Re: Rubber meets the metal

[stans4@ix.netcom.com (Stan Schaefer)]

Bentley says to use pure talcum powder on the stock rubber bushings.
I did so when I replaced all of my old ones with the original style
and part nos.  I talked with the dealer I got them from , he said that
he put in those urethane ones in his sand rail, he was never able to
get them quiet no matter what he did with them.  He got some originals
>from WCM and installed them as per factory procedure and they've been
quiet ever since.  He said it rode a little better, too.  Pure talc is
available.  Mine is for installing inner tubes and is labeled Tire
Talc, got it in a little old-style car parts place.  You can also find
it in industrial plastics firms, they use it for filling various
resins before casting, 50 lb. bags, though.  Don't use bath talc,
after-shave talc, baby powder, etc. those all have other things added
which reduce the effect(might react with the rubber, too).  I don't
think the spring arm is supposed to turn at all in the rubber bushing,
the bushing is supposed to twist while maintaining the same position
on the arm, if you can understand what I just said.  It's just
supposed to twist, not be a rotating type bearing.  I think the
urethane is too stiff to twist, so you get the squeak as the spring
arm rotates in the bushing.  I imagine the life on the urethanes isn't
too long if it does that.  Might wear the bearing surface on the
spring arm, too, there's always going to be grit and such get in there
if it's a running fit.   My suggestion is the same as the dealer's,
dump the urethane and get the stock rubber ones installed as per
factory procedure.

On Tue, 30 Sep 1997 19:23:01 -0400, you wrote:

>Toby, that's not been my experience (or maybe I'm doing something
>wrong).  I replaced the outer torsion bar bushings on the rear of my
>Square with the polyurethane ones from Bugpack, and have had a terrible
>squeak ever since.  Is there some magical lube I can put on these
>babies, or should I replace the inners too, and that might fix it.  I
>had trouble getting the spring plates off to do the inners (I think
>Craig Woolston had mentioned the same problem, but I wasn't around to
>hear the answer), meaning I couldn't get them off.  I know it's a
>repeat, but can anyone tell me how to get the spring plates off of my
>'71 Squareback?
>
>Jake Kooser
>'71 Squareback (the little girl)
>'66 type 1 roadster (the project)
>