Suspension set up tips?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,334
Likes: 6,509
From: Melbourne, FL
Suspension set up tips?
In the process of replacing all my bushings. At 26 years old, they're in decent shape but it' time to go. Have a prothane master kit and swaybar kits going in on 32/26mm seats with koni yellows.
While I'm at it, is there anything else I should be doing? Car is a mix of track and autocross but also driven on roads for fun.
I plan to install front UCAs without the spacers in an attempt to get some negative camber. Doing new ball joints and tie rod ends, with zerk fittings. Any other setup tweaks I should k ow about?
While I'm at it, is there anything else I should be doing? Car is a mix of track and autocross but also driven on roads for fun.
I plan to install front UCAs without the spacers in an attempt to get some negative camber. Doing new ball joints and tie rod ends, with zerk fittings. Any other setup tweaks I should k ow about?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,091
Likes: 1,972
From: St. Charles MO
I always recommend against urethane bushings in the rear. I've gone over this in detail in several threads, so I won't put a bunch of details here unless requested. Suffice to say that trailing arms and camber rods have to move in arcs. That means that the arc of the camber rod causes the trailing arms to move sideways at the upright, and the arc of the trailing arms causes the camber rod to move fore/aft at the upright. The factory rubber bushings allow for this off-axis movement with little bind, but urethane is much less compliant and causes a great deal of bind in these locations. I recommend either sticking with rubber if it's in decent shape, or going to a rod-end setup. Urethane bushings are fine in the front control arms and in the swaybars, though.
PS - The arc of the covenant is a different thing. It causes melting, and no bushing will survive that!
PS - The arc of the covenant is a different thing. It causes melting, and no bushing will survive that!
Safety Car
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 4,754
Likes: 1,642
From: Fairfax Virginia
I would think twice before I ever install Polyurethane bushings in another of my Corvettes.
I have a 1968 C3 L-71 car that I chose to put polyurethane Bushings on. They were properly lubricated them like the instructions said before installation.
After a few hundred miles breaking them in the squeaks started from the front end components. After time they squeaked at all four corners. I have sprayed them all down with Graphite spray to see if that would help with the noise. It worked fine UNTIL I drove in the rain and the squeaks started again.
I have two Corvettes, the 1988 Coupe I have has had replacement rubber bushings. I will continue to use rubber to avoid the squeaks, If I were auto-crossing maybe I would choose to ignore the noise and go poly.
The newer Polyurethane bushings have a built in lubricant I have been told. They may have solved the noise issues. It really helps to have access to a hydraulic press getting those bushings out and the new ones in.
I hope that whatever you do makes you enjoy your Corvette even more than normal!
I have a 1968 C3 L-71 car that I chose to put polyurethane Bushings on. They were properly lubricated them like the instructions said before installation.
After a few hundred miles breaking them in the squeaks started from the front end components. After time they squeaked at all four corners. I have sprayed them all down with Graphite spray to see if that would help with the noise. It worked fine UNTIL I drove in the rain and the squeaks started again.
I have two Corvettes, the 1988 Coupe I have has had replacement rubber bushings. I will continue to use rubber to avoid the squeaks, If I were auto-crossing maybe I would choose to ignore the noise and go poly.
The newer Polyurethane bushings have a built in lubricant I have been told. They may have solved the noise issues. It really helps to have access to a hydraulic press getting those bushings out and the new ones in.
I hope that whatever you do makes you enjoy your Corvette even more than normal!
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 231
Likes: 32
From: Cumming Georgia
I know at one point say 15 years ago they made a graphite impregnated polyurethane bushing that was supposed to not squeak...not sure, because I never used them...and only used poly on the swaybars of an old truck that I had...
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