Are the stock front control arm bushings gel filled?

[MooseX]

If so I think I need them.

Currently running Z4M offset bushings. These dense rubber bushings are actually an amazing mod. My steering is extra sharp...driving near 100 the car has instant response...the low speed 'turn in' is immediate. The extra caster makes the car extremely stable but doesn't really affect steering effort that much. Def' the ticket if you live in the flat lands. This is the one mod that made sit up and say 'Damn'! Instant performance...

So what's the problem? They're fine for most roads...BUT here in the Sierras the roads are bad. Really bad. They're constantly working on the roads. It's a battle every year to fill in the 'chain ruts' and pot holes. I spend a lot of time driving through construction 'slow downs'

The freeway is concrete. Fantastic when smooth however once that smooth surface is roughed/gouged up by chains it becomes oh so rough. The aggregate gets exposed and you def' need a more forgiving suspension. I have more road noise (nvh) than I did with the stock bushings

Shame. As of right now I can really toss my car around...literally. My thing is I commute 120 miles a day round trip. Half of that is on i80 going over Donner Summit (candidate for roughest freeway in California OR the US). It's wearing me down. I'm all about handling and I'm the last person you'd thing would 'mod down' but if I want to survive this ZHP dream I have to pull the bushings

PS> The bushings will be for sale after I install some stockers.'Bout 300 miles on them and I'm sure they're in perfect shape

The car did handle great with the stock bushings.

[BCS_ZHP]

Yes, stock FCABs are oil filled. Learned this the hard way as I replaced a set due to age & not failure and when removing them the rubber doughnut popped and covered me in oil. However, if your roads are that bad then you should plan on replacing the FCABs about every 40-50K miles vice the normal 60-80K, I think Dane has to do them more frequently than expected because his roads are crappy too.

[MooseX]

I'm ok with changing them whenever. I notice a bunch of aftermarket bushings out there AND I'm not sure which ones are gel filled... I guess they need to authentic OE if I want the fancy shmancy oil filled ones.

[ZHPRegistry.net]

You might also consider going to 17 inch wheels and running 30 psi all around instead of 35 or so.

[MooseX]

Uhh..that's not happenin'. I love my new 264's. Spent a bunch getting the set up together last month.

[danewilson77]

Uhh..that's not happenin'. I love my new 264's. Spent a bunch getting the set up together last month.

I went with a slightly taller sidewall for this exact reason.

HTC DNA, Williamsburg, VA

[MooseX]

I got new tires so that's also not an option. It was quieter with the stock bushings..So I'll start now

[MooseX]

Are the ZHP control arm bushings/lolliops the same as a stock e46? I can use my old lollipops and get just the bushings.

I did take my car down one of my favorite roads today and it really handled it well...like flat and fast...just awesome. Now I'm back on the fence about the whole switch. The Z4M bushings do so much for the steering...it's tight and instant. The NVH is a non issue around town and cruising below 60...

If I can get just the stock gel filled bushings ie not much $$..and have the shop press them in my old mounts I'll do it just to have around. I wish they were offset. Then I could pop them on for long trips and I wouldn't have to mess with alignment...

[MooseX]

well after a couple more runs down my favorite road I've decided to keep the bushings. This ZHP might be the best handling car I've owned..and that include an 04 STi and an 08' EVO 10 (supposedly awesome handling). Just my opinion but to me AWD sport cars suck.

The STi was the understeer king and was not precise at all. Tons of power but the stiff 6 speed and plowing kept it from being that much fun. Straight line it was a demon of course. Oh yeah the NVH was unbearable...no way I could road trip it. The ride quality was BAD and rough roads just pushed it around. No fun really. I lasted 3 months and sold it

The EVO 10 was better but with the same tendencies. 300 crank hp stock. 2 litre turbo wasn't quite as torqey as the Subie 2.5 boxer but 0 to 60 was similar. Better turn in than the Subie (18" wheels...Subaru came with 17's). For a turbo awd the EVO's suspension was actually quite smooth...they got one thing right (oh besides the stock RECAROS)

If the Subaru had bad NVH the EVO had horrific NVH. They left out the balancing shafts in the engine for some reason..All Evos up to then had a sweet spinning motor..The 10 was clattery' and refused to hold a decent rev'. A JOKE MOTOR.. The whiney, notchy.. short geared 5 speed didn't help...cruising at 60 you'd be at 3500 rpm...ridiculous for daily stuff. I bought the car in 08' off the showroom in Orange County for
$30.5 k out the door......dumped it 60 days later at about 3000 miles for $29000. Sale took all of 1 hour from I when I posted it on EVO 10 forums.(.Kid flew out from South Carilina with a bag of dinero and met me at the Reno Airport..deal done in a matter of minutes...suckered by media hype just like I was)

I'm just stating those opinions as a comparison to my new love 'Halle'.

She cruises in 6th at an absurdly low rpm...is much quieter NVH wise'..

The gearbox is superior

Instant turn in> blows both the Subie and EVO into the weeds how quick/easily I get into turns. With those other cars it was like weight lifting..even late entries are done with more confidence.

ZHP corners much flatter and rotates better> all that front end AWD weight handcaps the 2 rice rockets. ZHP literally dances circles around those RR's..tons of fun

Smoother ride >EVO is a close second but the severe NVH let's it down..Mitz' is a tin can on wheels. Subies stock dampers' are a joke...jarring is the word that comes to mind

minimal understeer> No comment on the other two...bleh

more progressive brakes >Both the Subie and EVO have big ass' Brembos BUT pedal effort on both cars was towards the high end' and the stopping power didn't impress me. I wasted a lot of time and $$ trying to 'improve' the brakes on both..to no avail

damn got off on a rice rocket rant..sorry

[Avetiso]

I hate the awd/turbo setup JDM uses.