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Upgrade to Nolathane Bushes - DIY tips and tricks? 

 

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 Post subject: Upgrade to Nolathane Bushes - DIY tips and tricks?
Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 1:14 pm 
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I've decided to take the plunge and buy the Nolathane upgrade kit. Anyone put one of these in themselves and can they offer any of their lessons learnt?

It comes complete with the camber and caster kit, and a total of 63 bushes.

Front -
Caster and Camber kit - install instructions in other posts
Control arm upper adjust kit - do we need a press for this?
Lower inner control arm - do we need a press for this?
Shock absorber bushes - too easy.
Strut bar to ctl arm- need a deep socket, or lots of patience with a ring spanner
Strut bar to chassis - need to look in to this further
Sway bar links/mounts - easy.

Rear
Shocks and sway bar kit - easy.
Watts Link - are we going to need a press for the pivot bush? Haven't looked at the rods yet.
Trailing Arm - Another press job?

Yes of course I will get a wheel alignment done after all of this is finished.

Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Dang.
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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 1:18 pm 
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my words of wisdom would be dont fit it,all your going to do is make your car ride rough and pick up twice as much road noise,good stuff if you sometimes put your car round a race track but for everyday car i wouldnt do it,camber kit and swaybar is as far as i would go
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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 3:38 pm 
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Bah hambug.
Do it.
Tight = good, and they last a f**k longer.
The Sprint has all Polyurethane rubbers, and it's fantastically tactful, it'll transform your car.
Don't have any information on the install, other then I'd guess that a press is necessary.
I don't know how else you'd get the rubbers in and out of the rear trailing arms?

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:15 pm 
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Steady ED wrote:
Bah hambug.
Do it.
Tight = good, and they last a f**k longer.
The Sprint has all Polyurethane rubbers, and it's fantastically tactful, it'll transform your car.
Don't have any information on the install, other then I'd guess that a press is necessary.
I don't know how else you'd get the rubbers in and out of the rear trailing arms?
only last longer if pulled out every 10,000 ks and greased if your sprints done over 100,000 pull the front lower control arms out and the bushes will be rooted,im only saying this coz ive been working on front ends for 15 years and now i sell parts and you wont get a trady buying it at all,also ive replaced alot of e series tickford suspesioned nolothane f/lower c/arms bushs with rubber but ive never seen a worn rubber one!but hey its up to you if you want to use it just make sure you grease it up also with the rear bushs you should have just got change over arms if you dont have a press not that much dearer
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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:35 pm 
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From the Nolathane website (http://www.redranger.com.au/docs/standa ... cement.htm)


Quote:
Standard Replacement Bushes

Original rubber suspension bushes are compressed or chemically bonded to the suspension components in which they are installed. In the case of a metallastic (steel cased) bush, the rubber is compressed at the time of manufacture and chemically bonded to the metal centre sleeve and outer steel shell. The rubber bush is normally press-fitted into the suspension component such as a control arm, then bolted to the chassis. In this way, the capacity for suspension movement or rotation is restricted. The rubber suspension bush design requires delicate compromise, as it must be soft enough to permit sufficient rotational movement whilst maintaining alignment settings. Unlike rubber, Nolathane polyurethane suspension bushes are not bonded by compression. Nolathane bushes are mechanically fitted with minimal crush of the urethane material, and the centre pin is lubricated so the component freely pivots without restriction. Combined with Nolathane's ability to maintain the bush shape, this free pivoting provides sharper handling response and greatly increased suspension control. Technical developments in suspension design have provided many of today’s vehicles much improved on-road handling. Using Nolathane suspension bushes ensures there is no weakness in the suspension and therefore maintains steering control.

Nolathane bushes bring the following improvements to your suspension:

* Outstanding abrasion resistance
* High load bearing capability (4WD’s, utes and towing)
* Flexibility
* Increased tensile strength
* Chemical resistance to oil, grease, ozone and weathering.
* Alignment correction via adjustable bushes

THE RESULT:

* Enhanced road holding, steering and performance
* Less change in suspension geometry under load, braking and through corners
* Longer suspension life and less repair time
* Longer tyre life

Nolathane was originally designed to replace brass bushings in vehicles competing in hill climb events. Therefore the early formulation was very hard, as it was designed to replace brass, not rubber. Whilst it was great for competition use it was too harsh for normal street use. Over the years, just like vehicle and suspension system designs, things have changed. Today Nolathane is manufactured in various durometers (grades of softness / hardness), with the correct durometer selected for each application. Today’s Nolathane formulations have higher resistance to tear, abrasion and compression whilst being softer than the original formulations!


