Barclay

Question for all you suspension experts, I have owned my 1981SC since May of 2003 the PO installed turbo tierods and urethane bushings which he says makes the front end creak. But it seems to be getting worse. Is there anything that will creak or squeak from being worn down?
Thank you
Barclay
1981SC

Bill Gregory

Have you looked in the 911SC FAQ at tech.rennlist.com? I seem to recall something addressing this in the wheels section.

hoffman912

urethane bushings suck... they do squeek like a bitch and are quite harsh.

if its bushings and not anything else get elephant racing bushings, as they are good stuff,.
http://elephantracing.com/

Peter Zimmermann

It's really a shame when I hear about your situation. Non-rubber bushings are a horrible item to put on a street-driven car. They are extremely noisy at low speeds, to the point that friends might want to ask you when you're going to junk your car. The creaks can be alleviated somewhat by using a high quality amber grease (available at Pep Boys, etc.) but that is a lot of work, and won't last long. By your note, if your tech put plastic bushings on your sway bar only, they are not bad to replace (you have to loosen one control arm to do the job), and replacement rubber bushings are available from Porsche. If you have to replace the control arm bushings, find a really good suspension technician that can do the whole job, including alignment. Sorry it happened!

r911

Peter - re non-rubber bushings on a street car

Do your comment extend to the Elephant Racing bushings? I think they are called poly-bronze, and are said to eliminat eeh problems of the poly bushings that most have used up until recently.

Peter Zimmermann

Randy - I do not know of anyone who is using the bushings you mention, nor have I driven a car with them installed. Sorry, but I can't answer that one...

r911

OK - There are numerous posts on Pelican re these -- I'd advise people to do a search there.

KC911

I'm assuming that Peter's comments were not intended to include Elephant Racing's poly-bronze bushings...if so, then imo he's incorrect. I installed both the control arm and spring plate poly-bronze bushings about a year ago, and though they're not cheap, imo, they're well worth it. No sqeaks whatsoever, and to me the ride is perfect with my 22/29 t-bar setup...stiff, but not too harsh. I do not believe that the bushings contribute to ride harshness at all, but can't say for sure since I did all of my suspension at the same time.

Keith

edited...Oops, I see other responses before I saved my reply...as Randy said, check the threads on Pelican...I don't recall seeing anyone who wasn't pleased with the poly-bronze solution.

JackOlsen

The Elephant ones have nipple fittings for grease -- a really smart idea. No binding; no squeaks; smooth ride.

Crimson Nape Racing

I had urethane bushings on my 71 and 84. I drilled thru the housing and bushing on my 71 and put in my own grease zurk (sp?). The grease will wear off eventually (quicker if it rains) and it was a pain to take apart and re-grease. The grease fitting worked well and made it simple to re-grease. On my 84, I used a hacksaw and cut several small longitudinal grooves on the inside of the bushings. You can then spray synthetic lubricant onto the bushing and it will work itself in. I had both cars with urethan bushing for 8 years, and either method worked fine with re-greasing/lubricating required about twice a year - or after driving in heavy rain.

DanS911

I put in poly bushings with grooves and grease zerks (sp) and they are still unbearable. My son says "Dad you need to put a sign on your car that says "Fast cars squeek" 'cause your car sounds like a peice of junk!!"