Unboxing the Powell rear axle bushing
07-24-2012, 10:47 AM
#1
I'm old school
Thread Starter
Unboxing the Powell rear axle bushing
Hi all. I hope you have been able to follow my "Halfcent's Summer of 2012" thread. I got the brand spankin' new Powell rear axle bushing this week and thought a separate thread on it was necessary as I know a bunch of you are interested in this thing. So here it is...
John sends you the bushing, a bracket, new hardware, and a couple of stickers worth at least 20 WHP.
There was also a catalog in the box from Hyperco Suspension.
The bracket is a modified stock piece. He opens up the hole for the bolt a little bit to allow for the next larger diameter bolt size. As mentioned, he includes that larger bolt in a grade 8 for you along with the necessary washer and lock nut. You are expected to core return your original mounting bracket, so keep the box it shipped in to send those back.
The bushing itself is a stacked delrin plastic unit designed to fit the rear axle bushing boss. John offers to send you the GM axle bushing tool so you can do the removal of your old bushing and install the new one if you want, but I already have the tool so I didn't need it. Nice thing about this unit is there is no metal-on-metal press fit like the OEM bushing, so there shouldn't be any corrosion. It is a service-free, all-weather design.
Exploded apart you can see the guts of the thing. The delrin encases the bolt bushings and the main bushing in the center.
The main bushing actually looks a lot like the one used in his front CAB bushing.
The main goal of the setup is to eliminate the resistance of travel the stock rubber bushing creates. This bushing allows the axle to rotate around the bushing without any resistance and eliminates movement at the bushing that the stock unit allows.
I should be installing this next week when I get back from my next trip and will post about it in my other thread.
John sends you the bushing, a bracket, new hardware, and a couple of stickers worth at least 20 WHP.
There was also a catalog in the box from Hyperco Suspension.The bracket is a modified stock piece. He opens up the hole for the bolt a little bit to allow for the next larger diameter bolt size. As mentioned, he includes that larger bolt in a grade 8 for you along with the necessary washer and lock nut. You are expected to core return your original mounting bracket, so keep the box it shipped in to send those back.
The bushing itself is a stacked delrin plastic unit designed to fit the rear axle bushing boss. John offers to send you the GM axle bushing tool so you can do the removal of your old bushing and install the new one if you want, but I already have the tool so I didn't need it. Nice thing about this unit is there is no metal-on-metal press fit like the OEM bushing, so there shouldn't be any corrosion. It is a service-free, all-weather design.
Exploded apart you can see the guts of the thing. The delrin encases the bolt bushings and the main bushing in the center.
The main bushing actually looks a lot like the one used in his front CAB bushing.
The main goal of the setup is to eliminate the resistance of travel the stock rubber bushing creates. This bushing allows the axle to rotate around the bushing without any resistance and eliminates movement at the bushing that the stock unit allows.
I should be installing this next week when I get back from my next trip and will post about it in my other thread.
Last edited by Halfcent; 07-26-2012 at 12:40 PM.
07-24-2012, 11:27 AM
#5
I'm old school
Thread Starter
07-24-2012, 11:31 AM
#6
Yea im familiar with the cabs. So basically it will help stiffen things up and improve handling. Nice. Another question, sorry lop. Do you think its worth it to upgrade the cabs and all for a fd car that really doesn't autox or anything? I do enjoy the twisties from time to time however.
07-24-2012, 11:37 AM
#7
I'm old school
Thread Starter
Probably not. Your stock suspension is actually pretty good compared to most stock cars. It can handle the occasional spirited driving on the street just fine. These kinds of parts are not cheap to start with, and there is assembly involved that will also cost you in labor if you are not doing it yourself. For instance, just a set of front CAB's installed will probably run you $500 total.
07-24-2012, 11:22 PM
#9
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Awesome post! Im so stoked to get mine. Link below is a good read on the effect of twist beam bushings
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...o_VLO15504R_dQ
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...o_VLO15504R_dQ
07-25-2012, 03:57 AM
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Awesome post! Im so stoked to get mine. Link below is a good read on the effect of twist beam bushings
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...o_VLO15504R_dQ
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...o_VLO15504R_dQ
07-25-2012, 09:27 PM
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Damn that is a mean link. I am used to reading about exhaust flow characteristics and shock valving but that was a mind bender.
07-25-2012, 09:53 PM
#12
Awesome post! Im so stoked to get mine. Link below is a good read on the effect of twist beam bushings
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...o_VLO15504R_dQ
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...o_VLO15504R_dQ
Cliffs:
Johns says: taking friction out of the pivot joint improves the performance of the beam
a stable bushing allows the beam to work and the roll center to remain stable.
stock bushings deform, isolate and insulate harshness over bumps, but the price is changing roll center and friction.
toe curves are affected by the rubber pivot bushings, thats why the car understeers more stock compared to the new buhsings.
and halfcent is right, the same joint as cabs. works excellently...
thanks to halfcent for the nice report...
