I’ve been reviewing the pros and cons of the above titled bushings and am more confused than when I first started. Is there a consensus, more or less, of what type would be good for a weekend driver? I’m not able to click on any links to past posts (maybe because they’re too old?). I won’t be racing this. It’ll be a weekend driver with occasional runs up to the Sierras in order to visit family and some day camping. I want to go with rubber but it deforms/ cracks over time and some sites note it should be replaced starting every five years. Poly on the other hand makes for a hard ride, is sometimes squeeky and needs to be lubricated?
Maybe this query should come down to: what are the majority of weekend drivers fitted with?
If you get good quality/original spec metalistic bushes they will be perfectly adequate. Many of us have moved to the new type ‘polybushes’ which are a good modern alternative and slightly easier to install. They do make the ride a bit firmer but in my experience that is negligible.
Regards
PAD
Five years for rubber?? More like 30, that’s how long mine have been in there and still doing fine. Probably depends more on your climate and garage temperature.
Thanks guys. I will be putting an order in for the rubber ones as the advertising hype to replace them starting every five years seems to be just that – all hype. I probably wouldn’t be paying much attention to the material used if it weren’t for the memory of my first car – an MGA which, as someone else once remarked, had the ride of a Conestoga wagon.
poly on my 53…no complaints, no squeaks…tire press seems to make a lot more diff in ride…as little as 2-3 psi…but the steering tracking (ie no wander or soft feel) feels better to me. Nick
I’ve recently got an XK 120 coupe and I’m in the UK. Thought I’d rebuild the front suspension, mainly replacing bushes. Now I’m confused. Looks like the ones on the car are poly and they are a squeeky, I’m aiming to replace with rubber but there seem to be 2 alternatives. Metalastic ( rubber with a metal tube inside ) or just rubber. Has anyone got, an experienced, opinion ?
I’ll start on the rear end later, it’s very squeeky.
I got mine from Moss Motors.
The subject has come up many times on this forum.
Follow the instructions in the Service Manual, and the good advice given on this forum.
This is off-topic, I realize: The 172 mph car had a bubble top canopy, yet the basic XK120 shape must have been quite aerodynamic to achieve that speed. Does anyone know if the XK120 was ever wind tunnel tested to determine its actual drag coefficient?
TOTALLY Agree with Paul… Had Metalastic Bushings on my '53 120DHC when I bought it
(May '67-- prob the originals!!) and they were still “going strong” (albeit a bit frayed around
the edges) when I disassembled the XK in the summer of '75 (with a LOT of “hard & fast”
driving done those years!)
I figure, when (IF?) I get my 120 done, the Metalastic will outlast me, and probably the next
owner (if my son sells the Jag to another “old guy”!!)
Charles Ch# 677556.
