Anyone using Bronze bushings in their shackled straight axle front ends?

I was thinking of machining some bronze bushings to replace the standard nylon bushing used in the leaf spring eye's and shackles.........Was wondering if that would be better and more positive w/ less movement since I will be drag racing the Henry J?........Anyone do this and race ?.....good idea or bad.........I have some nice bronze stock to carve up......Thanks, Littleman Dave



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When i built my FED i made black nylon bushings from round stock to use instead of the rubber to reduce movement and flex. Worked great never a problem.

 

i run the stock original parallel leaf springs on my 31 chrysler. they were set up from the factory with bronze oilite bushings. i have run them for years on the street and track with no problems. the bronze was in the front and the rears had a steel and rubber set up. hope this helps.

 

Yep. Limeworks sells them.

 

Yup, have those. They work great!

 

If you want the best of both worlds, machine your bushings out of Delrin. Bearing quality of oilite bronze, and wears like tool steel.

 

May have what you need Dave. Sent email.
Carey

 

I machined the bushings for the rear leaf spring eyes of my Willys Aero out of oil impregnated bronze with no problems so far. Not a lot of miles on it yet.

 

Make them if you want but it will not make that much difference to tell at the speed you will be running

 

I made and sold A-arm, anti-sway bar and spring-eye bushings for years for street and race applications. There are many good materials. Oil-lite works well but isn't as good in side load conditions as other materials. Delrin as noted is OK but far better is UHMW PE (Ultra-high molecular weight Polyethylene). This is the stuff you often see used as chain tensioners on motorcycles, chain saws, etc. There are other engineering grade plastics that are available in billet form that have graphite and or molybdenum additives that are also incredible as bushings or bearings.

- EM

 

For anyone else who needs these bushings ....
1" wide x 1" flange ( 1/8 " thick ) x 3/4" x 1/2 " hole.
Got ours from BEARING DISTRIBUTORS INC.
Part number ISO EF 081216.

 

Dang. They are a production bushing....thanks.

 

Just some info on bronze. Aluminum bronze (954) is much stronger and wear resistant than the more common oilite (841) type bronze. If I was to use bronze in any part of a suspension compontne it would be the 954. JC

 

I have molybdenum impregnated nylon6/6 for bushings on my '41. They have been in it for about 18 yrs and no signs of wear. Can get it from McMaster-Carr. Watch out, some plastics change with temp and humidity and some will distort under load.

 

UHMW and Nylon 6/6 both absorb water which can rust the bolt that goes through it. Delrin doesn't absorb water and is much harder that UHMW so it doesn't deform. I consider Delrin the best type of plastic for a suspension bushing.
Oilite bronze is a sintered porous material which can "soak up" oil or grease, which is good, but it is brittle and if overloaded can crush and get wallowed out. Aluminum bronze doesn't crush like oilite, but it can't absorb grease or oil, so grease must be applied periodically.
Pick your poison!

 

The lubrication properties of Delrin are no match for UHMW PE.

As well, per the plastics industry; "UHMW has extremely low moisture absorption, very low coefficient of friction and is self lubricating. It is comparable to the properties of Teflon®, except it is more abrasion resistant.

If you were to use Delrin in the aforementioned chain tensioner application, it would be destroyed within a very short periond of time.

 

Dodge Brothers used bronze bushings in the 20's

 

From practical experience, it absorbs water and swells! And it creeps like crazy! We aren't building a chain tensioner, we're building suspension bushings!