase in steering response, suspension control, and handling using the stock OEM suspension components (AKA non aftermarket front control arms) than using a high quality poly upper and lower control arm bushings in the stock factory control arm is the way to go. I decided to go poly front control arm bushings about 12 years ago after I realized that even with poly on the front and rear sway bars, a GTR1999 custom blueprinted/rebuilt OEM factory steering box, composite rear 360 spring, Bilstein Shocks front and rear, heim jointed rear strut rods that I could not avoid any longer not upgrading the control arm bushings.

I simply could not believe the improvement the poly upper and lower control arm bushings made to the steering response, handling, and tracking of my 78 when going down the highway (with zero steering wheel corrections) AND a barely noticeable firmness in the general ride quality of the car. My 78 C3 rides now like a modern sports sedan or any german high performance car with a firm but not harsh ride...it is completely different from how the C3's rolled out of the factory. These cars can be made to ride great with excellent suspension control using the stock components but upgraded with modern parts to handle, steer, and ride like a modern sports car...Want factory stock ride and handling...Moog rubber parts. Want a high performance modern sports car like handling than Poly/non rubber is the only way to go to eliminate much of the unwanted chassis flex and suspension movement/compliance. Depends what you are trying to achieve BUT rubber and poly/non rubber parts are not and will not give the same results...don't blend the 2 approaches.

Poly upper control arm bushing in 2014 as I was preparing to pull the L-82 for the rebuild/upgrade:



You can see my front spreader bar as well as the poly front upper bilstein shock bushing in the picture.....^^^^^^^

 

I'm sure that the control arm bushings will be lost in the noise of everything else I'm replacing (the entire front end, basically, leaving the already done tie rods, idler arm, and wheel bearings), so I will never know what difference just the control arms made.

I can say, however, that you can replace poly control arm bushings yourself. I had mine pushed out at a garage, then I rebuilt them myself. If you follow the other advice on this forum to burn out the old rubber bushings, you may be able to do the entire job without any special tools. I only did the lowers, though, and am using SPC uppers.

 

I rebuilt the back suspension 2 years ago. Went for a drive recently and noticed driver's side camber was way off. The poly bushings had completely crumbled. Right side poly spring bushing is also cracked. I am going back to rubber.

 

Again, the wrong application for poly using them for rear trailing arm bushings or strut rod bushings...mentioned both locations as not good applications for poly in my posts above.
The struts rods are a fantastic location for adjustable competition struts rods with heim joints...I have them and they work so much better than rubber busihings in stock strut rods or even adjustable strut rods with poly bushings:

https://www.ecklers.com/corvette/196...-112725-1.html

https://www.mamotorworks.com/Corvett...st-63-79-42682 (I have these!)

 

Well.... my .02

Red and black poly are NOT the same... black has graphite in the poly...

i have a daily driver mustang with ALL poly... and NOTHING squeaks... it rides like a log wagon yes, but thats how i wanted it, i wana throw it into a corner at 120 and have little give, they have been on there for about 4 years now and have zero problems when i looked at them last fall on the lift, i also keep them greased with energy suspension grease for poly

Corvette is getting de-lum bushings in control ams and heims in the rear

As far as the debate of GM using only the correct parts from the factory, why in the heck did they use aluminum body spacers that disintegrate, to thin of frame metal with no bracing in the LCA locations and steering ram mounting points that sheer from metal fatigue... engineers are NOT perfect....

Now somethings the get bang-on right... i will never use anything but OEM HEI modules in my systems, they run the smoothest and start the easiest for street cars. There are always tradeoffs with engineers.

 

Like the black ones also, never a squeak and make the car feel so much better period, no downsides.
Was warned by a well known suspension expert out here (even though he sold them) not to use the red poly bushings.

Cant help but wonder if some of the poly failures were caused bv torquing the parts down before the weight of the car was on them?
Agree for a "nice" ride rubber may be good but leery of the overseas quality.