Thaddeus

Well, I guess Ribs' silence on that other matter speaks volumes...

Better luck next time dude.

Thaddeus

Rog

Hey Ribs,

You don't necessarily have to go back that far. Some 86s (certainly mine, unless some previous owner converted to older struts on mine and I'm not in possession of a valid example)

Anyway, my KYBs (with washers up-front and on-top) went in very easily and vastly improved the ride on the old Boges that were on the car (and which my records show having been put on about 55k ago, back at 60k-miles on the car)

I don't think the KYBs get a fair rap on this list. They're hardly K-car material. If you've been tuning cars for a long time, you'll know they have a long standing reputation for a reasonable value and above average performance, albeit less nice than Konis or Bilstein. I put about 70k on a set on a relatively heavy car some years back and they were still doing remarkably well, albeit a tick (just a tick) softer than when new.

My guess is that a large percentage of KYB owners are relative beginners and _maybe_ don't do the best install. Poor alignment that causes an side loading of the shafts will kill any shock.

So, not great shocks, but not bad, at all, either, when properly installed. As my car is used a bit less harshly than many here likely are, I actually prefer the KYBs
(gasp! Blasphemy!)

Oh yeah, and who told someone to use brakefluid on bushings??? Maybe metal ones, but brake fluid absolutely increases rot on rubber. Last time I heard anything that absurd was 20 years ago when a stupid motor sargent ordered brake fluid on truck tire sidewalls to make them pretty.

The effect of the brake fluid will be just the opposite of preservation.

Anyway, hope the 2 cents on the shocks is useful to someone.

regards
roger
944 and a bunch of bikes

adrial

It was someone on the rennlist, but not in an open message. I'll keep their named to myself.

I was thinking about it...but he made a valid point about rubber in the brake system...

How many miles should I expect out of these bushings?

ribs

Oh yeah...that...I ended up fooling around with the chick a little bit, but I was really drunk and passed out. I asked her out yesterday and she accepted, but then today she faked (some BS about her boyfriend and how they are still talking and she wants to be alone tonite, blah blah blah). Its all good...I already hooked up with her sister like a year and a half ago...she (girl from last night) is much better looking than her sister though. Oh well...you can't win them all. I can't wait to go back to college...I dispise most of the girls in my home town, and everybody around here knows all of your business. I like to have a bit of privacy.

Rog

Hi,

Hope that didn't come off as being harsh, not my point at all. Just trying to offer a (hopefully) helpful counterpoint. You can be sure the rubber in a brakeline is not the same stuff your bushings are made of. I believe that's an apples-to-oranges comparison. One might as well lump all plastics together, maybe even (gasp) thermoplastics and thermoset.

I wouldn't get too bent out of shape about the bushings. There are bushings that hold up ok when being exposed to leaking steering fluid (nearly as bad). Not great, or as long, but OK. My guess (and it's nothing more) they'll last at least half as long as normal, maybe 3/4. I wouldn't worry to much. That's within the noise of differnt people declaring different bushings with different deteriation levels 'bad'

take care
roger