John wrote:

barnett468 wrote:

drake makes free moving urethane perches for less than than rollers.

 

Free moving in the hand doesn't equate to binding/drag when loaded with 1000lbs. 

John

Any additional "binding/drag when loaded with 1000lbs" is irrelevant providing the bushings installed and the clamping force applied to them does not exceed design parameters . . Also, slamming on the brakes or hitting a sharp edged hole at 60 mph doesn't help them very much either . . If you are worried about bind on the strut rod and a strut rod breaking, you can replace the 50 year old strut rods with new ones and install rod ends on them and periodically inspect for strut rod mount fatigue/cracks.
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Last edited by barnett468 (3/01/2015 3:38 PM)

John wrote:

barnett468 wrote:

Any additional "binding/drag when loaded with 1000lbs" is irrelevant providing the bushings installed and the clamping force applied to them does not exceed design parameters . .
 

My concern is not with poly bushing failure;  I'm concerned with "free moving" poly bushings binding and dragging when the spring perch shaft loads against the bushing when carrying the front end weight of the car, which is the whole reason roller perches were designed.

Roller perches are my first choice (and I bought mine from John at Opentracker) as I know any drag across the roller bearings will be insignificant regardless of how they're loaded.  My second choice would be the early Falcon style perches that used a greasable bronze bushing, but I don't think they're reproduced.  My last choice is any rubber or poly bushed spring perch.

John

ok, i thought you were talking about strut rod bushings . . yes the rollers have the least resistance, hoewever, the drake spring perches are modeled after the perches that have been used on newer trucks for a few years now but few people are aware that this is in fact, basically a factory style/design.

one of the big benefits of the drakes is simply the price when comparred to the rollers.


 

devovino wrote:

barnett468 wrote:

John wrote:

Free moving in the hand doesn't equate to binding/drag when loaded with 1000lbs. 

John

Any additional "binding/drag when loaded with 1000lbs" is irrelevant providing the bushings installed and the clamping force applied to them does not exceed design parameters . . Also, slamming on the brakes or hitting a sharp edged hole at 60 mph doesn't help them very much either . . If you are worried about bind on the strut rod and a strut rod breaking, you can replace the 50 year old strut rods with new ones and install rod ends on them and periodically inspect for strut rod mount fatigue/cracks.
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Ok, this brings up a good point- about the strut rods. For what ever reason I have just planned on re-installing the old strut rods that were on the car. I cleaned them up and inspected them, they look to be in good shape, there was a litte rust underneath where the old rubber bushings were, but nothing substantial, is this ok to re-use these with new bushings? Also, I noticed the "dog eared" pieces that mount on the LCA end of the strut end which I am assuming are stops for the steering? I am sure I need to re-install those as well, new ones there or can I just reinstall the old ones?
Thanks
 

i would just reuse the rods you have, especially if they haven't had urethane bushings on them.

the used stops are fine also.