Poly Bushes for a Grand Cherokee

[pcn1]

The guy who runs the 4playjeeps web site seems to rate the superpro poly bushes he sells for the Grand cherokee WJ.
Does anyone here have experince of using them ? Ive got the uprated Addco rear sway bar, but would be interested if the side to side wobble could be trimmed out a bit more !

Thanks

[Ledaig]

Did you have a nice long conversation?

Believe what he says, I've had the rear lower trailing arm kit off him and it transformed the handling.


Oh, and sorry for not responding to your last email - keep meaning to but keep getting distracted

[PugwasHDJ80]

no idea about superpro and jeeps

but I've only ever used SuperPro on both Landies and Landcruisers, much better value for money than some of the other options

[pcn1]

Ledaig said:

Did you have a nice long conversation?

Believe what he says, I've had the rear lower trailing arm kit off him and it transformed the handling.


Oh, and sorry for not responding to your last email - keep meaning to but keep getting distracted

After an extensive chat Ive bought the rear trailing arm kit as well.
I'll let you know how it works out later !

[Martin4x4]

Since he sells them he would.

Poly Bushes are stiffer than rubber making them better for fast road but worse for off road where flexibility is more important. Stick with rubber for off road.

[PhillipM]

Never had any issues with SuperPro, which is more than I can say for a lot of others.

[Ledaig]

Martin4x4 said:

Since he sells them he would.

Poly Bushes are stiffer than rubber making them better for fast road but worse for off road where flexibility is more important. Stick with rubber for off road.

He sells them after sticking a camera under he back end of his WJ to see what was going on with the rear axle, and having seen the degree of movement realised that this could be countered by polybushing - at which point he went out and found a kit which he now markets.

When I went to pick some fluids up from him I happened to mention the handling of the vehicle, he (Greg at 4play) told me the story and explained exactly what was happening. As a result I purchased the rear lower trailing arm kit from him and once installed it did exactly what he said it would by stabilising the rear end as it reduced the ability of the rear axle to twist laterally.

I take it you've had a bad experience with Greg, which considering his approachability and willingness to share his extensive knowledge of Jeeps I struggle to believe?

[Martin4x4]

Ledaig said:

I take it you've had a bad experience with Greg

No, but I have a lot of off road experience, starting with standard, doing the 'done thing' of replacing with poly-bushes and realising this losses articulation and I now replace with new standard rubber.

Poly-bushes are stiffer, rubber is more flexible

It is not that one is better than the other, it is about which is more suitable for the application.

Edited by Martin4x4 on Thursday 19th September 19:09

[PhillipM]

Apart from they're not, a poly bush works as a bearing, not just a bush.

[pcn1]

Been a bit lazy of late.
But will get them fitted next week. Let you know how it goes after.

[Snowboy]

I've done a fair amount of reading about the bushes.

The general trends I have seen seem to agree that rubber is better for off road, but polybushing better for on road.

Either way - if your bushes are worn then replacing them with new rubber or poly will give an improvement.

[Ledaig]

Martin4x4 said:

No, but I have a lot of off road experience, starting with standard, doing the 'done thing' of replacing with poly-bushes and realising this losses articulation and I now replace with new standard rubber.

Poly-bushes are stiffer, rubber is more flexible

It is not that one is better than the other, it is about which is more suitable for the application.

Edited by Martin4x4 on Thursday 19th September 19:09

Can you clarify exactly how much extra 'articulation' you can get with a rubber bush over a poly? Are you seriously suggesting that an extra couple of mill' are that important?

The only reason that rubber bushes are better for off-road is due to the additional load compensating compression and hence reduction of shock loading on components.

[Snowboy]

I'm far from being any sort of expert on this.
But the stuff I have read mentioned that it doesn't reduce the full range of articulation as such - but it just changes the way things move.

And for off road suspension rubber moves better and in road poly moves better.

• shrug*

I'd guess it's mostly down to finding what works for your personal style.

[Ledaig]

Snowboy said:

....... it doesn't reduce the full range of articulation as such - but it just changes the way things move.
.

Exactly right

[pcn1]

So I finally started the install at the weekend. All going well until I "burned" out one of the old bushes and found the bush shell (which you need to reuse) has a small rust hole. The others had pitting to some degree. Going to have to buy a replacement cheapo bush with shell from fleabay, and press that in the arm, burn that rubber out and fit the superpro.
Ah we'll, I need to sort he leaking diff oil seal while its laid up anyway...........

[pcn1]

Finally got the job done ( with the rear wheel bearing / oil seal ) and after a quick test drive there seems to be a slight "tightening" of the rear end, a slight reduction in wobble.
I have no experience of owning other 4 x4' s so can't say if it's better worse than others. But I'm reasonably happy !

[V8RX7]

Bumping an old thread - how have they lasted ?

[pcn1]

V8RX7 said:

Bumping an old thread - how have they lasted ?

Yes the years have flown by....... and the jeep still seems to drive well, Ive not had to look at the rear bushes since fitted about 30K mile ago.
It defo improves the Jeeps road manners, you can throw it around a mini roundabout and it'll stay quit level.
In hindsight, the only disapointment Ive had with regards to suspension was fitting the Bilstein shocks, personnaly I think there too stiff and I can feel the road bumps more than the old stock shocks.