revisiting poly rear LCAs
#1
revisiting poly rear LCAs
Quite simply, any new thoughts or actual analysis on these causing snap/ oversteer or other meaningful undesired handling characteristics.
Or have these suffered a somewhat Samurai/ Corvair esque unjustified bashing
Yes my curiosity is primarily being driven by my cheapness, but also oddly UMI poly rear arms have a much less punitive overseas shipping charge than anything *apparently* more handling friendly across after market manufacturers
thoughts welcome
Or have these suffered a somewhat Samurai/ Corvair esque unjustified bashing
Yes my curiosity is primarily being driven by my cheapness, but also oddly UMI poly rear arms have a much less punitive overseas shipping charge than anything *apparently* more handling friendly across after market manufacturers
thoughts welcome
#2
COTM Editor
iTrader: (22)
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 9,932
Likes: 0
Received 1,860 Likes
on
1,274 Posts
Car: '89 Firebird
Engine: 7.0L
Transmission: T56
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
I have Kenny Brown rear control arms with poly bushings on body side, and spherical rod ends on axle side. I recently had the rear axle out of my car and was shocked by how difficult it was to rotate the rear control arms with the poly mounts. Never paid any attention to it before but I noticed this time!
Unless there is some kind of fancy dancy bushing on the market, I don't see freeing up movement without using spherical rod ends at the body side. And that would be punishing from a noise & vibration perspective.
Unless there is some kind of fancy dancy bushing on the market, I don't see freeing up movement without using spherical rod ends at the body side. And that would be punishing from a noise & vibration perspective.
#3
Supreme Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 26,117
Received 1,688 Likes
on
1,283 Posts
Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
"Snap oversteer" doesn't exist. Fantasy land, invented by somebody that didn't have access to them, and wanted to sell something more expensive. Not sure how if stock rubber bushings, with their basically frozen-in-place behavior can be good; and rod-ends, with essentially ZERO friction, can be good; but something in between can be Satan incarnate. Strikes me as marketing hype. SOMEBODY is selling SOMETHING. Hold onto your wallet.
I've had rear LCAs with poly bushing on my car since... well, since before most of the people on this forum were born. Never had any such problems.
Sure, they have SOME friction, but compared to OE type rubber, it's negligible. Probably less than 20 inch-pounds to rotate them around their bolts. About what it takes to turn a freshly installed rotor on a new front wheel bearing.
Mine are the old Lakewood square-tubing variety. Never have had to change out the bushings. I grease em once every 10 or 15k miles though whether they need it or not.
I've had rear LCAs with poly bushing on my car since... well, since before most of the people on this forum were born. Never had any such problems.
Sure, they have SOME friction, but compared to OE type rubber, it's negligible. Probably less than 20 inch-pounds to rotate them around their bolts. About what it takes to turn a freshly installed rotor on a new front wheel bearing.
Mine are the old Lakewood square-tubing variety. Never have had to change out the bushings. I grease em once every 10 or 15k miles though whether they need it or not.
The following users liked this post:
mike_c (01-05-2023)
#4
Member
iTrader: (1)
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
Well i had umi lower rear control arms with poly bushings and quickly removed them and put in the stock ones with rubber. It would oversteer bad around corners always wanting to come around when getting on the throttle. It is less noisy and is more balanced with the stock arms and rubber bushings. The rear end needs to pivot and it wasnt with poly and tubular control arms. So dont waste your money on them imo.
The following users liked this post:
83 Crossfire TA (04-14-2021)
#5
Supreme Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 26,117
Received 1,688 Likes
on
1,283 Posts
Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
So, please explain how stock rubber ones encourage "pivot".
The reason it was loose compared to the stock crap was ACTUALLY because the poly ones DID "pivot" freely, but the stock rubber ones DID NOT.
Go ahead, it's OK, admit that you got sucked in by the deceptive ad copy and mis-attributed what you GENUINELY experienced (note that I am NOT calling you a liar about what your car did, or any such thing), and blamed what you felt on what the ad copy told you. It's OK, we all get bamboozled once in awhile by seductively worded ad copy and colorful shiny things and all stuff such as that, it's not shameful to admit it, you can still be a man (or other adult person) and admit you're wrong about what you blamed for what happened, and we won't shame you.
The reason it was loose compared to the stock crap was ACTUALLY because the poly ones DID "pivot" freely, but the stock rubber ones DID NOT.
