Nolathane Mc Crap!

vegabass · 02-02-2006, 03:13 PM

About 8 months ago I replaced every rubber and bush a mechanic could find, includeing rear controll arms, front steering, ball joints, about $3000 worth of work and parts.

I look under the car today and find
*a spacer missing fron the front of the rear contoll arm (can see the bolt between the rubber and the mount)
*1/3 of the rear (lower) bush is missing and the remaining is hanging on for dear life.
*the top trailing arm rubbers broken and parts missing.

so to fix one problem (2 bushes) is $80 in parts!!!
and i still need another 4 to fix everything

Im a little upset/cranky/full of rage.

Has anyone else had this sort of thing happen? One guy said it was because of the manual was putting more stress on them rather than the auto being a bit more gentle.

Any thoughts appreciated

Simmo · 02-02-2006, 03:15 PM

yeh nolathane is great and all but it will wear out quicker than rubber if you drive your car with gusto. i know that even before the turbo Rollin was going through nolathane bushes every 3 months.

vegabass · 02-02-2006, 04:04 PM

Im so cranky i went and jacked the car up to take a pic you you guys and in a 15 min drive from the workshop to home the left rubber has done the same!!! at the workshop it was only the one on the right!!!!!

AHHHHH

:

ing_sm

And this one is the top trailing control arm, the missing part is on the other side so yeah i wasnt going to get all dirty again to get the damaged side.

But yet again ARRRHHHHH

Psycho Chicken · 02-02-2006, 04:10 PM

How are the rest of the bushes in the car? If it's only happening on trailing arms I'd have a stab and say the mechanic has done everything up with the diff hanging.

vegabass · 02-02-2006, 04:18 PM

Hmm Thats interesting, i have no idea how he did it. i know it wasnt my favourite mechanic who did it. but it has only done it on the passenger rear. the only drama with the drivers rear is the top trailing, same damage as the left.

I havent checked the front, it feels ok, sometimes there is a bit of movement in the wheel before it "grabs". anyone know what im talking about?

fiery · 02-02-2006, 04:28 PM

Drew I thought with you telling me to read this that there was going to be a 'because she broke it' excuse........
Seriously it wasn't ME

e

:

Good luck and get the beast fixed properly and quickly... she will be sweet as again in no time :newangel:

Walkinshaw · 02-02-2006, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vegabass

I havent checked the front, it feels ok, sometimes there is a bit of movement in the wheel before it "grabs". anyone know what im talking about?

Check steering rack bolts.
...and i gaurentee you your front caster rod bolts are buggered.

Walkinshaw · 02-02-2006, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

How are the rest of the bushes in the car? If it's only happening on trailing arms I'd have a stab and say the mechanic has done everything up with the diff hanging.

lol i should have read the rest of the thread.

Doing what rob has said will gaurenteed stuffed bushes within months.

jabba · 02-02-2006, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

How are the rest of the bushes in the car? If it's only happening on trailing arms I'd have a stab and say the mechanic has done everything up with the diff hanging.

Out of curiosity, How would that cause the bushes to self destruct in such a short time?????.....

Psycho Chicken · 02-02-2006, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabba

Out of curiosity, How would that cause the bushes to self destruct in such a short time?????.....

If you don't tighten them in the neutral position they stretch big time when fully extended.

jabba · 02-02-2006, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

If you don't tighten them in the neutral position they stretch big time when fully extended.

So what is considered a neutral position, and does it also apply to leaf spring set up....... Thanks for the info.....

Drew,,,, Bummer about your car... How are all the other mods going. Are you going to have your car all together for the next Morgan park challange...

vegabass · 02-02-2006, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabba

So what is considered a neutral position, and does it also apply to leaf spring set up....... Thanks for the info.....

Drew,,,, Bummer about your car... How are all the other mods going. Are you going to have your car all together for the next Morgan park challange...

Hmm, I sure hope so, i might not have my car at the next morgan park event, Im moving to sydney on the 20th and will be there for about 6 months or so. Ill be comming up for events like that but ill be a spectator and might get to steal the "MYSTERY" GT again for a few quick laps.

But sydney will help my mods (jabba at the moment i have BA envy)

Windsor220 · 02-02-2006, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabba

So what is considered a neutral position, and does it also apply to leaf spring set up

All suspension bushes must be tightened when the car is on the ground when its at its normal ride height(neutral). If they are tightened when the car is in the air and the suspension is hanging, as soon as the car is lowered down the bushes will stretch and be under stress all the time. Even when the car is still doing nothing.

cogo81 · 05-02-2006, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabba

Out of curiosity, How would that cause the bushes to self destruct in such a short time?????.....

If all the bolts were done up when the diff was hanging down then when the diff goes back to the normal ride height it will twist the bush and kind of put pre tension on the bush.

Racecraft · 05-02-2006, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cogo81

If all the bolts were done up when the diff was hanging down then when the diff goes back to the normal ride height it will twist the bush and kind of put pre tension on the bush.

But the bush lives on its own sleeve, the angle they are fitted shouldn't make any difference as the bush will rotate on the sleeve?

