suspension bushes

[bengalcharlie]

Hi,

I noticed a company in the Uk called autobush.com selling poly suspension bushes for the elan. Has anyone fitted this kit?
What are the experiences?
I still run the plus two with rubber bushes but Before I replace I would like to get some info.
I did a search but noticed that most info is years old.
I am not a racer but drive the car the way it has been desigend for.
What a fantastic car it is and I undertand the many owners who have had fast porches/ferraris or other nice stuff but prefer the elan.
My own brother drives an integrale evo 1 and 2 but I prefer driving my plus two.
I do not undertand why these cars are not more popular and that many plus two's end up as spare parts. Criminal in my opinion!
Anyway, Just had a beautifull drive along the coast of Auckland NZ last night with wife and child in the car. Life could not have been more perfect
Cheers
Robin

[miked]

Charlie,

I have the Superflex bushes (from Mick Miller) that cost quite an amount. These have been fitted to the car 2.5 years. Very Good. I saw Autobush last year and the price was so good I bought a pack for the shelf. They look every bit as good, if not better than Superflex.

I have not fitted, so can tell you no more but the compound looks and feels the same grade. As I recall the bushes have rifle bore marks to help the lube stay in place. Also thay have a tube of lube per bush pack.

Mike

[bengalcharlie]

Thanks Mike for the info. Very helpfull and i will order a set.
Cheers
Robin

[miked]

Robin,

Sorry for calling you Charlie. Senior Moment! Though a good name to remember!
You may wish to have a search back through the old postings about the fitting of the Poly' bushes. It has been discussed. They had a bit of an unfair press (IMO) at the time because some of the poor accuracy of the after market bones and less tolerance to this than rubber has.

Mike

[RotoFlexible]

I installed Autobush bushes on my S2 in the spring. You can read about the installation here. I have since put 3,000 happy miles on them without problems and with no sense of increased harshness.

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Mike,

like you I have a cardboard box full of poly bushes on a shelf in my garage.
To be fitted as & when.
Mine were not cheap but I expect them to be up to the job, coming from TTR.
You surprised me with your mention of "lubricant". I wasn't made aware of the necessity of that.
Can you let us know what sort / make of lube was supplied with the bushes you have please?

Cheers
John

[bengalcharlie]

Thanks again for the info, especially the fitting of these bushes which can be a challenge but I am confident that with the help of some tools you can make these fit to the car. I am used to that now anyway with lotus parts, somehow you often have to make alterations
I just would like to add that the pricing seems very competitive, if you compare with others (lotus parts dealers).
Cheers
Robin

[miked]

John,

I just opened a pack and the lube is not specified. They have it badged with Autogrease. The instructions say to use only their grease. I would contact Stuart at TTR and get some off them. Failing that, I bet Autobush would send you some for a small fee. Looking in the bushes they are actually cross hatched rifle bored to retain more grease thant the other ones I have seen.

I just read Rotoflexibles account. I carried out measurements and filing and a centring excersise so I knew how much tension I was getting on each bush side on the A frames. Also I made sure that with the crush tubes tight that I could move all the joints on the car. It is a pain building up without dampers and springs but worth it.

Mike