TheSamba.com :: View topic - urethane spring plate bushing/grommet install

Fri Nov 10, 2006 7:55 am

I read on Aircooled.net that there is some special prep work & procedure for getting urethane springplate bushings in...anyone know how to do it? ...I'm most interested in swing axle variety

Fri Nov 10, 2006 8:04 am

Sprinkle some Talcom powder on the new bushings. You'll also need a pair of longer bolts to help align the spring plate cover onto the housing. After bolting down the cover, then you can install the stock length bolts into place.

Fri Nov 10, 2006 10:26 am

Don't know about urethane, but I had to rig up some on-hand hardware to use my vice to press on the inner bushing onto the spring plate hob on my T3--it was very tight. Bugs are shaped different so it may not be necessary.

Damn urethane squeaks even with talc... think twice. Good stock rubber works fine and doesn't ride as rough or make so much noise.

Fri Nov 10, 2006 2:25 pm

KTPhil wrote:
Damn urethane squeaks even with talc... .
That's because you didn't install them correctly. What ACN is refering to is that you must custom fit the grommets to your torsion housings. Spend some time with a grinder, removing material until it fits properly. To test fit them you must remove your torsion bar completely. Reassemble the spring plates with both inner and outer grommets, the cover and bolts. If you can't articulate the spring plate, you must make more clearance. If you put it all together tight, it will squeak and groan.
The original rubber grommets being rubber will deform to fit. Urethane does not deform, that's why you have to custom shape them to fit.

Fri Nov 10, 2006 2:38 pm

Actually my problem is with the IRS diagnoal arm bushings in particular. Rubber is NLA and the urethane squeaks at every suspension movement. I haven't used urethane for the swing arm bushings, but have heard from others that they can squeak, too, and cause a harsher ride without a real increase in handling ability.

Fri Nov 10, 2006 5:54 pm

Put urethane on my spring plates this spring. Used a bit of the lube they give you and no squeaks.

Fri Nov 10, 2006 7:57 pm

Do you know the lube composition? Diagonal arm bushings came dry.

Thu Nov 23, 2006 10:36 pm

i just replaced my rear bushings and had all kinds of squeaking, i used regular wheel grease, did not work. i drove 60 miles to a vw shop and they sold me some special grease...4.00.. came home redone my bearings and the noise is gone. im sure a vw shop could fix you up with some pretty cheap..sorry i dont know the name of the one i used.

Fri Nov 24, 2006 10:25 pm

KTPhil,
Are these what you want?

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=113501541C

John

Sat Nov 25, 2006 11:02 am

Thanks, if they were for a T3, yes. Those are for a bug, T3s are different.

Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:00 pm

is it necessary to replace the bushings with new ones if you remove the spring plates/torsion bars. can i re-use the original ones???

Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:20 pm

No it's not necessary, but if you go to all that work of taking off the springplates, why not? The hard part is getting the plates off. Once you do that, the bushings are easy! After 30+ years, you can bet both of those bushing are no longer round, and the ride is harsher than it should be.

John

Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:22 pm

Good point John. Yeah they were a bit of a pain to remove. Do you recommend the urethane kind or rubber?? I've heard conflicting opions.

Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:36 pm

You know my opinion of noisy urethane...

I have heard bad things about urethane tranny mounts and the lack of buffering they cause, so I assume the same idea would apply to suspension bushings.

They are stiff, which eliminates any slop, but I really think the original rubber, if renewed, is tight enough. I would expect you to feel every little bump with harder bushings. Things like freeway expansion joints will probably be felt which can get tiring, without any real handling improvement. Let's face it, with the weird and changing geometry caused by the swing axle/trailing arm setup, you don't exactly have precise wheel control anyway. Good tight new rubber would probably give you 95% of the improvement, with maybe 5% further improvement for urethane. For a daily driver, especially if your commute includes rough roads or freeways, I wouldn't think it was worth it.

Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:41 pm

I used rubber from WolfsburgWest. Just a personal opinion, but I don't use urethane. If your old ones are anything like mine were, they are twice as thick at the top as the bottom. All that work to custom fit like Bruce said is way too much for me! All I did was put them in and bolt the cover on. I had to use two different length bolts before I put the original length bolt back on.

John

Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:16 am

wolfsburg rubber it is..............thanks for the help.

Fri Mar 02, 2007 12:02 pm

Topline makes some graphite impregnated urethane bushings: http://www.toplineparts.com/torsiongrommet.html If used with Teflon grease, I'd guess that squeaks would not be a problem. I'm not sure if they have them for swing axles, though. In any case, I'd bet that the noise/vibration transmitted through these is still harsh.

Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:19 am

i buy from Bugpack new urethane bushing for my spring plate( i have a 1966bug and in Romania the roads is heavy), please i need some advices is the first time when i will do that :roll: