Powerflex rear link bushings - Anyone running them?

[mattkosem]

I refreshed the bushings on the front of my car this spring (06 GTI 60k miles), and I'd like to refresh the bushings out back next. I noticed that Powerflex has bushings available for all of the links on the rear suspension. Is anyone running them? I'm planning to go for the whiteline trailing arm bushing because it's available and I trust them. Powerflex seems like somewhat of a wildcard though. I've seen reports of issues with their motor mount bushings, but haven't found anything at all regarding anyone running the rear suspension pieces. Any recommendations for/against them?

Are there any upgraded OEM parts that might be more reliable back there? I checked the FWD TT and it seems to use the same ones that the GTI has.

--Matt

 

[the bruce]

Are there any upgraded OEM parts that might be more reliable back there?

Sadly not. Even the TT-RS has the same bushings on rear.

On a Golf rear axle poly bushes compromise ride comfort more than front axle ones.
So stay with stock bushes or just do the lower arms (inner + outer).

:wink:

 

[mattkosem]

Sadly not. Even the TT-RS has the same bushings on rear.

Rear axle poly bushes compromise ride comfort more than front axle ones.
So stay with stock bushes or just du the lower arm (inner + outer).

:wink:

Thanks! Thats easier anyways I may just get fresh stockers.

--Matt

 

[the bruce]

Whiteline does pretty good stuff though. Their bushings are very well made and the WALK is fantastic.
I prefer them over the sometimes weak Powerflex.

 

[bostonaudi]

The factory rear bushings are soft, especially the control blade,which essentially locates the wheels position. I know of no oem upgrade, but you might want to consider spherical replacements from h2sport. An 08 w/60k isn't likely to have worn out rear bushings yet unless you've run the mileage on really rough roads.

 

[mattkosem]

Whiteline does pretty good stuff though. Their bushings are very well made and the WALK is fantastic.
I prefer them over the sometimes weak Powerflex.

Definitely. I've got whiteline stuff all over already. I'm only wanting their steering rack bushes and bump steer kit at this point. Sadly, powerflex seems to be the only company making replacements for the rear stuff (trailing arms set aside).

The factory rear bushings are soft, especially the control blade,which essentially locates the wheels position. I know of no oem upgrade, but you might want to consider spherical replacements from h2sport. An 08 w/60k isn't likely to have worn out rear bushings yet unless you've run the mileage on really rough roads.

Ohio has really awful roads. I don't think I'm up for spherical replacements. The lowers look to have the most play of all of them, so I'll probably start there...most likely with new stockers at this point from the look of it.

--Matt

 

[GodSquadMandrake]

If you're looking for a noisy, stiff ride go ahead and install those. If you want performance stick to either OEM or spherical bearings. This is a multi-link rear suspension. All of the components travel in an arc which means you are subject to bushing bind. If you've never actually taken apart the rear suspension, what happens when you remove the shock and spring is that the rear control arms are still very stiffly stuck in place and it feels like a diving board. You can't push the rear control arms up and down much more than a couple inches even using all of your weight because of the bushing bind. That means you are compressing the rubber whenever you move the suspnesion up or down because they travel in an arc. If you put in poly bushings you are increasing the bushing bind. That leads to greater snap oversteer and less control. When your rear suspension travels over small bumps and cracks and momentarily loses a fraction of the contact patch the tire will tend to shoot out because it is literally spring loaded now. When you install spherical bearings it has a smooth mechanical motion up and down without any pre-loading side to side etc. So you aren't going to hit a small bump and have the rear suspension unwind all the energy like a rubber band. This is why every other manufacturer has spherical bearing offerings. H2sport has the complete rear kit for a decent price. There is a very good reason for the price difference from the Powerflex kit. After the amount of work you'll put in, and pay for all those bushings to be pressed in, you'll be much more satisfied installing spherical bearings than poly bushings if you're interested in performance. The comfort is something to be argued. Of course OEM is most quiet, but poly bushings squeak which is just as annoying as the clunking of spherical bearings.

 

[mattkosem]

Thanks. That seems to support the conclusion that i have come to on having poly stuff back there. I'm probably just going to install new stockers back there (probably in the form of whole new arms, since the existing ones are pretty rusty). I've already dabbled in spherical bearing sway endlinks and found them intolerable. I'm not willing to compromise that much on noise. I'm not getting any perceivable noise from the other poly parts that I have on, but I'm definitely not looking for any. It's my daily driver.

--Matt

 

[GodSquadMandrake]

The spherical trailing arm links are worse than the lateral links. You could try ordering just the lateral links sherical bearings see how that goes. You'll only hear it under cornering then. But when you add the trailing arm links you'll hear it under accel/decel.

 

[mattkosem]

I think I'll just give new stockers a shot. I'd think mixing them will probably deteriorate the bushes in the arms that still have stock rubber even faster. In my case, I think I'm just due for a factory refresh.

--Matt

 

[junker]

Crazy Good Deal on the Whiteline WALK Kit!

I was shopping around to buy the Whiteline WALK kit and I came across this deal that I wanted to pass along...

$190 shipped FedEx 2nd Day. This compares to about $250 for most other vendors

http://www.experformance.net/whiteline/whiteline_antilift_kit/kca316/i-444761.aspx

Whiteline does pretty good stuff though. Their bushings are very well made and the WALK is fantastic.
I prefer them over the sometimes weak Powerflex.