Polyurethane Control Arm Bushings

[MAC]

I'm looking to buy polyurethane control arm bushings and sway bar bushings. I found both at JC Whitney's Web site. They are difficult to locate for front wheel drive Cadillacs. Would anyone have input as to whether these Prothane End Link Bushings I'm looking to buy are the same as my Eldorado's Control Arm Bushings.

Energy Suspension does not sell sway bar bushings for the 94 Eldorado. It looks like the Prothane bushings should work.

[Ed Hall]

I would give www.rockauto.com a try. I bought heavy duty polyurethane bushings and it came all the hardware also.

[Poobah]

I had the lower control arms replaced on my '94 Eldo and my mechanic used polyurethane bushings. They worked fine (I can't vouch for their longevity, though, because I sold the car about a year later). One caution: Make sure they grease all contact surfaces when they assemble it or it will soon start making scronching sounds.

[JasonA]

I would strongly advise AGAINST the use of polyurethane control arm bushings. Those work great for compression applications, but not as good for rotational applications. Even when greased, and even equipped with grease fittings, they can squeak and bind up.

I wouldn't recommend them for control arm bushings. In fact, I had an '84 Cutlass in which I put polygraphite bushings (which were supposed to be better than polyurethane for that use, in control arms) and the handling was great, but the ride sucked and the noise was even worse. I actually paid to have rubber put back in a few years later, I just couldn't live with it.

[Cadillac Jim]

In the 1960's I used Nylon syspension bushings in my 1959 Chevrolet and my 1964 Chevrolet. In these "jet smooth ride" vehicles, any elimination of flexing was good. I'm reluctant to mess with what I percieve as a world-class handling suspension in the Touring class Cadillacs. There are those here who modify Cadillac suspensions for perfectly flat, traction-limited handling. One of these will know whether polyurethane or other suspension bushings are preferable to OEM types, and when they would help you.

The link you supply is for the stabilizer bar links. These are the short struts between the ends of the front (or rear?) stabilizer bar and the suspension link. I wouldn't uses these unless I had rock-hard low-profile tires because oterwise the tire flex will dwarf any benefit from stiffer stabilizer links. These stiffer grommets will dramatically increse road shock stresses on the link at the suspension arm, probably making craking a matter of time.

[Ranger]

In addition, I would not expect anything of any quality from J.C. Whitney.