New front radius arm bushes - recommendations?

So the old girl ('98 reg 110 300TDI) needs the aforementioned bushes doing, but there are a variety of options available so which is/are best, particularly in these cashflow-restricted times? It seems I could go for "standard" ones (with metal jackets) or poly-type ones (without)? It feels like poly ones are the way to go but prices seem to vary wildly so which to choose? Btw she does need the wider ones and although they didn't all fail the test I would do all 3 per arm. Thanks.

Cheap as chips std britpart metalastic bushes.
Do not use the flo flex ones, lasted no time at all and the metal sleeve was a right barsteward to get out.
Maybe the more expensive poly varieties are better? but once bitten twice shy for me.

You mean these ones?: https://www.paddockspares.com/front-bush-kit-2.html

You say ‘best’ but do you mean that or just cheapest?

Genuine Polybush offer 3 grades. Probably better than all others. But won’t be the cheapest.

Ok I mean best value - for example, are the "cheapest" ones good value, are the mid-range ones a good choice, or do the most expensive ones offer any significant advantages over the others?

Peep110 said:

Ok I mean best value - for example, are the "cheapest" ones good value, are the mid-range ones a good choice, or do the most expensive ones offer any significant advantages over the others?

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Depends on usage. Occasional use, knocking around town, odd laneing trip, Britpart will be fine.

If you plan on doing 25k miles a year and driving in trials regularly, might be better to get the Polybushes.

Actually I was referring to the different grades of poly bushes?

Peep110 said:

Actually I was referring to the different grades of poly bushes?

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So was I. Britpart make Polybushes, so do Polybush.

If you want genuine Polybushes, go with the middle grade, which I think are orange.

I would get a whole kit, you don't need to fit them all at once, but you will have them in stock when needed.
And I would use Metalastic in the Panhard rod, because I don't find polys work very well on that.

Peep110 said:

Ok I mean best value - for example, are the "cheapest" ones good value, are the mid-range ones a good choice, or do the most expensive ones offer any significant advantages over the others?

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Best value depends very much on your own point of view though. I'm not trying to be difficult, but some people will want the cheapest and be perfectly happy with it. While other will want a more tailored solution and will be prepared to pay more, but for them it will then be best value too, even if considerably more money.

Polybush is a brand. As far as I know they are the only ones to offer different grades. All other poly bushes will vary by make. The cheaper ones are normally harder and may not suit your needs. Some makes offer different colours, but it is only a colour, not a grade.

Rubber can be fine, they are usually cheaper. But may not offer the more focused offering poly can. Depends on what you want and need is really. If you are fitting at home, poly is usually a lot easier, you'll need a press for most rubber bushes.

Peep110 said:

Actually I was referring to the different grades of poly bushes?

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Then only buy SuperPro bushes and be very careful of other so-called polyurethane bushes, especially the brightly coloured jobbies [yellow/red +++] Other/cheap suppliers bushes are of poor quality material that does not last and, most importantly, are of incorrect shore rating...especially when too hard/are of "sporting..." types. Buy SuperPro, fit once and forget.

https://www.superproeurope.com/products.cfm?vehicleid=5554

put polybush in my 110 radius arms and it made the steering a bit vague, replaced them with genuine LR metalastic bushes and now back to normal

110tim said:

put polybush in my 110 radius arms and it made the steering a bit vague, replaced them with genuine LR metalastic bushes and now back to normal

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Sounds like something else was up or wrong. Maybe they didn’t fit them correctly or something else.

110tim said:

put polybush in my 110 radius arms and it made the steering a bit vague, replaced them with genuine LR metalastic bushes and now back to normal

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That's an odd one, sounds like the directness of polybushed arms flagged up looseness/play in other areas. Poly bushes do make their respective joints +Ve and direct. On my Ninety I chose to SuperPro every joint fron and rear, this from using them for many years now. On the front end have OME steering damper, everything else from Gwyn Lewis so the Ninety runs straight as a die with sharp turn in/turn out.

supapro blue all day long, see my build thread. never looked back

Peep110 said:

You mean these ones?: https://www.paddockspares.com/front-bush-kit-2.html

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Yep they will do, especially at that price.

worth a watch.

Dr Strangeglove said:

worth a watch.

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Talk about over thinking a simple problem [like much of YT these days] With the mass axle loads of a LR on any joint poly or rubber will make near no bloody difference as it's the material Shore Rating that's key. I do wish YT could pre-qualify people before they post their vids as once online the world takes it as gospel...and I won't comment on his grit paste [ever heard of jet washing out?] The real advantage of poly over rubber is 1. +Ve axle/joint location, and 2. longevity. Of course there's a slight increase in NVH that's negligible on our trusty tratters.

For technical ref' I SuperPro bushed my Subaru Forester XT some six years ago, every joint front and rear including sub-frames and diff mounts. To date not one creak or clonk and zero signs of wear...and Subaru's eat bushes like no tomorrow. The trick with poly bushes is absolute cleanliness at assembly and liberal use of bush lube/white grease...after all, a thoroughly lubed bush is what makes the world go round

v8250 said:

Talk about over thinking a simple problem [like much of YT these days] With the mass axle loads of a LR on any joint poly or rubber will make near no bloody difference as it's the material Shore Rating that's key. I do wish YT could pre-qualify people before they post their vids as once online the world takes it as gospel...and I won't comment on his grit paste [ever heard of jet washing out?] The real advantage of poly over rubber is 1. +Ve axle/joint location, and 2. longevity. Of course there's a slight increase in NVH that's negligible on our trusty tratters.

For technical ref' I SuperPro bushed my Subaru Forester XT some six years ago, every joint front and rear including sub-frames and diff mounts. To date not one creak or clonk and zero signs of wear...and Subaru's eat bushes like no tomorrow. The trick with poly bushes is absolute cleanliness at assembly and liberal use of bush lube/white grease...after all, a thoroughly lubed bush is what makes the world go round

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The other advantage of Polybushes is that they aren't degraded by oil and grease.

But of course, that isn't really relevant to Land Rovers as there is never oil running around the underside of the vehicle!

+1 on the SuperPro blue.. My D1 has them all round.. but it works for a living, some quite heavy towing too..which it has tolerated for 6 years, 50K miles, without issue..

SWMBO's D1 on the other hand does not tow, and does not do any hard work.. some motorway miles, but probably half the mileage mine does in a year - it has Br#tprat yellow polybushes all round, and is absolutely fine.. the steering is not quite as direct as mine - maybe 1% difference.., but the comfort is the same - and we have the same tyres (BFG AT2) and shocks (BP SG) too.. I doubt they will last like the superpro already have, but they are fine for her use..

I put Superpro bushes in everywhere on mine in the autumn of 2013 and they're still going strong. Even after nearly 10 years I still can't feel any play in them and neither can the MOT man. I've not noticed any problems with ride or handling and they must have done 120,000 miles by now. They're a bit more expensive than the standard polybush, but with this level of longevity the depreciation is negligible. Once you've got the old bushes out the Superpros are fairly easy to get in too, with the little sachets of grease you get in the kit. So overall, I've been pleasantly surprised. When they wear out I'll get some more of the same. I hope they haven't changed the composition of the material in the meantime.