Go ahead, it's OK, admit that you got sucked in by the deceptive ad copy and mis-attributed what you GENUINELY experienced (note that I am NOT calling you a liar about what your car did, or any such thing), and blamed what you felt on what the ad copy told you. It's OK, we all get bamboozled once in awhile by seductively worded ad copy and colorful shiny things and all stuff such as that, it's not shameful to admit it, you can still be a man (or other adult person) and admit you're wrong about what you blamed for what happened, and we won't shame you.
#6
COTM Editor
iTrader: (22)
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 9,932
Likes: 0
Received 1,860 Likes
on
1,274 Posts
Car: '89 Firebird
Engine: 7.0L
Transmission: T56
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
Or maybe mine are some kind of hard rubber and I should have paid closer attention.
#7
Supreme Member
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Il
Posts: 11,723
Received 773 Likes
on
520 Posts
Car: 1989-92 FORMULA350 305 92 Hawkclone
Engine: 4++,350 & 305 CIs
Transmission: 700R4 4800 vig 18th700R4 t56 ZF6 T5
Axle/Gears: 3.70 9"ford alum chunk,dana44,9bolt
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
I ditched poly long ago. Tired of the squeaking and groaning when cold even with lube.
When I did remove the poly rear control arms, the poly had compressed enough to just fall out of the shells. They were only in for 5 years or so?
I also hated the way the rearend of the car hopped sideways when cornering and hitting an expansion joint. Much smoother with stock rubber or rod end control arms. Although the rodends are noisier, they have less binding than poly.
When I did remove the poly rear control arms, the poly had compressed enough to just fall out of the shells. They were only in for 5 years or so?
I also hated the way the rearend of the car hopped sideways when cornering and hitting an expansion joint. Much smoother with stock rubber or rod end control arms. Although the rodends are noisier, they have less binding than poly.
Trending Topics
#8
Member
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
When autocrossing my 91 vert I could feel the poly control arms binding and then releasing on tight turns and hard braking . Switching to rod ends make the car much more predictable but too harsh for the street. When I bought a different car to autocross I when back to stock arms on the camaro and it is much more pleasant to drive on the street. Boxing the stock arms might be a good compromise. Also no matter what I used to grease the poly they squeaked . With the top down on a tree lined road it sounded like a flock of birds was following me.
#9
Supreme Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 26,117
Received 1,688 Likes
on
1,283 Posts
Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
That's all very interesting.
I have the Lakewood ones. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/lak-20140 Maybe 30 yrs old now. The bolt clamps down on a tube going through the middle, and the bushing pivots freely on it. No noise, no steering weirdness, no binding, no non-existent fantasy land "snap oversteer", no particular road noise or harshness in fact not noticeably different from stock except they don't bend in my hands, no ... nothing. Just, they work. Very simple. Very easy. Very cheap.
They might need new bushings though, haven't really paid much attention to them in a REALLY long time.
I have the Lakewood ones. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/lak-20140 Maybe 30 yrs old now. The bolt clamps down on a tube going through the middle, and the bushing pivots freely on it. No noise, no steering weirdness, no binding, no non-existent fantasy land "snap oversteer", no particular road noise or harshness in fact not noticeably different from stock except they don't bend in my hands, no ... nothing. Just, they work. Very simple. Very easy. Very cheap.
They might need new bushings though, haven't really paid much attention to them in a REALLY long time.
Last edited by sofakingdom; 04-13-2021 at 02:13 PM.
The following users liked this post:
redneckjoe (04-17-2021)
#12
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
Good to see long term feedback on these and I have been considering them. Just, at a principle level , need to get my head around paying more for shipping than the part. Or perhaps I could wait for that Britain- America trade agreement that the brexiteers promised as part of their charming populist rhetoric
#13
Supreme Member
iTrader: (2)
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
I have Kenny Brown rear control arms with poly bushings on body side, and spherical rod ends on axle side. I recently had the rear axle out of my car and was shocked by how difficult it was to rotate the rear control arms with the poly mounts. Never paid any attention to it before but I noticed this time!
Unless there is some kind of fancy dancy bushing on the market, I don't see freeing up movement without using spherical rod ends at the body side. And that would be punishing from a noise & vibration perspective.
Unless there is some kind of fancy dancy bushing on the market, I don't see freeing up movement without using spherical rod ends at the body side. And that would be punishing from a noise & vibration perspective.
