Poly Bushes Ruined My Land Rover.

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Citizen Kane

Well-Known Member
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Hampshire
Not so long ago I managed to extract all my old metalastic chassis bushes.

Not a job I was looking forward to but I had planned ahead and brought in some Britpart poly bushes.

I figured that I would struggle to get the old ones out but moving over to poly bushes would mean this was a once only trial and if I ever needed to replace the poly bushes it would be simple.

Anyway, the old ones came out with surprising ease and of course the poly bushes just slipped into the chassis with nothing more than a dollop of grease and hand pressure.

I was a little concerned when I noticed that the spacer tube was significantly shorter than the flange to flange dimension of the poly bushes, this would mead that the shackle plates would squash these outer flanges until they eventually meet the inner steel spacer tube. But hey, what do I know, these things have been designed specially for the Series Land Rover to overcome all the deficiencies of the standard rubber bonded bush.

Anyway, once fitted the Land Rover drove reasonable well, perhaps a little firmer than before but the old bushes were well and truly used up so it to be expected.

Move on a few weeks and I'm convinced that the ride is getting worse but I have other more pressing issues to deal with on the vehicle so put it to the back of my mind. So I get all the other things sorted over the next few weeks and get back out on the road, with nothing else to distract me I'm becoming increasingly aware of the terrible ride quality, its getting so bad that Mrs Kane has reverted to the sports bra that was a necessity when I had a set of very knackered and rusty multi leaves.

Something had to be done so I stripped it all down today and found that all the poly bushes were seized solid. I removed the spring bolts but left the chassis bolts done up, I couldn't budge the shackles, the poly bushes should allow then to swing smoothly but they appeared to be locked solid. These things have ruined the ride of my Land Rover. I needed to use a puller to remove the inner sleeve from the poly bush, still plenty of grease around and the sleeve looked immaculate, like it had never moved.

I had some metalastics to replace the rear chassis bushes but no spares for the front so I made up a few spacers to increase the length of the sleeve to match the bush length then added the same amount in spacers for the spring bush to keep the shackle plates parallel.

What a revelation, the ride is back to what it should be and fashion bras are again the order of the day.

So, what next. I think the poly bushes at the front need to be replaced, but with what. Are my problems typical or is it the make of bush I have. If I go back to metalastics who's should I use, I have parabolics and the extra articulation seems the consume metalastics, normally I just buy what Paddocks sell, cant remember the make, can you still get genuine ones?
 
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Citizen Kane said:
Not so long ago I managed to extract all my old metalastic chassis bushes.

Not a job I was looking forward to but I had planned ahead and brought in some Britpart poly bushes.

I figured that I would struggle to get the old ones out but moving over to poly bushes would mean this was a once only trial and if I ever needed to replace the poly bushes it would be simple.

Anyway, the old ones came out with surprising ease and of course the poly bushes just slipped into the chassis with nothing more than a dollop of grease and hand pressure.

I was a little concerned when I noticed that the spacer tube was significantly shorter than the flange to flange dimension of the poly bushes, this would mead that the shackle plates would squash these outer flanges until they eventually meet the inner steel spacer tube. But hey, what do I know, these things have been designed specially for the Series Land Rover to overcome all the deficiencies of the standard rubber bonded bush.

Anyway, once fitted the Land Rover drove reasonable well, perhaps a little firmer than before but the old bushes were well and truly used up so it to be expected.

Move on a few weeks and I'm convinced that the ride is getting worse but I have other more pressing issues to deal with on the vehicle so put it to the back of my mind. So I get all the other things sorted over the next few weeks and get back out on the road, with nothing else to distract me I'm becoming increasingly aware of the terrible ride quality, its getting so bad that Mrs Kane has reverted to the sports bra that was a necessity when I had a set of very knackered and rusty multi leaves.

Something had to be done so I stripped it all down today and found that all the poly bushes were seized solid. I removed the spring bolts but left the chassis bolts done up, I couldn't budge the shackles, the poly bushes should allow then to swing smoothly but they appeared to be locked solid. These things have ruined the ride of my Land Rover. I needed to use a puller to remove the inner sleeve from the poly bush, still plenty of grease around and the sleeve looked immaculate, like it had never moved.

I had some metalastics to replace the rear chassis bushes but no spares for the front so I made up a few spacers to increase the length of the sleeve to match the bush length then added the same amount in spacers for the spring bush to keep the shackle plates parallel.

