Club 80-90 Forums

clift_d wrote:

Titus A Duxass wrote:

blakeys80 wrote:,,,,,,ready to refit to the trailing arms when the bushes arrive (what a a*** of a job to remove those!) ....

Wait until you try and fit the new bushes (unless you've gone the Powerflex route).

For a T3 the Powerflex bushes are as hard to fit as the VW ones - if you can buy or borrow the special tool 3053 it helps greatly with this job.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated. I don't have the special tool, but do have a plethora of hall thread, washers, nuts, creativity + will power! However if someone does have a special tool lying around that they don't mind sharing then I'll gladly hire it out.
Cheers

Said this MANY times, and only the completely foolish replace the lot with powerflex. Ofcourse they'll bend your ear for hours over how marvellous they are. I suppose they have to, given how much money they've spent. The only places I'd recommend them are anti-roll bar and perhaps steering bushes. Trailing arms no - they bind something chronic. Other place for poweflex that does work well is gearbox front bush, providing its not a solid bush. You can make your own bushes fairly easily though.

maxstu wrote:In fact I'm starting to move away from these overpriced Powerflex items anyway. I've fitted steering rack, ARB's and gearbox bushes to my past 1986 DG 1900 and felt very little difference...apart from an emptying wallet

CovKid wrote:Said this MANY times, and only the completely foolish replace the lot with powerflex.

You pays your money you makes your choices. We've replaced everything on our van with powerflex, and we don't feel foolish - it's a choice we made. Not necessarily any more right than any other mix and match approach, but certainly not wrong as you imply.

clift_d wrote:

CovKid wrote:Said this MANY times, and only the completely foolish replace the lot with powerflex.

You pays your money you makes your choices. We've replaced everything on our van with powerflex, and we don't feel foolish - it's a choice we made. Not necessarily any more right than any other mix and match approach, but certainly not wrong as you imply.

I'm in full agreement with you here Clift_d.
I did mine years ago and have never had any problems with them.

Ive heard of people using a large jubilee clip to compress the leading flange on the bush.

Titus A Duxass wrote:

clift_d wrote:

CovKid wrote:Said this MANY times, and only the completely foolish replace the lot with powerflex.

You pays your money you makes your choices. We've replaced everything on our van with powerflex, and we don't feel foolish - it's a choice we made. Not necessarily any more right than any other mix and match approach, but certainly not wrong as you imply.

I'm in full agreement with you here Clift_d.
I did mine years ago and have never had any problems with them.

It's not about (never) having problems or being foolish with one's decision in my mind. I'm suggesting the costs of Powerflex over OEM doesn't warrant their use for an averagely slow camper. To me there was no noticeable improvement in handling, steering or gear change. And I was fortunate enough to run two vans side by side for six months. One with Powerflex and the other with OEM fittings. Nothing led me to believe the Powerflex version was a £130.00 improvement.

However, if I were racing such vans with a V8 in the back, I would certainly fit them....plus a host of other (perhaps) psychological improvements too. But for daily use? Not anymore.