"Snap oversteer" doesn't exist. Fantasy land, invented by somebody that didn't have access to them, and wanted to sell something more expensive. Not sure how if stock rubber bushings, with their basically frozen-in-place behavior can be good; and rod-ends, with essentially ZERO friction, can be good; but something in between can be Satan incarnate. Strikes me as marketing hype. SOMEBODY is selling SOMETHING. Hold onto your wallet.
I've had rear LCAs with poly bushing on my car since... well, since before most of the people on this forum were born. Never had any such problems
I've had rear LCAs with poly bushing on my car since... well, since before most of the people on this forum were born. Never had any such problems
- switched back to rubber, it's surprising how much tuning you can do with different rubber bushings
- switched to spherical ends (which have their own problems)
- Drilling, grooving, and installing zerks on poly bushings and greasing them before every event with premium grease. You end up with something that works right in between rubber and rod ends.
Sure, they have SOME friction, but compared to OE type rubber, it's negligible. Probably less than 20 inch-pounds to rotate them around their bolts. About what it takes to turn a freshly installed rotor on a new front wheel bearing.
Mine are the old Lakewood square-tubing variety. Never have had to change out the bushings. I grease em once every 10 or 15k miles though whether they need it or not.
Mine are the old Lakewood square-tubing variety. Never have had to change out the bushings. I grease em once every 10 or 15k miles though whether they need it or not.
So, please explain how stock rubber ones encourage "pivot".
The reason it was loose compared to the stock crap was ACTUALLY because the poly ones DID "pivot" freely, but the stock rubber ones DID NOT.
Go ahead, it's OK, admit that you got sucked in by the deceptive ad copy and mis-attributed what you GENUINELY experienced (note that I am NOT calling you a liar about what your car did, or any such thing), and blamed what you felt on what the ad copy told you. It's OK, we all get bamboozled once in awhile by seductively worded ad copy and colorful shiny things and all stuff such as that, it's not shameful to admit it, you can still be a man (or other adult person) and admit you're wrong about what you blamed for what happened, and we won't shame you.
The reason it was loose compared to the stock crap was ACTUALLY because the poly ones DID "pivot" freely, but the stock rubber ones DID NOT.
Go ahead, it's OK, admit that you got sucked in by the deceptive ad copy and mis-attributed what you GENUINELY experienced (note that I am NOT calling you a liar about what your car did, or any such thing), and blamed what you felt on what the ad copy told you. It's OK, we all get bamboozled once in awhile by seductively worded ad copy and colorful shiny things and all stuff such as that, it's not shameful to admit it, you can still be a man (or other adult person) and admit you're wrong about what you blamed for what happened, and we won't shame you.
That's all very interesting.
I have the Lakewood ones. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/lak-20140 Maybe 30 yrs old now. The bolt clamps down on a tube going through the middle, and the bushing pivots freely on it. No noise, no steering weirdness, no binding, no non-existent fantasy land "snap oversteer", no particular road noise or harshness in fact not noticeably different from stock except they don't bend in my hands, no ... nothing. Just, they work. Very simple. Very easy. Very cheap.
They might need new bushings though, haven't really paid much attention to them in a REALLY long time.
I have the Lakewood ones. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/lak-20140 Maybe 30 yrs old now. The bolt clamps down on a tube going through the middle, and the bushing pivots freely on it. No noise, no steering weirdness, no binding, no non-existent fantasy land "snap oversteer", no particular road noise or harshness in fact not noticeably different from stock except they don't bend in my hands, no ... nothing. Just, they work. Very simple. Very easy. Very cheap.
They might need new bushings though, haven't really paid much attention to them in a REALLY long time.
My guess is that your bushings are either worn out or you just don't use the car in a way that you notice.
I ditched poly long ago. Tired of the squeaking and groaning when cold even with lube.
When I did remove the poly rear control arms, the poly had compressed enough to just fall out of the shells. They were only in for 5 years or so?
I also hated the way the rearend of the car hopped sideways when cornering and hitting an expansion joint. Much smoother with stock rubber or rod end control arms. Although the rodends are noisier, they have less binding than poly.
When I did remove the poly rear control arms, the poly had compressed enough to just fall out of the shells. They were only in for 5 years or so?
I also hated the way the rearend of the car hopped sideways when cornering and hitting an expansion joint. Much smoother with stock rubber or rod end control arms. Although the rodends are noisier, they have less binding than poly.
I've never had a set of those in my hands, are all 3 parts poly, or is one or more of them a hard plastic like Delrin or nylon?
