Energy Suspension poly control arm bushings

[GutlessSupreme]

Anyone have the right part number for our application?

 

And if anyone does, is anyone else interested in brand new rubber AC Delco control arm bushings?

[lakefxgp96]

Do these really exist? I had heard that this was a bad idea, up and down suspension travel would be muted.

 

 

This was something i investigated on another w-body related forum.

 

Here is a response from someone in touch with ES. This person is designing new a-arms for gen 2 w-bodys, here is what he said:

 

Also wanted to add, I did consider a simple poly replacement. This would help during acceleration, but they don't allow enough compliance up/down for suspension travel. What would end up happening is aggrivated wheel-hop, and it would be bad for cornering. I talked to Energy suspenson last year about it, and they are willing to make us a stocking part for both the rear bushing and forward bushing. However after hanging on some g-machine and grassroots racing forums found that the poly is terrible for this kind of set-up, so I sh*tcanned it.

 

 

If your intersested in the whole thread pm me.

 

 

 

[GutlessSupreme]

I read a post in a search the someone had installed some from ES, but he's long since been gone. They do have a whole chart of "universal" part numbers, but no specs/measurements to compare them against.

 

I fail to see how they would limit suspension travel, as far as strut compression goes. Any other travel I would think you would WANT to be limited, as it would cause slop/play. PM sent...

[mihela816]

I've noticed that since I lowered my car, if I push it too hard in a right turn, the tire rubs the control arm, probably due to rubber bushings deflecting under the stress. Poly won't limit suspension travel as long as it is properly greased, and would stop my problem.

[Intlcutlass]

Do these really exist? I had heard that this was a bad idea, up and down suspension travel would be muted.

 

 

This was something i investigated on another w-body related forum.

 

Here is a response from someone in touch with ES. This person is designing new a-arms for gen 2 w-bodys, here is what he said:

 

Also wanted to add, I did consider a simple poly replacement. This would help during acceleration, but they don't allow enough compliance up/down for suspension travel. What would end up happening is aggrivated wheel-hop, and it would be bad for cornering. I talked to Energy suspenson last year about it, and they are willing to make us a stocking part for both the rear bushing and forward bushing. However after hanging on some g-machine and grassroots racing forums found that the poly is terrible for this kind of set-up, so I sh*tcanned it.

 

 

If your intersested in the whole thread pm me.

 

 

 

 

Who-ever wrote that is incorrect. Wheel hop... not good for cornering.... all wrong.

I do NOT have a set on my Cutlass, but I do on my other car, and I LOVE them. You do have to keep em greased though...

[lakefxgp96]

I'm just spitting out what i have been fed. I asked about these to and was referred to several threads with interesting information.

 

The other thing i should mention is that thi is in reference to gen 2 w's i know the a-arms look different but i dont know if their design is radically different or not.

 

 

 

 

 

[GutlessSupreme]

gen 2's have a hemi-spherical bushing? wtf? or am I missing something? I think that may be what they were talking about.. I can kinda see those issues applying there.

[Guest TurboSedan]

Tony, did you ever find poly front control arm bushings? how many bushings are needed to do both sides? i have never removed the control arms (yet) so i'm not totally sure...

[GutlessSupreme]

Josh, I never continued looking in to the poly bushings..

 

The stock AC Delco rubber bushings are part numbers 88912805 and 88912806, and you need two of each. They're $7.56 a piece from GMPD + shipping.

 

I bent my control arms trying to remove/install. It was only $30 in parts wasted, but I had a lot of labor into cleaning the arms up and getting the new bushings in. And now I need to add the cost of buying another set.

 

I'm contemplating trying to find a '95-'96ish W with low miles in a yard and just taking the whole subframe and control arms.. I had a lot of hardcore 'rust flakes' (the really thick pieces that hammer off nicely) in odd spots on the subframe that I missed and they're coming back to haunt me already. Thankfully I haven't gone through the trouble of putting it all back in the car yet.