And from the FAQ:

Quote:
Is Nolathane too hard?
Nolathane formulations have evolved over many years. As the clear market leader in Australia & New Zealand our formulations have become progressively softer whilst becoming stronger. Each bush is designed using the most suitable grade of softness to suit the application. Misinformation spread by small competitors suggests that nolathane is hard - this is simply old hat! We invite you to compare the "leading brands" and you will find virtually all bushes are now of similar softness.



So, is it still the case that they give a hard ride? As for wear, they come with a 40,000km/2year warranty.

V8fordman351, you say you have 15 years experience. Do you have recent experience with Nolathane? I'm just comparing Nolathanes claim of constant evolution with your claims of hardness.

Dang.
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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:59 pm 
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I've got Nolathane Swaybar link/mount bushes in the 'mont, and compared to the polyurethane ones supplied by Whiteline, they are much more compliant.
It WILL be harsher riding then rubber bushes, there's no disputing that, but IMO it's a small tradeoff for markedly improved vehicle feel and handling.
If you are worried about the effect it will have on ride comfort, do it bit by bit.

 

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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:04 am 
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mmm seen plenty of rubber bushes flogged out
yet to see a nolathone bush flogged out...


when u fit them USE UP ALL THE GREASE!

 

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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:02 am 
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Most people that work on cars in my experience are people who are set in the ways they were taught whilst an apprentice or @ TAFE and are not interested in updating their knowledge about new technologies as they come about.

Ask any independant suspension place/mechanic and I garuntee 9/10 will tell you to go rubber because that's what was around when they started. My father's machanic is the sort of bloke that would be quite happy to rip out the fuel injection from a brand new car and put a carby on top of the engine because he only has a meagre understanding of fuel injection systems and can't be bothered updating his knowledge or equipment.

He also doesn't reccomend nolothane bushes and even tries to talk you out of tyres with a profile lower than 60 because he thinks it makes the ride too harsh.

How many mechanics who offer engine tuning are there out there that are small time operators that don't have a dyno because they think they can tune a car properly just by sniffing the exhaust? A mechanic who isn't up with new technology is a poor mechanic and a poor businessman IMHO.

After all, would you buy a TV from a salesman who tried to sell you a Black White 34cm TV because he thought it was all you needed?
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:07 am 
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Most of the local suspension and mecahnic places that I deliver to when working use Nolathane bushes now!
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Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 1:30 am 
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Only ever seen one nola bush stuff up in the sets that we sell at ALTED .

And yes, they have the warranty of 2yrs, Im running the kit in my car, and its perfect, Much nicer than the standard rubber .
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 Post subject: Re: Upgrade to Nolathane Bushes - DIY tips and tricks?
Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 3:11 am 
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dang wrote:
I've decided to take the plunge and buy the Nolathane upgrade kit. Anyone put one of these in themselves and can they offer any of their lessons learnt?
It comes complete with the camber and caster kit, and a total of 63 bushes.
Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.


I did all the suspension bushes in my car myself. Two words of wisdom from that experience "never again", I did it without a press and DAMN was it hard work.

(I did this from memory so some of it might not be 100% spoton)
the front is easy untill you get to the lower control arm, I used 2 foot of threaded rod with a bolt on one and with appropriatly sized washers to touch the bush casing but not the actual arm assay, on the other end I used a lock nut socket, and tightened up the bolt untill it pulled the bush out of the control arm into the socket. It took a while and was bloody hard but i did it. I used the same homemade puller to remove all of the pressed in bushes, and also too install them.

On a couple of bushes the washers wen't the exact right size and just pulled the centre rubber out and left the shell, once this has done i hacksawed them out from the inside out, by simply taking the hacksaw blade out, butting it in the middle of the bush and connecting it to the hacksaw and hacking away.

the only problem bushes are the front lower control arms, and the rear upper and lower trailing arms. the watts link bushhes are easy as. you can just punch them out with a FBH and some sorta dowell.

One last thing, Go and buy a tub of moly grease (black stuff) and use as much as you possibly can. its worth it in the long run.

if u still got no idea what im on about with the puller, PM me and ill email you a diagram of the puller i made up.

hope it helps,

Luke

 

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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 12:58 am 
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Leave everything loose, lower the car to the ground, and tighten everything from there. Otherwise, the rubber can bind, and be under constant stress, even while sitting still. The other option is to jack the car up and sit it on blocks or ramps or something.