Last edited by 83 Crossfire TA; 04-14-2021 at 04:34 PM.
The following users liked this post:
Clemson327 (04-20-2021)
#15
Supreme Member
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Il
Posts: 11,723
Received 773 Likes
on
520 Posts
Car: 1989-92 FORMULA350 305 92 Hawkclone
Engine: 4++,350 & 305 CIs
Transmission: 700R4 4800 vig 18th700R4 t56 ZF6 T5
Axle/Gears: 3.70 9"ford alum chunk,dana44,9bolt
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
That's what I had my poly in back in the early 90s. I boxed a spare set and put in poly.Once I got tired of the poly i went to double rod end tubular and ran those for 15ish years. Recently went back to rubber in the boxed units.
The following users liked this post:
T.L. (04-14-2021)
#16
Supreme Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,712
Received 241 Likes
on
186 Posts
Car: 1991 Z28
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3:42 Auburn
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
I've never had a set of those in my hands, are all 3 parts poly, or is one or more of them a hard plastic like Delrin or nylon?[/QUOTE]
It has been awhile since I put them in but I believe the center ball is a hard plastic. I used the "sticky" grease supplied with them to lubricate each piece as you assemble them into the control arm.
It has been awhile since I put them in but I believe the center ball is a hard plastic. I used the "sticky" grease supplied with them to lubricate each piece as you assemble them into the control arm.
The following 2 users liked this post by TEDSgrad:
Jaysz28 (04-16-2021), redneckjoe (04-17-2021)
#18
Supreme Member
iTrader: (2)
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
FWIW, I've run stock boxed arms with rubber bushings (I tried poly and didn't like them) on 2 cars, one was boxed with 1 or 1.25" x 1/8" flat bar, the other was boxed with some 16ga sheet cut to shape, I always liked the ones done with the flatbar better but I don't have any evidence that they worked better besides that I liked them better.
#19
Supreme Member
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
I've also been running the Founders 3-piece poly swivel arms with no complaints. Excellent quality. https://www.foundersperformance.com/...v=f24485ae434a
#20
Member
iTrader: (2)
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
Fwiw I’m running the full Midwest chassis rod end control arms and pan hard bar on my third gen. Only put maybe 75 miles on it so far. But I haven’t felt any negative effects so far. Car feels very tight on the road, but I did pretty much the whole suspension at once, so I can not say that they made any more of an improvement than another part of the chassis. I don’t notice any abnormal harshness over the factory components or the poly stuff I had on before the rod end parts.
I did swap the poly control arms and panhard bar from it to my forth gen, and I’d be lying if I said I noticed much any difference than factory. I pretty much daily my 4th gen in summer too.
I did swap the poly control arms and panhard bar from it to my forth gen, and I’d be lying if I said I noticed much any difference than factory. I pretty much daily my 4th gen in summer too.
#21
Member
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Honea Path, SC
Posts: 216
Received 15 Likes
on
11 Posts
Car: 1985 Z28
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt/3.73
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
So, please explain how stock rubber ones encourage "pivot".
The reason it was loose compared to the stock crap was ACTUALLY because the poly ones DID "pivot" freely, but the stock rubber ones DID NOT.
Go ahead, it's OK, admit that you got sucked in by the deceptive ad copy and mis-attributed what you GENUINELY experienced (note that I am NOT calling you a liar about what your car did, or any such thing), and blamed what you felt on what the ad copy told you. It's OK, we all get bamboozled once in awhile by seductively worded ad copy and colorful shiny things and all stuff such as that, it's not shameful to admit it, you can still be a man (or other adult person) and admit you're wrong about what you blamed for what happened, and we won't shame you.
The reason it was loose compared to the stock crap was ACTUALLY because the poly ones DID "pivot" freely, but the stock rubber ones DID NOT.
Go ahead, it's OK, admit that you got sucked in by the deceptive ad copy and mis-attributed what you GENUINELY experienced (note that I am NOT calling you a liar about what your car did, or any such thing), and blamed what you felt on what the ad copy told you. It's OK, we all get bamboozled once in awhile by seductively worded ad copy and colorful shiny things and all stuff such as that, it's not shameful to admit it, you can still be a man (or other adult person) and admit you're wrong about what you blamed for what happened, and we won't shame you.
Due to its softer nature, rubber bushings do allow much more rotation around this axis than polyurethane.
#22
Supreme Member
iTrader: (5)
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
I have all UMI Roto-joint stuff in the back of my car. Its UhhmAzing.
