Polyeurethane bushings 280zx

[MadVillainZX]

Hows it going z people, i got a 280zx which im slowly building to drift but yes this is my daily driver, well until i get my license back that is.

Would you recommend replacing some/most/all of the cars bushings in the suspension with PU? I know it will make the ride run stiffer but improve handling even though my sloppy ass mechanic friend says it doesnt matter, correct me if im wrong.

 

So i guess what im trying to ask, for the sake of better handling without compromising the suspension, are there some parts of the suspensions bushings i should replace or some that i shouldnt touch?? Should i just do the front of the car and some of the rear? I dont know if its been discussed before but i would rather ask for myself.. Thanks

[Z-train]

Get a new mechanic friend.

[nismosilvia]

you can get a complete kit and go to town ide take new bushings over old ones all day long. Is your friend really a mechanic lol

[MadVillainZX]

Yeah i ask him stuff all the time like things to upgrade and he says it doesnt make a difference, like its common sense but hes fat so only upgrading to cheeseburgers is common sense

[MadVillainZX]

i tell him i want to get an electric fan instead of the clutch one to reduce engine load and he says it does make a difference cuz its draining the battery

[MadVillainZX]

I tell him we should install the new injectors i pulled out of some other z cuz mine has a misfire, and he says the old ones i have are just fine, but how if my zx has been sitting there for years with the gasoline just gunking up how are the bad injectors not contributing to the misfire.. it just doesnt make sense

[Z-train]

Buy him a Big Mac and send him down the road.

[datzenmike]

i tell him i want to get an electric fan instead of the clutch one to reduce engine load and he says it does make a difference cuz its draining the battery

More efficient to run a fan directly from the crank than alternator efficiency losses and then an electric motor efficiency losses. The big advantage with electric is it does not have to be on all the time. At speeds above 25-30mph, vehicle motion pushes enough air through the rad. You just need a temp switch to turn the fan on when needed.

 

 

I tell him we should install the new injectors i pulled out of some other z cuz mine has a misfire, and he says the old ones i have are just fine, but how if my zx has been sitting there for years with the gasoline just gunking up how are the bad injectors not contributing to the misfire.. it just doesnt make sense

It would make sense to change the injectors IF, but only IF they are the problem. A misfire could be a dirty plug, bad wire, tight valve, broken or bent valve, bad valve seat, bad head gasket, manifold vacuum leak........

[DriftZ]

Poly bushings will make the car feel less sloppy

[datzenmike]

Good rubber ones will too. Thing is you would have to drive your car pretty hard to notice the difference between new polly and new rubber. For less than racing and for a daily driver, rubber is the sensible choice.

[Z-train]

Energy Suspensions makes bushing called "prothane".Basically they are graphite impregnated urethane.Stiff but no squeaks.But they have for some reason chosen to ignore the 1st gen Z car.

[MadVillainZX]

Datzenmike,

      I bought the zx and it was sitting for 2 years... it started up but it had a misfire at the lower rpms.. i changes sparkplugs wires and it still had a misfire but it got a little better. i poured some injector cleaner and it didnt have the misfire for a bit then it came back again. Another thing is, when its low on gas it misfires and when the car is getting hot it misfires. So my next guess might be the distributor? coil? Not sure...

[MadVillainZX]

It also has a bad valve cover gasket which im going to change soon and ima check for a manifold vaccum leak when i get a chance...

[MadVillainZX]

aaaaaaaand, i checked for energy suspension and they have kits for 280z,280zx 75-78 which dont really make sense.... but yeah im looking forwards to racing/drifting it in the future when the project comes together so why not change em for some good ones :thumbup:

[Radim]

Hey, Hector! It's George.

I second the Prothane bushings, the Energy Red Polyurethane bushings will squeak over time, the graphite impregnated is self lubricating (Typically black)

[MadVillainZX]

George my man, thanks for the advice! Ill be looking forward to purchasing some prothanes soon then thanks ...

[captaingamez]

I have full polyureuthane bushings in my Honda, they are the biggest improvement in handling I have ever made, and most of the bushings I replaced were in great condition still, except teh compliance bushings.

 

the problem is that when they design cars, they make it so that the bushings move to do things, like add or subtract toe so your car doesnt go off the road ass backwards, for example, in full cornering speed in a honda civic EP3, the wheelbase lengthens by up to .75" on the outside. cause of the bushings stretching. my car has never handled so good as when I got rid of the rubber, and when I did that it wasnt even 8 years old.

 

as the saying goes "if a car goes off the road front first, its the drivers fault, if it goes off the road ass first, its the manufacturers fault"