Suspension squeak - urethane bushes?

Tony 260Z

Club Member
I have all urethane bushings on the rear suspension of my 240 (1972) and it squeaks like mad at the back when there's big and slow movement such as going up/down a bit of kerbing. I'm not really aware of it on the road but at low speed a big bump like a sleeping policeman brings it out too. I'm pretty sure it's the bushings where the rear anti-roll bar is bolted to the body. It's loud enough to sound bad inside the car so it must make the old girl sound completely shagged to any pedestrian that hears it!
Question is, can this be cured with some sort of grease or should I just bin those two urethane bushes and fit rubber ones instead? I know they might not last as long but it isn't too difficult to fit new ones.
Is this one area where the rubber bushes still have the edge over urethane?
 

yellowz

Club Member
Can't find it now but remember reading an article which specifically said use the grease that comes with the bushes or suffer the squeaking!
 

Jimbo

1978 260z in yellow
Club Member
you will get squeaking eventually either way
problem is the origenal rubber bushings are deigned to twist and deform to allow movement unlike the urethane ones that allow the rubber to pivot and slide in their housings which causes squeaking when urethane on steel rub causing the squeaking.
the grease helps prevent it but if it gets washed out (usually by jet washing) or not enough was applied on assembly then your going to get squeeking
 

racer

Club Member
I have all urethane bushings on the rear suspension of my 240 (1972) and it squeaks like mad at the back when there's big and slow movement such as going up/down a bit of kerbing. I'm not really aware of it on the road but at low speed a big bump like a sleeping policeman brings it out too. I'm pretty sure it's the bushings where the rear anti-roll bar is bolted to the body. It's loud enough to sound bad inside the car so it must make the old girl sound completely shagged to any pedestrian that hears it!
Question is, can this be cured with some sort of grease or should I just bin those two urethane bushes and fit rubber ones instead? I know they might not last as long but it isn't too difficult to fit new ones.
Is this one area where the rubber bushes still have the edge over urethane?

I've seen this before Tony. Probably badly designed bushes.
If they have a smooth bore they cant retain any grease on the crush tube surface.

If the bore has a pattern inside the grease will be retained.
Also the edge of the bush should not protrude beyond the crush tube, or it will bind up.

I learnt the hard way myself when I used the wrong bushes on my M3 a few years back.

Here's a video to explain better than I can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z6OEohnPKw
 

Tony 260Z

Club Member
Hmmm...thanks all. I'll prob start by undoing the bolts on the arb-to-body joint and lubing them like mad. We'll see what that does. I don't mind going back to rubber on those but it'd be a pain on the lower suspension arms... the damn pins will have to come out again :eek:
 

Tony 260Z

Club Member
Well, all the ARB bushes are now the most heavily lubed ARB bushes in the world and the bloody thing still squeaks. Sooo.. lower control arms. Is there a way to get lube in there without dismantling? Which bit generates the squeak? Is it the inner crush tube squeaking against the poly or the metal ring of the lower arm with the poly moving inside that? It's driving me mad :-(
 

johnymd

Club Member
Reminds me of the Vw golf tv add many years ago. Turned out to be the drivers ear rings. Have you checked yours?
 
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