LAT

Alex, hello fellow Canadian.

I've had the pleasure of driving a couple of laps on the 'Ring, its an eye opener to say the least. I also had a ride as a passenger with a very experienced driver and that was like a carnival ride plus.

I am in the process of buying the refurbished units from Chris and having them installed. I am only planning on doing the fronts as the rears I am told last a very long time.

chris walrod

The kit I offer uses the factory steel sleeves.

However, I do have a prototype set of machined 4340 steel front tophats and aluminum aft tophats that I will be testing shortly in my car.

alexl911

Hi Chris,

Can you confirm the Gert from Carnewal uses your bushings? This is a much easier process for me rather than ordering from the US. BTW, Gert says that Cargraphic in Germany also uses them?

Thx.

chris walrod

Yes, Gert is my EU dealer. I know Gert works closely with Cargraphic and at one point they were supposed to be using them, but I honestly dont know the outcome of that.

The busings will very soon be available in black for color as well.

EckFe1

Alex, it's time to buy them. I'll get you a ride in my car when you're around the next time and I can tell you it's the right choice.
Ed

Bill Verburg

For a street car use rubber, RS or the sport ERP, for a track car use monoballs all around.

If you can only afford one end do the back, that's where most of the issues come from, the front just helps turn in under track conditions, the back is always working. Solid sides in back are also a big +.

On a track I honestly can't tell the difference between all RS/sport ERP and monoballs, you need a lap timer to see the difference. On the street the sport rubber is also great, lots of control, no mush yet compliant enough for the beat up roads around here.

jan the man

Just installed the bushings i got from Chris two weeks ago in my 1995 cab with 64,000miles. Car feels great no more wobble when braking, front end tighter, feels like i have new suspension. (doing shocks and springs this week). Install wasnt too bad only thing was i had to cut out the steel bushing sleaves even on the rear bushings as after an hour of pounding with the chisel they moved out 1/4 inch but still were not coming out. To clean the control arms up i bought a cheap ($20) sand blaster from a local auto parts store (princess auto). Hooked it up to my air compresor and blasted them clean they looked like new when i was finished. would HIGHLY RECOMMEND these bushings.

swmic

I just finished doing my car over the weekend. I did not cut the metal sleeves on the large bushings. I just heated the Al around the bushing and pounded it out using a large socket slightly smaller than the bushing dia. It only took a couple of minutes. The car drives fantastic!

alexl911

I definitely need to do the fronts as I have the tell tale signs of wear. It sounds like you're saying I should go for the ERP bushings at 'sport' hardness?

For the rears, forgetting about cost for a second, should I not just replace all the linkeage with ERP toe and control arms instead of bushings?

-Alex

LAT

Bill; have you any experience with the Walrod bushings, you appear not to like them or is it that you don't like P/U bushings regardless.

I read in this forum and believe the Warlrod bushings have addressed the squeaking issue with grease grooves and otherwise P/U gives one the best compromise between street and track.

I don't think this many RL's are wrong, do you.

Bill Verburg

Yes, ERP sport all around.

There are a couple of us that replaced all rear components including hardware w/ the RS parts, which have the sport hardness rubber + all new ball joints and upgraded hardware(993 thru '95 used softer hardware than later versions). If you have a '95 the hardware isn't expensive to replace while you are in there. If you need ball joints in back you might as well purchase RS arms. Otherwise the ERP sport rubber bushes are a great choice all around. I am also a big fan of replacing the rubber sidemount bushes w/ solid sidemount bushes.

The difference is night and day compared to stock

The only rear control arms that I used that are not RS are the toe links, I just couldn't keep the rear aligned w/ the stockers so replaced them w/ Tarret toe links w/ locks. While these are great on track and smooth roads you can really feel them when the road gets nasty. This is on top of monoball shock mounts and very stiff shock/spring setup, The other local car that is setup like mine is actually a daily driver and I haven't heard any complaints from him(I actually copied his setup except for Motons).

Bill Verburg

Yes, I do think this many RL'ers can make relatively poor decisions, I've seen it before, there is a bandwagon mentality, people act w/o thinking through the +/- of a particular product or design.

I am sure that Chris sells a great product, and he is certainly a great guy. It's just that IMO p/u is not a good choice for suspension bushes.

It's not just the squeaking it's the material in this application. p/u bushes rotate inside a sleeve, they must be kept lubricated or the stick, squeal and wear. They are a low cost solution where there are better if more expensive solutions available depending on your useage.

monoballs are better for track use and sport rubber is better for performance street use and stock rubber is better for doctors, lawyers and indian chiefs.

JMO

chris walrod

That much I tend to agree with For a while now I thought you just didnt care for me --

I guess I look at the issue with the cavity bushings as found on the front lower control arm, forward point, a little differently. Yes, they are made this way for comfort (NVH) but the nature of how the inner and outer portion of the rubber itself distorts and flexes isnt at all appealing to me.

What sent me off this road to develop a reasonably priced solution is what I saw 9 years ago when I had my first 993 on the alignment rack. With the lasers on their targets, I pulled down on the car while under the front mainly to check out the bumpsteer that so many folks talked about. Sure enough, just a small amount of suspension displacement, the lasers showed this nasty geometry. And this was as just ROW height on a 40k mile car!!!

Then I dove further into other potential causes and immediately it was obvious the forward pick up point of the lower control arm was indeed 'rubber' -- its how things in racing are described when not up to the task. In other words way too compliant laterally speaking. Just by hand forcing a control arm in and out sent the toe wacky on the laser targets -- I thought this is NO good for maintaining front end geometry. Imagine what is happening while on the brakes with larger forces at work!!

I thought the rubber cavity bushings (durometer 65-70) were just too compliant and of course spherical bearings over the top for predominantly a street car -- what is inbetween?

Just my thoughts on things. I will say I may be too critical given the time I spend with racecars where suspension installation stiffness needs to be as infinite as possible

LAT

The Lemming mentality can take place any time a group forms, however there are people on this site who have had the Walrod's for a few years and still rave about them. These views are a valuable to me and likely many, and part of what makes this a great site.

chris walrod

Bill and Levino bring up great points. I do feel that this particular forum does share in a heightened sense of technical savi whereby the 'junk' is filtered-off the top and I would like to think there isnt much nonsense sold here.