I will be repainting some suspension pieces this weekend. (Swaybars, controlarms, etc.) I will be using rattle cans but wondered which would be more durable regular paint or engine paint.

Second question: We will be replacing bushings shortly and wondered if we should go with the poly bushing or stock. We will be doing control arm bushings and sway bar bushings. I am more worried about noise inthe bushings than I am performance right now. This will be used more as a dialy driver when done and the occasional cruise in.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

 

Dude !I'm doing the same thing. and just made a post under appearance, Painting wonderbar and rear end, also I was worried about the squeeking too, but went ahead and got all poly, I plan on putting that lube on the bushings excessively !!!

worried about rain washing it off though.

 

if you insist on rattle cans... I would use Krylon. They seem to have about the best spray paint but it still won't stand up too great against all of the oil and road grime. Actual automotive paint is best but powdercoating is really the way to go.

 

As for the bushings, beware, poly is too squeaky. The noise goes away with lube, but the lube also goes away quickly too, in my experience. I ordered the fully greaseable poly graphite bushing with the brakets from TDS. They have the zerk fittings so you can lube them up with a grease gun. Also, the poly-graphite is less noisy to begin with, so it really eliminates the problem.

 

I never had any squeak from my poly set, but I hear on & off that some people do & some don't have squeaks. I really like the Rustoleum oil-based paints, but I'm far from an expert in this area so the Krylon may very well be better.

The only real "problem" that I've heard of when going to a poly set is when you do this and simultaneously box in the LCAs, this creates quite a bit of bind in the mounts for the LCAs when the rear axle tries to twist. Not a real problem for me, but all the roads are pretty smooth here. Could be a problem in a more hilly/twisty area such as southern Ohio (where I used to live).

 

A few days ago I got my a-arm bushings and balljoints pressed. I went with the PST kit. While the a-arms were off I cleaned them up a bit and gave it a quickie paintjob. I used flat black wheel paint, worked good. I'm sure it will rub off in the spring bucket, but the rest of the a-arm should be OK. Nothing really special but it does look better then it did when I took em off. I'll let you guys know if they squeak.

 

Yar! I'll NEVER press in my own front control arm bushings again (myself, anyway)! I had to torch the old ones until I could press the rubber out of the shells and then use my dremel to cut the shell off. My 20:1 arbor press with 500 pounds of force on the handle (and a REAL 500 pounds at that) wouldn't even budge them a little. I couldn't get the new ones in, either. I took the bushings & A-arms to a race shop and they said the arms were so heavy that they thought they were from a truck. They almost broke their 4 ton press getting them in, too...

The rears were dead easy in & out; the fronts -- let's just say that it would be worth it to spend the $350 on new tubular fronts instead of doing that again for the $40 the front bushings cost. grrr...

Good for you that it's over -- those bushings are the hardest part BY FAR!