There is something seriously wrong Vegabass, I have those bushes on my car and I have clocked over 300 000k on them without any failures like that :(

XRated · 02-02-2006, 04:29 PM

Have you taken it back to said mechanic?

vegabass · 02-02-2006, 04:38 PM

I swore at the owner.....(were on swearing terms)
and he swore back. I then yelled warrenty job just to give him the ИИИИИS.
He had ordered the new kit and will probably charge little or no labour.
They are good to me there, and give my tyres at cost price

hopefully there are no more surprises! and firey i was being polite by not mentioning the trauma my car has endured after you drove it.

:

fiery · 02-02-2006, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vegabass

hopefully there are no more surprises! and firey i was being polite by not mentioning the trauma my car has endured after you drove it.

:

I just made sure all cobwebs were completely gone from your lovely machine sweety........ promise thats all I was trying to achieve :newangel:
Oh and vegabass........... nic would be fiery not firey lovey..... :Up_to_som

vegabass · 02-02-2006, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fiery

I just made sure all cobwebs were completely gone from your lovely machine sweety........ promise thats all I was trying to achieve :newangel:
Oh and vegabass........... nic would be fiery not firey lovey..... :Up_to_som

Wel all know i need to go back to school...........*caughs axle tramp*

Penelope Pitstop · 02-02-2006, 04:52 PM

Yes our Kerri certainly did clear the cob webs out of your car Drew - pity she couldn't shake the spiders off though

:

Penelope Pitstop · 02-02-2006, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vegabass

Wel all know i need to go back to school...........*caughs axle tramp*

How old where you when you finished school???

:

:

Besides you know and I know - its all about the uniform :Up_to_som

_2:

:

Walkinshaw · 02-02-2006, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vegabass

About 8 months ago I replaced every rubber and bush a mechanic could find, includeing rear controll arms, front steering, ball joints, about $3000 worth of work and parts.

I look under the car today and find
*a spacer missing fron the front of the rear contoll arm (can see the bolt between the rubber and the mount)
*1/3 of the rear (lower) bush is missing and the remaining is hanging on for dear life.
*the top trailing arm rubbers broken and parts missing.

so to fix one problem (2 bushes) is $80 in parts!!!
and i still need another 4 to fix everything

Im a little upset/cranky/full of rage.

Has anyone else had this sort of thing happen? One guy said it was because of the manual was putting more stress on them rather than the auto being a bit more gentle.

Any thoughts appreciated

This sounds VERY odd.

(1) There should be no spacer in between the control arms and the body. The bush takes up the entire size of the car's bracket.
(2) This is very very odd. are you sure the mechanic changed all the bushes with nolathane.

$3k sounds INSANE. The kit is arround $600, and any decent mechanic can do an entire car in a day. so 8hours at $60/hr is only $480 in labour.
Including wheel alignment i wouldnt pay more than $1200 for every single bush to be changed in my car, by somone else.

XR Martin · 02-02-2006, 07:13 PM

Thats exactly what a suspension bloke told me would happen if I wanted Nolathane, he suggested Polyurethane which isnt as hard and that is what he put in.
So far had them in for a few years and no problems.

Aaron_EF8 · 02-02-2006, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Thats exactly what a suspension bloke told me would happen if I wanted Nolathane, he suggested Polyurethane which isnt as hard and that is what he put in.
So far had them in for a few years and no problems.

I wouldn't go back to that mechanic then. Nolathane is a company's name, and polyurethane is the material Nolathane make their bushes from.....

vegabass · 02-02-2006, 09:02 PM

Thanks everyone, im must let you know the $3000 i paid did also inc my wheels and tyres, king springs and orther asorted bits and pieces.

What will happen if they fall out when i drive it back to the workshop? will the diff be left in the middle of the highway? will it be ok to drive?

im quite concerned.

vegabass · 02-02-2006, 09:15 PM

You can see on the right hand rubber the washer....there is none on the other end of that controll arm and you can see between the rubber and the mount where the bolt goes thru.

Im planning to drive about 500 kms over the next couple of days......im guessing thats not going to happen if i dont get this fixed?

XR Martin · 02-02-2006, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_EF8

I wouldn't go back to that mechanic then. Nolathane is a company's name, and polyurethane is the material Nolathane make their bushes from.....

It was a few years back, so I dont remember if he mentioned polyurethane in particular or not, but he did specify Nolathane bushes are too hard. Ive got Superpro ones which arnt as hard apparently?
Anyway I think he knows his stuff as he does suspension for Porsche track cars and Lotuses.

efgiar · 02-02-2006, 09:02 PM

lol yeah aaron is prolly right, 300 for every bush, what about the k-frame ones? i havnt even looked at mine since i got the car (came with nolathane bushes) prolly should now hey!

efgiar · 02-02-2006, 09:05 PM

it should just rattle and not handle well... at all!

locknut · 02-02-2006, 09:37 PM

Interesting, this is exactly what I have to get in my EA for RWC in the next fortnight. The guy who's gonna help me suggested stick with rubber as the nolathane ones are a bit stiff for road use and could wear the convertor in my auto? WTF? I'll prolly go rubber anyway..