TheSamba.com :: View topic - Urethane or rubber for shift coupler bushings ?

Fri Mar 07, 2014 1:55 am

My shift coupler bushings are really mushy and 40 years old what does everyone prefer, stock rubber or urethane? The same for front sway bar bushings urethane or stock rubber?

Fri Mar 07, 2014 2:04 am

For the coupler, I would go with urethane. To me it seems like I get a more positive shift. However I am not a big fan of urethane for suspension parts. For myself, the squeaking gets old real fast, but I have never used them on a sway bar, just the bushings.

Fri Mar 07, 2014 4:12 am

Urethane couplers are a waste of money.

They don't feel any different to a good rubber one and all they do is transfer more vibration and noise.

Fri Mar 07, 2014 8:15 am

Don't install the urethane coupler.

Why? Well, to begin with, it gives you a really nice shift--about as perfect as you can ever hope to obtain. But ...

... it also provides you with an annoying vibration transfer that is not worth that solid shift.

I installed the red urethane guts into my coupler and, although happy with the shifting, the additional noise level was so pronounced that I have since bought a good set of OEM guts to replace the urethane.

By the way, I do not have transmission-mount issues. VW simply knew what they were doing when the installed the rubber.

If you have a sand buggy or racer, then go with urethane. The additional noise is no big thing. But if you have a daily driver--or a weekend driver, go with the rubber.

Believe me on this issue, and learn from my mistake.

Tim

Fri Mar 07, 2014 12:15 pm

Hmmmmm - once I get the woodie out of winter hibernation, may take a look at what I have on that....... Really thinking its urethane and get an anoying vibration on occasion - not bad, but noticable..... So - really makes a difference then?

Fri Mar 07, 2014 5:41 pm

hmm, I don't seem to get any additional vibrations from having a urethane coupler. But I have solid mounts, so I'm guessing there just aren't any vibrations to transfer :lol:, and with 3000 watts of stereo, I guess it doesn't matter :twisted:

Fri Mar 07, 2014 11:27 pm

BugMan114 wrote: But I have solid mounts,

If you are used to solid mounts you wouldnt notice the extra vibrations from a urethane coupler but they would bother most people who have stock rubber mounts and coming from stock rubber coupler.

I tried one in mine and only did about 5kms before swapping back to the stock one.

they were a good idea in theory but the shifter system needs a little bit of give.

Sat Mar 08, 2014 7:58 am

I wonder if age plays any role in the ammount of play urethane has. My sandrail had a urethane shift coupler, which looked pretty old, and it was hard as a rock, but the ones I bought brand new were a lot softer. I wonder if they started out soft and got harder with age, or if it's just a different "formula" of urethane that's just softer. I've bought urethane stuff for many of my cars in the past, and never really paid attention to how hard it was, and all of that stuff is still pretty soft after 10+ years.

Sat Mar 08, 2014 4:40 pm

Mine is brand new and it may as well have concrete blocks in there.

Thats why urethane is usually used over rubber as it is so much firmer but in some cases its better to have a bit of give that rubber provides like trans mounts and spring plate bushings

Sat Mar 08, 2014 8:03 pm

I bought a rubber bushing coupler and used the bushings in my old coupler. Much better. New couplers are so cheaply made

Sat Mar 08, 2014 10:22 pm

I like the urethane bushings in my coupler. Been in there for about 3,000 miles. 8) Drove 1,600 miles in 3 days a while back & it never bothered me. Crank up the tunes? :D

Mon Mar 10, 2014 9:11 am

SBD wrote: ....Crank up the tunes? :D

I agree, if your shifter is too noisy, you need better speakers 8)

Mon Mar 10, 2014 3:03 pm

Joel wrote: Urethane couplers are a waste of money.

They don't feel any different to a good rubber one and all they do is transfer more vibration and noise.
depends entirely on the car. for air cooled porsche 911's, which have a shifter coupling remarkably similar to a type 1, most change the rubber bushings out for solid brass ones. the change in nvh is negligible and the improvement in feel is immense.

the only catch with urethane is that it needs to be well lubed with special urethane grease, or it squeaks. my beetle has full urethane bushings everywhere, and nary a peep. all smooth and quiet.

Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:35 am

I run rubber in both my track cars - it prevents 'over-shifting' of the shift forks

Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:44 am

the urethane shift coupler adds more noise to the car? Via the shift rod/stick?

Ill have to test this. Ive switched from solid mounts to stock rubber mounts.

Makes a world of difference.

But that little tiny coupler having urethane compared to rubber? I just dont see it.

then again i could be wrong. Ill test it out today.

Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:30 am

That "tiny little" urethane coupler block has no give to speak of. It gives an extremely good and solid shift--but it definitely has an annoying side effect.

Since it's not a softer rubber, it transmits more vibration through the shift rod, and this vibration can make for a lot of excess noise. It has actually made something (don't really know what) under my dash, vibrate. And it only happens in the higher rpm ranges, so I can't stick my head under the dash to see what's up. I noticed this the first time I drove the car after changing to the urethane blocks.

If I rest my hand on the shifter while doing this, the noise disappears immediately. And since the shift-rod bushing is new, also, I know that it's the coupler.

Actually, Steve at Wolfgang Int. told me this would happen, but he also mentioned the nice shifting, and the fact that the urethane would last a long, long time.

I have some OEM rubber blocks that I'm going to put in the next time I get bored. My wife already thinks the bug is a rattle trap. I've talked her into going with me to the May 31 Bugorama in Sacramento, so I'm switching out the coupler sometime before then.

A happy wife is far less "bossy"! Oh, dang! We're not supposed to use the "B" word. Sorry!

Tim

Tue Mar 11, 2014 2:31 pm

That's it, all depends how fussy you are.
I hate any little rattles and vibrations but many people just accept them and live with as part of the VW owners experience.