Suspension Brakes 1st Gen Front Control Arm Bushing, what brand do you use?

Discussion in 'Tuning and Performance' started by M^Cubed, Aug 19, 2009.

  1. Baby

    Baby New Member

    Nov 29, 2009
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    I am at 53k miles, and the mechanic said I need new bushings. Is the car at much risk if you wait till you can afford the fix? It drives perfectly.
     
  2. Baby

    Baby New Member

    Nov 29, 2009
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    53K Miles

    Mechanic did the test on the bushings and said I need to replace them. Does it cause much damage if I wait a bit, I mean, until I can afford paying for the service?
     
  3. Dr Obnxs

    Dr Obnxs New Member

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    Not really...

    but the handling will get worse and worse, especially if you stomp the brakes hard. Eventually, the bushings will get so degraded that you'll hear thunks and clunks as the end of the control arm rattles around in the bushing housing.

    If you just want stock replacements, get in touch with Way. He can even provide them in the mounts. Then the labor to get them installed should be less. Also, if you are handy doing the swap yourself isn't as hard as you thinkit will be. It just takes a bit of time...

    Matt
     
  4. k-huevo

    k-huevo Club Coordinator

    May 6, 2009
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    Yes, you can wait. I’ve seen torn bushings on a customer’s car at near 90k miles and the owner operated the MINI another 30k before changing. Even if the inner portion of the bushing is completely separated from the outer sleeve, a measure of cushion against further damage will remain.
     
  5. Way Motor Works

    Way Motor Works New Member

    May 4, 2009
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    Worn out bushings arn't going to cause the car to just all of a sudden fall apart, but letting worn bushings go will effect the handling of the car, and also increase the tire wear. That's what cost the most with worn bushings.

    I do have the stock bushings in bracket for those that want them. But I'd say go with the Powerflex they last longer.
     
  6. Rally

    Rally New Member
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    Do worn bushings make any noises? Clunks?
     
  7. Way Motor Works

    Way Motor Works New Member

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    Alot of times they will clunk when pulling away from a stop, or coming to a stop.
     
  8. Dr Obnxs

    Dr Obnxs New Member

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    It depends on how shot they are...

    at first they just crack and leak. Then the cracks get worse and worse sometime between this point and self-distruction, they start to get noisy.

    Matt
     
  9. Norm03s

    Norm03s New Member

    May 5, 2009
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    You mean they were filled with something at one time?
    Mine showed no evidence of any liquids, of course they were in for 90K and probably went out to lunch at 30K like most do. I just didn't realize it.
    So far the ALTA PSRS's are quiet.
     
  10. k-huevo

    k-huevo Club Coordinator

    May 6, 2009
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    The OE control arm bushing does contain fluid when healthy, the fluid within serves to help dampen noise and vibrations, absorb heat, and reduce friction. I stuck a knife in this bushing to expose its lightweight amber fluid.
    [​IMG]

    When the fluid escapes it leaves a void where moisture can accumulate and oxidation is soon to follow.
    [​IMG]

    If detected early a spot of lube on the floor beneath the bushing can be seen or an oil dampened area under the bottom of the bushing carrier bracket. In the photo below, on the right hand side is the center portion of the bushing from the above sleeve, on the left is a dry bushing with no leak evidence or visible tears (before I stuck a knife in it). Having seen a leaking bushing new in the box, it is possible to have a defective dry bushing to begin with.
    [​IMG]

    The separated bushing above was discovered after 20k miles with lowering springs. Lowering places the bushing in a twisted state at all times. To avoid early OE bushing failure, the bushing should be pressed in several degrees offset from the stock position if the vehicle is drastically lowered.

    Some words about the OE bushing advantage, as stated earlier, the fluid within serves a useful function for street use, and the tight press fit required of the arm in the bushing, provides resistance against for & aft movement. When watching in-cabin video of racers, the driver grasps the steering wheel tightly and the steering wheel moves in a jerky fashion. At high speeds things happen very quickly so correctional movements require rapid input, it’s not that their steering is sloppy like a fifties era car, it’s because the connections are fairly rigid, all forces are explicitly transferred, and inputs are micro managed with intensity. First generation MINIs have a compromise front suspension designed within the limits of packaging, feedback, responsiveness, and comfort. If responsiveness were given priority we would have a steering wheel that required a great deal of attention. As it is, the minor lateral articulations and controlled movement allowed by the OE bushing(s), provide a level of wheel independence a rigid system impedes. A rigid system ties the two front wheels unyieldingly together; a road irregularity on one-side transfers output to the other wheel via the tie-rods and also up to the steering wheel, and nothing is absorbed at the control arm’s trailing pivot. No one would compare the MINI’s steering feedback to a Suburban, but thankfully it’s not 100% Kart style either; the OP didn’t say anything about track use. BTW, if Poly bushings were installed, the MINI won’t be transformed into a NASCAR racer, so resist the urge to jump me for my steering wheel analogy.
     
  11. xalfa

    xalfa New Member

    Nov 24, 2009
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    Great. So it's settled then: the OE bushing is the best choice. :smilewinkgrin: Guess there is a reason BMW has been using this design for so long.
     
  12. Rally

    Rally New Member
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    What's your definition of "drastically lowered"? At what point does the degree offset become necessary?
     
  13. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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    May 4, 2009
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    I'm guessing about one-fourth as much drop as Rally would find "acceptable".
    :lol:
     
  14. Rally

    Rally New Member
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    Hahah I figured. I was just curious how soon one becomes "too low" for the stock bushing offset. Whether it's required as soon as you lower it 1" with hsports, or whether it's required only after loweing 3 inches with coilovers or something...you know?
     
  15. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    After 20 pages of posts, I was thinking Power-flex was the way to go. They totally eliminate the possibility of any bushing oil leaks, yet have a soft enough durometer that they don't seem to have undue harshness (according to people on this forum). :popcorn:
     
  16. k-huevo

    k-huevo Club Coordinator

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    The separated bushing shown was after H-Sport springs. I offset mine and it’s only a half-inch lower than original. Here’s what I do, support the vehicle on stands, put jacks under the front wheels and raise till it lifts a little, lower until weight is transferred back on the stands, use White-Out to mark the bracket at the control arm bracket pivot hexagonal flat location. Press out old OE bushing; press in new with bushing arrow pointing at the mark.

    Here’s a semi-related fun fact, local-boy-makes-it-big Michael Nesmith’s (Monkeys band member) mom invented White-Out.
     
  17. xalfa

    xalfa New Member

    Nov 24, 2009
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    The fact that a lowered suspension can trash these bushings faster makes a lot of sense, but I am not getting how you can change the alignment of the stock bushing within the fixed bracket. (And "only a half inch lower" sounds like JCW springs, which is what I have.)
     
  18. Way Motor Works

    Way Motor Works New Member

    May 4, 2009
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    The stock bushings can be pressed out of the brackets, and either pressed back in or new stock bushings pressed in. When pressing them in back into the brackets we can just turn the bushing so the angle of the control arm on the lowered MINI will be as straight as it is on the stock suspension car.

    I guess if people want stock bushings prepressed into brackets we can do that, and offset them for lowered cars if you guys want. But I still recommend our prepressed Powerflex Bushings or the Alta PSRS's.
     
  19. Rally

    Rally New Member
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    I'm assuming that if we wanted, you could offset the prepressed powerflex bushings for lowered cars as well right?

    Or am I missing something and the powerflexes don't need to be offset like the stocks would when used on a lowered car?
     
  20. Way Motor Works

    Way Motor Works New Member

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    No the powerflex bushings don't need to be put in offset, you can't put them in offset. They are perfectly centered. The center part of the PF bushing turns independent from the outside of the bushing, so even with the car lowered the bushing will just turn a little and not have any extra stress on the bushing.
     

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