Powerflex RTAB's Driving Impressions????

[bubbajan21]

So I'm considering Powerflex rear trailing arm bushings and I keep going back and forth between going poly or just getting OEM replacements. I just feel like if everything's already all apart, I might as well upgrade it. My concern is NVH and this being a daily driver, I don't want it to be noisy or something I'm going to regret. I've read some people who went with a street poly bushing and absolutely hated it, and others who absolutely loved it. If anyone has any experience with Powerflex (or any other poly for that matter, but powerflex is the one I'm looking at the most), I'd love to hear it. Basically, if you could do it all over again, would you go poly or go OEM?

[jlevie]

If this is a street car, use the OE bushings. They won't increase NVH and are all a street car needs and they'll last 10-15 years.

[lbreevesii]

rtabs don't really contribute to VH very much. You just run the risk of noise(sqeaky squeaky). I've had 0 issues with my akg ones, but OE's will be fine for you.

[jrobie79]

I used poly, put em in last july, greased the shit out of them with 'green grease' and havent noticed any ill effects

[KVF]

Went street poly (powerflex) about a year ago. No increased vibration, but just last week I started getting little squeaks; only at very low speeds. I didn't add weight to the car when I torqued them down, which may play a roll. I did grease the hell out of them.

[KenC]

Went street poly (powerflex) about a year ago. No increased vibration, but just last week I started getting little squeaks; only at very low speeds. I didn't add weight to the car when I torqued them down, which may play a roll. I did grease the hell out of them.

Those squeaks are going to get louder. I finally just went OEM.

[bubbajan21]

I guess I'll just stick with OEM.

[GOT8SPD]

I have AKG poly for my RTAB and PowerFlex Street for my subframe bushings (only because i had to replace my subframe that weekend and it was just $30 for NDA shipping vs $60 NDA from AKG)

I use Mobil 1 syn grease and i've had zero noise. It's been about 6 months now. I didn't grease the crap out of it either. When you're installing them, it fits so tight that if you put a ton of grease, it actually just squeezes and oozes out. But either way, i greased the hell out of it and whatever came out then so be it. Poly from what I've read is much easier to install than rubber. I have AKG Poly RTAB and Front Offset LCAB, and PowerFlex street subframe bushing...it's 100000000000x better than the stock 22 year old rubber...but i think anything would be better than the old stuff.

Who knows...how it's all gonna hold up in 6-12 months though...

[KenC]

Mine were fine for almost a year. The squeaks/creaks started really gradually. It got to the point that I had to swap them for rubber.

[EyExR]

keep the $ in your pocket and erase all doubts - OE

[bubbajan21]

Mine were fine for almost a year. The squeaks/creaks started really gradually. It got to the point that I had to swap them for rubber.

How was it going from poly to OEM rubber? Did you feel like you lost anything or it was a major degradation of the handling of the car?

[KenC]

How was it going from poly to OEM rubber? Did you feel like you lost anything or it was a major degradation of the handling of the car?

Zero. New oem rubber is stiffer than you'd think.

[bubbajan21]

Zero. New oem rubber is stiffer than you'd think.

Great, that makes me feel much better about going OEM. Thank you sir!

[Roysneon]

I may be wrong but I was also under the impression that poly will change the way that control arms/trailing arms will move when compressed/loaded upon and are not really recommended. That being said, the number of companies making them and people buying kinda makes me doubt that.