So I've got the same issues everyone seems to have with the decayed poly bushings. Bought the struts a couple years ago for my 73 body off so car frame is currently being assembled with rear end parts. While at Carlisle I talked with the Van Steel guys (their stuff at the show was awesome and if I was building a serious pro street or other major car I would jump on their gear). So following the variuous posts here about Van Steel having the VBP parts I asked about rubber bushings. They only use poly. So walking the the show I came across a box of new Prothane bushings some guy had after an abandoned project. He wouldn't sell just the strut bushings so I bought the box (future part sales). and used the Prothane 75 and up poly bushings that fit perfectly in my struts for the 73. I figured if poly is good with the Van Steel guys I'll give it a try. So my struts came with the regular 3/8 cam bolts and no square washers. Also, they have cam washers on the nut side with the metal reducers on the bushing to retain the 3/8th bolt. The cam bolts of course are not used for adjustment and I figure it was an easy way to fit into the square area on the strut brace. My question is: I want to eliminate the cam bolts and cam washer, use 1/2 grade 8 bolts which fits the strut end without need for the reducer; I'll frabricate the square washers; eliminate the reducers which will make the strut bushing fit better without having to hammer the strut in since the reducing washers make the fit overly tight in my view. Am I missing something or will this work. As always thanks for the help.

 

For the same amount of effort, and only a bit more money, you could have heim-jointed strut rods. I think VB&P had a bad batch of poly bushings, that gave the whole industry a bad name, but even when it works, it's not the best choice for a complex motion joint.

Perhaps it's not too late to change!

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...heim-ends.html

 

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