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I went through the same process you did with rear bushings... went to Powerflex. I suspect your bushings were really trashed since the hollow cavity in them should have been filled with a hydraulic fluid. This "hollow with fluid design" gives good control but with much less harshness over sharp bumps and pavement joints. Most modern Euro cars use such bushings. The Powerflex bushings do NOT affect ride quality over smooth bumps and dips since the have no effect on spring rate or damping. However, with much less give under sharp loads like broken pavement joints, the Powerflex bushing are "harsher".
I also used the Powerflex replacements, but after a year, I got tired of the harsher behaviour. I removed the Powerflex units and put in fresh OEM bushings and was pleased with the reduced harshness. Control was great as a proper real alignment is crtical to this. Glad yours was spot on!
If your OE bushings were empty of fluid, it stands to reason they were part of your problems for sure.
BTW I also did my front A-arm bushings with Powerflex and you should know the fronts are MUCH easier to replace than the rears by a long shot. In the end though, I went back to new OEM rubber bushings for the same harshness reason. IN the front, I used Powerflex for both the large rear and small front mounts of the A-arm. I found the small front bushings did not fill the space between the mounting bolt flanges which would allow minor fore-aft play. I had to add about a 1/8" thick large plastic washer to ensure that was snug. I have new OEM rubber bushings to put pack in there one day... but the A-arm has to be removed for those.
The large A-arm rear bushing can be changed w/o removing the A-arm. The large bolt at the end of the arm and the the 2 large bolts securing the aluminum bushing carrier to the body allow the entire bushing sub-assembly to be easily removed.
I still have my front Powerflex bushings already mounted in the aluminum carrier since the new OEM style came pre-fitted in a new carrier.
Not trying to scare you off the Powerflex items at all. Just that for me, in an area with crappy rough roads all over the place, ride quality was too compromised by urethane bushings beng too harsh. If you have mostly smooth pavement, you'll be very pleased.
Reg
posted by 216.81.2...
, Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:09:21, Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:45:41
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