07-26-2012, 12:38 PM
#14
I'm old school
Thread Starter
It's just a bushing replacement. You remove your stock bushing from your axle and install this in its place. You don't replace your whole axle.
However...
I know Powell does make a custom axle with a tunable sway bar. But that's a completely different thing then what's talked about here.
However...
I know Powell does make a custom axle with a tunable sway bar. But that's a completely different thing then what's talked about here.
07-26-2012, 04:15 PM
#15
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i know this, but im just trying to confirm theres a benefit to cost on this item? from what im reading im leaning towards yes, but not too savvy on suspension geometry
07-26-2012, 10:06 PM
#21
Hi all. I hope you have been able to follow my "Halfcent's Summer of 2012" thread. I got the brand spankin' new Powell rear axle bushing this week and thought a separate thread on it was necessary as I know a bunch of you are interested in this thing. So here it is...
John sends you the bushing, a bracket, new hardware, and a couple of stickers worth at least 20 WHP. There was also a catalog in the box from Hyperco Suspension.
The bracket is a modified stock piece. He opens up the hole for the bolt a little bit to allow for the next larger diameter bolt size. As mentioned, he includes that larger bolt in a grade 8 for you along with the necessary washer and lock nut. You are expected to core return your original mounting bracket, so keep the box it shipped in to send those back.
The bushing itself is a stacked delrin plastic unit designed to fit the rear axle bushing boss. John offers to send you the GM axle bushing tool so you can do the removal of your old bushing and install the new one if you want, but I already have the tool so I didn't need it. Nice thing about this unit is there is no metal-on-metal press fit like the OEM bushing, so there shouldn't be any corrosion. It is a service-free, all-weather design.
Exploded apart you can see the guts of the thing. The delrin encases the bolt bushings and the main bushing in the center.
The main bushing actually looks a lot like the one used in his front CAB bushing.
The main goal of the setup is to eliminate the resistance of travel the stock rubber bushing creates. This bushing allows the axle to rotate around the bushing without any resistance and eliminates movement at the bushing that the stock unit allows.
I should be installing this next week when I get back from my next trip and will post about it in my other thread.
John sends you the bushing, a bracket, new hardware, and a couple of stickers worth at least 20 WHP.
There was also a catalog in the box from Hyperco Suspension.The bracket is a modified stock piece. He opens up the hole for the bolt a little bit to allow for the next larger diameter bolt size. As mentioned, he includes that larger bolt in a grade 8 for you along with the necessary washer and lock nut. You are expected to core return your original mounting bracket, so keep the box it shipped in to send those back.
The bushing itself is a stacked delrin plastic unit designed to fit the rear axle bushing boss. John offers to send you the GM axle bushing tool so you can do the removal of your old bushing and install the new one if you want, but I already have the tool so I didn't need it. Nice thing about this unit is there is no metal-on-metal press fit like the OEM bushing, so there shouldn't be any corrosion. It is a service-free, all-weather design.
Exploded apart you can see the guts of the thing. The delrin encases the bolt bushings and the main bushing in the center.
The main bushing actually looks a lot like the one used in his front CAB bushing.
The main goal of the setup is to eliminate the resistance of travel the stock rubber bushing creates. This bushing allows the axle to rotate around the bushing without any resistance and eliminates movement at the bushing that the stock unit allows.
I should be installing this next week when I get back from my next trip and will post about it in my other thread.
07-27-2012, 02:22 AM
#22
Senior Member
Delrin is a great material. John do you know what grade of Dupont Delrin this is? The plastic engineer in me wants to know lol. We use this extensively at work in injection molding due to its low coeffcient of friction and great wear properties.
07-27-2012, 07:07 AM
#23
There are different grades of Delrin as you know, the first proto set were made of a delrin with a marbled look to it, also very dry. The production stuff is made of a delrin which is pure black and also appears to have some lubricity. email me for material sheet....john@powellraceshop.com.
I actually prefer UHMW for some of our applications, (like our early rotated mounts, and all the F23 composite housing rotated mounts we make, as it has good overall durability in a wide range of temperatures, it is used in snowmobiles for example. But in this application we needed the rigidity of delrin...
I actually prefer UHMW for some of our applications, (like our early rotated mounts, and all the F23 composite housing rotated mounts we make, as it has good overall durability in a wide range of temperatures, it is used in snowmobiles for example. But in this application we needed the rigidity of delrin...
07-27-2012, 11:23 AM
#24
I'm old school
Thread Starter
07-27-2012, 11:26 AM
#25
I'm old school
Thread Starter
Anyway, as I mentioned, I already had the tool. I've even posted pics of me using it in my other thread. In fact, there is a separate thread here on the forum about the time John and I were trying to buy the same tool from ebay and I got it first, cuz I'm quick like that.