 

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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:59 am 
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dang wrote:
From the Nolathane website (http://www.redranger.com.au/docs/standa ... cement.htm)


Quote:
Standard Replacement Bushes

Original rubber suspension bushes are compressed or chemically bonded to the suspension components in which they are installed. In the case of a metallastic (steel cased) bush, the rubber is compressed at the time of manufacture and chemically bonded to the metal centre sleeve and outer steel shell. The rubber bush is normally press-fitted into the suspension component such as a control arm, then bolted to the chassis. In this way, the capacity for suspension movement or rotation is restricted. The rubber suspension bush design requires delicate compromise, as it must be soft enough to permit sufficient rotational movement whilst maintaining alignment settings. Unlike rubber, Nolathane polyurethane suspension bushes are not bonded by compression. Nolathane bushes are mechanically fitted with minimal crush of the urethane material, and the centre pin is lubricated so the component freely pivots without restriction. Combined with Nolathane's ability to maintain the bush shape, this free pivoting provides sharper handling response and greatly increased suspension control. Technical developments in suspension design have provided many of today’s vehicles much improved on-road handling. Using Nolathane suspension bushes ensures there is no weakness in the suspension and therefore maintains steering control.

Nolathane bushes bring the following improvements to your suspension:

* Outstanding abrasion resistance
* High load bearing capability (4WD’s, utes and towing)
* Flexibility
* Increased tensile strength
* Chemical resistance to oil, grease, ozone and weathering.
* Alignment correction via adjustable bushes

THE RESULT:

* Enhanced road holding, steering and performance
* Less change in suspension geometry under load, braking and through corners
* Longer suspension life and less repair time
* Longer tyre life

Nolathane was originally designed to replace brass bushings in vehicles competing in hill climb events. Therefore the early formulation was very hard, as it was designed to replace brass, not rubber. Whilst it was great for competition use it was too harsh for normal street use. Over the years, just like vehicle and suspension system designs, things have changed. Today Nolathane is manufactured in various durometers (grades of softness / hardness), with the correct durometer selected for each application. Today’s Nolathane formulations have higher resistance to tear, abrasion and compression whilst being softer than the original formulations!


And from the FAQ:

Quote:
Is Nolathane too hard?
Nolathane formulations have evolved over many years. As the clear market leader in Australia & New Zealand our formulations have become progressively softer whilst becoming stronger. Each bush is designed using the most suitable grade of softness to suit the application. Misinformation spread by small competitors suggests that nolathane is hard - this is simply old hat! We invite you to compare the "leading brands" and you will find virtually all bushes are now of similar softness.



So, is it still the case that they give a hard ride? As for wear, they come with a 40,000km/2year warranty.

V8fordman351, you say you have 15 years experience. Do you have recent experience with Nolathane? I'm just comparing Nolathanes claim of constant evolution with your claims of hardness.

Dang.
yes i was fitting it up untill 6 months ago its just my opinion you dont have to agree,let me know what you think when you have fitted it thats the best way but in my experiance out of all the bushs we used to use super pro bushs mostly (the blue ones) as the seemed to be a bit better riding and the are also nurled on the inside to hold the grease in,but we mainly used offset bushes ect to correct wheel alignment angles when they were wrong,or when we were setting up cars for track work,but like its been said use all the grease and also like someone else said tighten all the bolts with weight ON ,allthough its not as important with nolothane as its not elastic usually pivots on the metal bush inside it,cheers and good luck
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:02 pm 
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gday, im looking at a bit of a suspension overhaul at the moment to.
300 thou k's on the ef and im keen to tighten it all up.

is putting a something like altedperformance's $700 nothalene kit my best bet (i plan on doing it myself) or should i be giving this reponsibility over to the pro's at a suspension place to do?
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:24 am 
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Nolethane does increase the harshness of the ride, but if you want a nice " tight " feel, you will have to comprimise the ride for the handling. It's about how much you want to comprimise. I'm in the middle of fitting up some nolethane bushes to my ford, as i've had a good run with them on my torana.

I must admit tho, i think i didn't use enough grease on the ford, they squeak a bit. I think i need more grease between the bush faces and the sub frame & shocker faces. I didn't have any real trouble with the lower arms, i pressed the old rubber bushes out, and with some of the supplied grease & muscle, pushed the new bushes in, and all but 2 of the steel centre's. I had to do the inner bush steel centre's with a press. I don't know if that was a bad thing of a good thing. The nolethane bushes i bought come in 2 " halfs " for each bush, whereas the old rubber ford items were single piece bushes. Maybe being 2 halfs makes them so easy to install?

You can get a cheap press that you can use to do most bushes and ball joints these days. My g/f's brother has one, and the only items i cant do on my ford with it are radius rod to sub frame bushes, and the ball joints. I did all but the upper bushes for my torana with that press, you need a special tool for it so i paid the suspension shop to do those one's for me.

Cheers

ToranaGuy

 

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