Body/Frame Bushings

[turbo39151]

I have an 86GN that I'm restoring and I noticed the front rubbers were like new. I also noticed that under the Drivers side there was a green busing that seemd to be squashed or deteriorated and I wondered to myself if this was a replacable feature.

I've been searching and cannot find any specifics so I figured I'd ask...

Is there a particular vendor that sells the frame bushings as a kit? I looked on other sites ant there's a bunch of part numbers... I just want a package deal... Also, what should I expect to pay for such a kit?

Does anyone have any preference to the style (ie: poly, hard,soft rubber??)

I want to make the car handle and feel "like new" or better...(for daily driving )

 

[turbo39151]

Nobody has any opinions or suggestions????

 

[turbo84gn]

The harder the material, the more vibration that will be passed from the frame to the body. Several of the main vendors do sell kits. For daily driving, use stock rubber. I have seen guys use poly and metal bushings for track use (stiffer chassis, less flex).

 

[Swt_86]

I used the black ones: http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=875&prmenbr=361

Not saying they are the best or worst out there but the kit was complete with all the hardware needed (except the bolts) including the "GNX" bushings. They seem to be OK and did make an improvement in the way the car handles and "feels." I replaced the shocks with Bilsteins at the same time which stiffened everything up a lot so I don't know exactly how much the poly bushings stiffened up the ride/handling and how much the shocks contributed. All I know is it rides and handles a lot more like a performance car than it ever did before.

They sell the energy suspension bushing kits at a lot of other places as well. You can even get the stock ones from GM - part numbers on http://www.gnttype.org Good luck and may all your body bolts come out without problems.

 

[turbo39151]

Thanks for the input...

 

[Gary Wells]

FWIW & IMHO:
Lots of good recommendations and information on this subject on this board and the others recently. Might want to do a search under body bushings, bushings, or suspension improvements.
I am going to go with a complete kit of stock rubber upper and lowers from Kirbans performance. A lot of people that switch to the polyurethane, or poly, or urethane as they are sometimes referred to are not totally satisfied with the ride harshness on a daily driver and end up swithing back to rubber factory type bushings. That is the choice for my going with Kirban Performance factory replacement rubber upper & lower complete set. If you decide to go poly, there are several slightly used sets available on either this board or some of the other turbo buick boards.
http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=156485

HTH

 

[Red Regal T]

I installed the energy suspension bushing set on my car a few months ago. In my application, I felt no harshness or stiffness whatsoever. Just my experience.

 

[Gary Wells]

http://www.turbobuicks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36308&highlight=body+bushings


(turbobuick + s)

 

[Gary Wells]

http://www.t6p.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6139&highlight=body+bushings

 

[Gary Wells]

http://www.t6p.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6400&highlight=body+bushings

 

[Gary Wells]

FWIW & IMHO:
This is a direct quote, word for word, from somebody that sent me an e-mail after I started or responded to one of the posts above. I have deleted senders name.

Quote
"have these if you are interered. They were on my car for 2 months. I drive it 75 miles a day and I did'nt care for the ride. I need $75 shipped. I am in the Reno area. All bushings. Includes the GNX ones. Energy sus. Black poly"
Unquote.

 

[turbo39151]

So i suppose i should lean toward the OEM Rubbers as I drive about 100 miles a day...

So, does anyone have a ready made kit just for the rubbers?

 

[Swt_86]

Like Red Regal T said, and I agree from my experience, there really shouldn't be much if any noticable harshness transmitted from the poly mounts. If you do want to make sure you keep that "Buick ride," I believe that these are the part numbers for the stock bushings:

Position #4 457915 .
Positions #3,5,7 377801 .
GNX (2 per car) 488610 .
Body Mount Cushions Lower 457915

They should be available from any GM dealer. Kirban also has them http://www.kirbanperformance.com

 

[turbo39151]

My thanks to everyone for their input. I'll probably buy just a few bushings as I initially started this thread when I had seen one of the bushings on the drivers side look a bit squashed.

I looked again under the passenger side (no lift , just a quick peek) and the #'s 3 and 4 bushings look like new. There is no sign of rust anywhere so I should be ok if I attempt this job.

So far, the car is turning out to be pretty clean for being an '86. It's like 98% untouched. (just never properly cared for but doesn't seem abused)

BTW, anyone found a better price than Kirban (besides the Buick dealer) for OEM? His kit w/ the GNX bushings and shipping is running about $250.

 

[Gary Wells]

FWIW & IMHO:
Kirban Performance has a factory replacement 4 bushing kit, $ 60.00, a factory replacement 6 bushing kit $ 75.00, and the GNX factory replacement bushing kit, don't remember the price, and the complete factory replacement 24 bushing kit, as you mention. If you are going to replace only a few of the bushings as you mentioned above, I would get them from your local dealer, or GMPartsDirect if you have correct part nos.
HTH

 

[turbo39151]

I looked right at those smaller kits and didn't even think of them! All I kept seeing was the big 24 piece kit.

good looking out.

Thanks everybody...