What a revelation, the ride is back to what it should be and fashion bras are again the order of the day.

So, what next. I think the poly bushes at the front need to be replaced, but with what. Are my problems typical or is it the make of bush I have. If I go back to metalastics who's should I use, I have parabolics and the extra articulation seems the consume metalastics, normally I just buy what Paddocks sell, cant remember the make, can you still get genuine ones?
Click to expand...

I would guess that the parabolic springs may be giving you issues with the polybushes, some people have reported parabolics altering their curvature quite rapidly.
The spacer tube is meant to be slightly shorter, so the spring hanger pulls in, to grip the bush tightly.
Did you lower the vehicle on to the ground, and bounce it to settle the springs, before tightening the shackle bolts?

AFAIK, genuine metalastik bushes are still available. Ring Paddock, or any of the usual suspects, and make sure you are getting the top range parts.
 
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The spacer tube was nearly 4mm shorter, seems rather a lot.

Yes, lowered and bounced but that only really applies to standard bushes, should make no difference on a poly bush as these should still be capable of rotating 360 deg when tight.

Will see if I can get some genuine ones sourced, thanks.
 
Isn't the idea the plastic slides around the steel tube, which is clamped tight between the shackles?
 
Citizen Kane said:
If they cant rotate they how on earth do they allow the shackle to swing.
Click to expand...

The flex in the bush should allow enough movement. Same as the metalastic bushes, the metal tube in the middle can't turn, it is clamped by the shackle plates, and the tube in the outside is pressed into the spring.
 
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You are correct that the metal tube is clamped to the shackle plates but the tube should be free to rotate inside the poly bush, it cant flex the bush as there is no mechanism to couple in the shear forces, its a sliding fit inside the bush.
 
The idea is that the outer sleeve is 'fixed' in the spring. and the inner tube is clamped between the hanger plates. The only movement is the rubber flexing.

Re-reading the OP, I'm wondering if the inner tube is so short that the plates are actually clamping the spring itself, rather than just clamping the inner tube as intended?
 
boguing said:
The idea is that the outer sleeve is 'fixed' in the spring. and the inner tube is clamped between the hanger plates. The only movement is the rubber flexing.

Re-reading the OP, I'm wondering if the inner tube is so short that the plates are actually clamping the spring itself, rather than just clamping the inner tube as intended?
Click to expand...

I think you are describing a standard bonded rubber bush, thats not how a poly bush works.

The inner tube is the same length as a standard metalastic bush inner sleeve, its the polyurethane part of the bush that is longer.
 
I am indeed.

I guess that polybush are possibly trying to get the same 'locking' effect by squeezing the rubber flanges then? I don't think that the LR solution is particularly elegant, but if that is the PB intent then it's truly dreadful, and I'm not surprised that you don't like it.

Personally, I use OEM bushes everywhere, despite needing mahoosive presses to get them in and out. My thinking is that LR would go for the easy option if it was even nearly as good.
 
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First thing is britpart polyurethane bushes ain’t polybush, I made the mistake on my first defender to fit the cheap polyurethane britpart bushes, felt good for 3 weeks until the trailing arms started steering the car, swopped the bushes for the genuine poly bushes, which are 3 times the price but 4 years on and still all good. And as far as I know there meant to be fitted using washing up liquid as a lubricant as grease affects there performance
 
Original poster have you fitted poly bushes to the springs as well as chassis?
I have had parabolics on for over 10 years they where Chris Perfect set up his poly bushes lasted 7 years fitted Flo flex expensive replacements they are worn out already. Was going to try the Britpart Black ones anyone used these?
 
Only fitted to the chassis, Britpart Black ones.

I only went down the poly bush route for the chassis as I expected removing and refitting standard ones would involve many and varied swear words, turns out the job wasn't too bad.

I guess I'm not after a "performance" upgrade just looking for durability and dependability, I looked in the wrong place with these poly bushes.
 
Your issue is due to not fitting poly bushes to springs as well , fit the poly bush in spring as they are wider shackles will sit parallel
 
I dont think so, the poly bush inner steel spacer tube is the same length as the inner sleeve of the rubber bonded bush, in fact I think that is where to problem may lie. In an attempt to make the poly bush compatible with the standard bush the shackles seem to "bite" to hard onto the poly bush flanges. As has been noted before, a standard bush is a friction less and sticktion less bearing as it simply flexes the rubber between the steel tubes, the poly bush appears to be the opposite in that it has both friction and in my case way to much sticktion
 
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