ENERGY SUSPENSION BUSHINGS OR STOCK?

[BIGBLAZER]

I HAVE A 93 BLAZER WITH A 6" AND 35 INCH TIRES NEEDING TO REPLACE THE BUSHINGS IN THE FRONT UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS JUST WONDERING WHAT EVERYONES OPINIONS ARE ON THE POLY BUSHINGS OUT THERE. I KNOW I WOULD HAVE TO REUSE THE OLD SHELLS AND TO ME SOUNDS LIKE MORE WORK THAN ITS WORTH WHEN YOU CAN JUST PRESS OUT THE FACTORY ONES AND PUT NEW IN. UNLESS HAVING THE POLY ONES ARE REALLY WORTH THE WORK. TRUCK IS USED ON AND OFFROAD WITH ALOT OF GRAVEL AND DIRT ROAD DRIVING.

 

[dirtridinz71]

I used the poly bushings on my uppers in my 92 but my innder sleves were rotted and wore the new bushings out in a few months. Ended up going with a rubber factory style bushing. The poly ones in the LCA's have had no issues in the 3-4 years they have been in.

 

[sewlow]

My '98 has a full body & suspension urethane kit in it. But mine's a 2whldr. Really helped in the handling. I did mine in stages. Don't know if I like the urethane cab mounts though. Really firmed up the feel, but it sure made it stiffer to ride in.
If you do install the suspension pieces, put the supplied lube on till you think that there's too much, then put some more on.
My '97 has just the leaf springs done, with not enough lube, & they do squeek. I know what the noise is, so it doesn't bug me. Others may not like that.

 

[BIGBLAZER]

I used the poly bushings on my uppers in my 92 but my innder sleves were rotted and wore the new bushings out in a few months. Ended up going with a rubber factory style bushing. The poly ones in the LCA's have had no issues in the 3-4 years they have been in.

thats what i have always kinda heard myself is that if your sleeves are bad then they will just wear out anyways.... will probably just end up doing the oem replacements.

At one time i had the rough country 3 inch in it with the upper control arms they supplied and they had poly bushings and they wore out in a lil over a year so my lil experience i have had with them i was not too impressed.. just wanted to see other ppls opinions.. thanks for the replies

 

[Steve's Chevy]

A few of my friends installed the Polys and hate them because they always have to be lubed or they SQUEAK!!!

I always use the OEM bushings.

 

[Marcos]

After having them in my truck for a few years, it feels tighter but rides harsher. I would just do factory replacements unless you are taking corners hard

 

[addiction2bass]

id agree id just go factory rubber. no crazy noises to get on your nerves and lets face it how many miles on your factory rubber? 100-150K+ thats still pretty long lasting

 

[BIGBLAZER]

id agree id just go factory rubber. no crazy noises to get on your nerves and lets face it how many miles on your factory rubber? 100-150K+ thats still pretty long lasting

yeah i hear ya i bought the truck with 150,000 back in 05 and it was all stock and to my knowledge never had new bushings and now it is pushing 260,000 and most likely still on factory bushings and has been running 35s since 09 and before that a ran 33in bias ply swampers for a couple years so im sure the bushings are pretty much shot!

 

[bigfutz]

I was looking at this master bushing kit for my 2 doe Hoe, so I could start changing them out a bit at a time, but I wanted to get them all at once (so they would “match”). I can’t find anything but the poly ones in a full set (see link). Does anyone sell a master set in rubber?

https://energysuspension.com/energy-suspension-3-18125r-master-bushing-set

 

[Schurkey]

The problem with Polyurethane bushing inserts on the GMT400 vehicles is that you don't get the inner sleeves for the upper bushings. Energy Suspension or ProThane, both companies omit the upper sleeves.

The lower bushing inserts come with new sleeves. But not the uppers.

I made new sleeves for my K1500. The originals were corroded to death. Fabricating them was no damn fun at all because I don't own a lathe, and the local steel supplier didn't stock the tubing size I needed. I had to "mail order" tubing, and then cut the OD down the hard way.

Photo 1. Poly insert, new vs. old inner sleeves. Both "old" sleeves came out looking pregnant. I tortured the rust off of one of them on a wire wheel, so now it looks "skinny".

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I'll never install rubber bushings if I can get Polyurethane. They're so much easier for D-I-Y installation, and you don't have to put the suspension at normal ride-height before torquing the bolts. Having said that...I did install "new" complete upper control arms (that come with bushings and BJs) on the K2500; and this summer I'll do the lower bushings and BJs. I just wasn't willing to make new upper sleeves for the K2500.

Eventually, I gave my excess tubing to my Machinist friend, he cut the OD on his lathe for me. (and kept one set of sleeves for his trouble.)