I'm putting together my 12 bolt housing and I've tried to search this topic with conflicting results. This car will be street driven. I have Edelbrock adjustable uppers and GW tubular lowers with Del-A-Lum bushings. For the bushings in the rear-end, do I use Poly or Rubber bushings? I've heard that poly bushings bind and that rubber are better? But others say the poly is stiffer producing a more firm ride.

Which IS better for a street car?

Thanks folks.

I have rubber on mine, I read in a car mag they're better for street driving.

Either way new bushings are going to drastically improve handling...On my car new rubber bushing produced about the same improvement as adding the rear sway bar :eek:

I have all SS suspension right now and even with air shocks and spring spacers giving me 3 in of lift (too much, I need to drop a bit once springs settle in) I can take some pretty nasty corners without much oversteer. Going down the road some quick side to side jerks don't give much roll either, be better once I get new front springs, KYB shocks all around, and better upper control arms. Of course the 295/50 BFGs help out too

I drove an 86 vette the guy who runs the parts store had last winter and it kinda spoiled me taking the corners at nearly 100 while my car has to settle for about 70 :D

Straight lines are fun but I'm not gonna let a ricer flat out embarrass me around a turn either

Go solid. There is no reason for the axle mount of the links to pivot or move. The only reason there is a bushing there is reduce NVH. If you don't mind a little added harshness it will greatly add to the handling abuility. Don't use poly-for the reason already listed.

I have poly's and have not run into binding issues, i have poly upper control arm bushings With stock U Shaped Upper control arms. I had rubber ones before they were pretty well destroyed when i took them apart. I like the way the car handles with the poly bushings but i completed redid my rear suspension in a day so i am not sure what made the difference.

I went with all rubber except for the two in the upper housing ears. I put solid bushings there. I noticed on every rear I looked at the upper housing bushings were all in bad shape and distorted worse than the others. Anyway, that's my logic for using them in the upper housing only and stock rubber bushings everywhere else. I did try rubber in all 8 and I had a wheel hop problem, most likely because of taller rear springs upseting the apple cart, or in this case the El Camino. I went with the old stock rear springs and the two solid bushings in the upper housing and the wheel hop went away and the ride is perfect. I have a problem with the right rear lifting on hard launches but I think a good heavy duty anti-roll bar will cure that.

Originally posted by gUmBaLL68Malibu:
I have poly's and have not run into binding issues, i have poly upper control arm bushings With stock U Shaped Upper control arms. You have bind issues, you just don't know it. Anybody running OE converging link "A" body suspension has bind issues, it is designed into the suspension.

Where does one get solid bushings for the rear end housing?

Thanks guys. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Check with Summit or Jegs. There are a few manufacters that make them. I beleive Moroso and I'm sure of Competetion Engineering. The Comp bushings run 45/set.

Originally posted by ben70:
Where does one get solid bushings for the rear end housing?

Thanks guys. graemlins/thumbsup.gif Got mine from Jegs
http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=866&prmenbr=361

go with poly. rubber flexes too much. the poly's will still be forgiving for street use. solids are not forgiving enough for street use. with your setup you are gearing your build for performance / street. poly's suit that very well. tom