I did the rear end first, and the incredible feedback that I got from the rear-end made the front feel 10x worse. Nothing in the front changed, but the difference in the way the front and rear tracked amplified every flaw in the front end.
Maybe its not for everyone, but its definitely for me.
I did the rear end first, and the incredible feedback that I got from the rear-end made the front feel 10x worse. Nothing in the front changed, but the difference in the way the front and rear tracked amplified every flaw in the front end.
Maybe its not for everyone, but its definitely for me.
#24
Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
3 Posts
Car: 1982 Z-28
Engine: 5.7L Crossfire
Transmission: TH-350
Axle/Gears: GM Posi, 3.73
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
Hotchkis sells a swivel bushing upgrade for their LCAs . Got a set on my car and no issues with any weird rear suspension movement while cornering:
https://www.hotchkis.net/product/78-...m=447#overview
https://www.hotchkis.net/product/78-...m=447#overview
#25
Junior Member
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
https://www.medievalchassis.com/prod...trailing-arms/ These are spherical bearing bushings some of the dirt track racers use on g body trailing arms. They are usually illegal on most racecars rules. I've never used them but they would probably work great.
#26
Re: revisiting poly rear LCAs
Had to post this...I had the poly and the snap steer was terrible- founders poly poly. Sure it hooked well with no wheel hop and under light corners handled fine, this was a 4th gen w/ 285/35 18`s all around with umi 2 inch drops and bilstiens so plenty capable. It ended up getting so bad on high speed corners I had to make a change. I had these built- they are not for the light of wallet BUT these solved every problem I had you see...I live off a dirt road so open bushings get blasted with clay dust..so grease is out of the question. I found a local place that was building these arms for another chassis and had them build a set to my spec...these totally changed the car into a corner eating on the throttle pass you in the corner car. The specs:
The rearend side uses a cross axis ball joint, this is a German made harden steel cross pin w/ 1/2 ID 2.5 wide, the joint is totally sealed and offers 22.5 degree of articulation, this is the magic of the set up. The rod end or bushing cup is chrome moly tig weled with an adjustable threaded end, mild steel 3/16 wall tubing then a 2.5 inch high durometer bushing. So everything is sealed weather tight, the bushing needs no grease and they ride quiet down the road and put down the power in turns..the one word I see missing from this thread is Articulation...that is what the rear has to do in turns, it cannot bind , if it does it is lifting pressure off the tire, hence why it skips easily over a bump in a turn. I found out long ago what bind can do, in my drag car an 85 third gen, the spohn torque arm has a shackle at the cross member, there is a lock nut on there for a reason, I had it torqued down, the car would launch off the trans brake great but immediately fall on its nose after the initial hit..found that tight bolt and loosened it so the T/A could go fore and aft during suspension travel...right out of the high 1.3`s to low 1.2 60' times with that adjustment
I can have these built if anyone is interested, they made such a difference coming from poly I had thought for a while to offer these but there are so many trailing arms on the market and a few offer similar function but competition is really aggressive in this market so I`ll just stay in my own wheelhouse.
The rearend side uses a cross axis ball joint, this is a German made harden steel cross pin w/ 1/2 ID 2.5 wide, the joint is totally sealed and offers 22.5 degree of articulation, this is the magic of the set up. The rod end or bushing cup is chrome moly tig weled with an adjustable threaded end, mild steel 3/16 wall tubing then a 2.5 inch high durometer bushing. So everything is sealed weather tight, the bushing needs no grease and they ride quiet down the road and put down the power in turns..the one word I see missing from this thread is Articulation...that is what the rear has to do in turns, it cannot bind , if it does it is lifting pressure off the tire, hence why it skips easily over a bump in a turn. I found out long ago what bind can do, in my drag car an 85 third gen, the spohn torque arm has a shackle at the cross member, there is a lock nut on there for a reason, I had it torqued down, the car would launch off the trans brake great but immediately fall on its nose after the initial hit..found that tight bolt and loosened it so the T/A could go fore and aft during suspension travel...right out of the high 1.3`s to low 1.2 60' times with that adjustment
I can have these built if anyone is interested, they made such a difference coming from poly I had thought for a while to offer these but there are so many trailing arms on the market and a few offer similar function but competition is really aggressive in this market so I`ll just stay in my own wheelhouse.
The following 2 users liked this post by BBU.COM:
91banditt2 (11-03-2022), TTOP350 (09-08-2022)
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post