Polybush or not? Been put off....

[dibble34]

So I was going to ploybush my top engine mount, strut brace and front wishbones. However I have been put off by a Volvo mechanic who said don’t as it will ruin the drive and make other normal bushes fail prematurely like the subframe bushes which are a git to replace. He also said not to worry about play in the strut brace and engine mount and it was designed to be like that and stiffens under load?
It’s a Volvo S60r, what do you guys think? I really don’t want to ruin the car..

[LeeT5]

So I was going to ploybush my top engine mount, strut brace and front wishbones. However I have been put off by a Volvo mechanic who said don’t as it will ruin the drive and make other normal bushes fail prematurely like the subframe bushes which are a git to replace. He also said not to worry about play in the strut brace and engine mount and it was designed to be like that and stiffens under load?
It’s a Volvo S60r, what do you guys think? I really don’t want to ruin the car..

Utter rubbish!

It's important to change the right ones and with the right poly.

Read my Project thread, it'll help!

http://www.vpcuk.org/forums/showthread.php?51462-LeeT5-s-V70R-Project

[Gold 'N' Brown]

I've done my top engine mount bush with the round Supaflex purple bush like Lee has done (you need an earlier mount though with the round hole instead of square hole) and there was no noticeable extra vibrations.

The one that I did learn the hard way with, though, is the "torque rod" that goes between the gearbox and front subframe. I stupidly opted for a Proparts Sweden part that has blue polybushes, and it was just awful. The vibrations were so bad it causes one of my radiator top bolts to work free and drop out. Even after thread locking the radiator bolts the plastic fan shroud would rattle at idle which you could hear noticeably from standing in front of the car. Not to mention the cabin vibrations of course. Throttle response was great, gear shifts more positive but after 6 months I was sick of it and ripped it out to be replaced by a genuine Volvo OE part instead. I'm not saying don't poly bush, or even don't poly bush the torque rod, but I would definitely steer clear of the pro parts sweden version! Poly bushing can be a lottery but if you can follow the lead of someone like Lee who has beenthere and done it, you're less likely to be disappointed.

[Gold 'N' Brown]

Oh and another thing, it's worth checking your subframe bushes anyway. I believe they are a bit of a pig to replace (I've got two still on my To Do list). You can fit poly inserts that fill the void within them, that are cheap and easy to do. But it's only possible if the bushes aren't too far gone in the first place. My back two the rubber has swelled due to the metal collar corroding so I can't actually get the poly inserts to go in to them. For the age of these cars now, any that are still on original bushes may well be in a similar state.

I very much doubt that poly bushing other areas will cause premature failure of the subframe bushes though.

[Ric@rdo]

I have the top mount bush in poly (round version), poly inserts on the subframe bushes, small poly bush in the "torque rod" also known as the transmission mount (I kept the big bush OEM) and I have 0 vibrations in the cabin.

[LeeT5]

What works for S60R/V70R is not the same as any other as the 4C shocks and the suspension is completely different.

In my R I have:

Replaced square top engine mount and replaced with earlier round mount with a Supaflex poly bush.
Subframe bushes all have very hard white poly inserts.
Engine brace bushes removed and solid IPD alloy brackets fitted.
Engine top mount small bush is PF purple poly.
Transmission torque mount was replaced with the latest (updated) OE mount but the small bush removed and replaced with PF purple poly.

All the above = no cabin vibration. However, gear change, acceleration/deceleration, throttle response and 5 pot burble are all significantly improved.

Wishbone front bushes are PF purple poly
Wishbone rear bushes are stock.
Various rear suspension bushes have all been replaced with PF purple and black series bushes.

This has tightened up the handling and response of the chassis, making it feel less ‘wafty’ and more like how a new car feels, all tight and agile without, IMH, compromising the comfort of the car.

Clearly, it’s stiffer than a stock R on stock rubber bushes but not to the point of it being unforgiving or crashy.

[dibble34]

Thanks guys. Assume PF is powerflex? Would you recommend I get the round engine top mount and pf that rather than pf my square mount?

[LeeT5]

Thanks guys. Assume PF is powerflex? Would you recommend I get the round engine top mount and pf that rather than pf my square mount?

Correct!

If all you want to do is poly your top mount, then the completely slack Larger top bush will just transmit the vibration to the bulkhead and cause the dreaded dash vibration that most people experience.

You need to poly other bushes too, to get a fine balance of performance without vibration.

In my experience, having the large top mount bush as soft as possible (obviously better than stock) will prevent unwanted dash vibration.

You could get the yellow square PF bush for your top mount and see what happens, but like I said, this will just expose weaker bushes elsewhere and you'll likely have a negative effect.

My advice is to start from the ground up! Wishbone bushes, Subframe bushes then Transmission torque mount bushs.

[LeeT5]

SuperPro Large top mount bush.....

Part# SPF2563K

https://www.superpro.com.au/find/superpro-bushing-kit-for-a-superpro-suspension-parts-and-poly-bushings-for-volvo-v70-sw-2000-2007-/productnr-SPF2563K/cid-999501624/vid-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SuperPro-Polyurethane-Front-Engine-Steady-Car-Bush-Kit-OE-Replacement-SPF2563K/331509011687?epid=1425291320&hash=item4d2f7a14e7:g:dKMAAOSwivJZ3hIx

You'll need the round type bracket. ;)

[dibble34]

Understood, and I shall update this with progress. Going to sort wishbones, top mount and try my luck with subframe inserts as a first plan of attack. Thanks for the advice

[Georgeandkira]

I just replaced the square insert in my '07's top mount with PF yellow and I installed purple no-name fillers into the brace's ends.
It took 2 days to accommodate the MINOR increase in vibration.
Also, months ago I added the sub-frame fillers. I'd recommend both options as they did tighten the handling a bit but if you're behind on ANY maintenance, do that first.

This applies to anyone driving on cheap tires. No sense in doing any mods if you're on dangerous rubber.

I installed polys in the control arm of my 2002 and highly recommend those.

[LeeT5]

Trouble with the yellow poly from PF is its known to fail.
It failed on mine years ago, which is why it’s better on the later P2 square bushes. But, imho it’s still too soft for a top mount bush.

Purple is better and firmer.