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  1. #1
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    Thumbs up Powerflexed the Lower Torque Rod

    Today, I braved the showers and at times cold winds to finally get around to Powerflexing the Lower Torque Rod that joins the subframe to the gearbox. I also did another little job on the rear end today that I'll post in a separate thread. Anyway, here's how it went......

    This is the rod immediately after I took it off the car....



    The Torque Rod isn't actually that old, less than 12 months from what I remember, but to be honest the movement in the large bushing was pretty gob smacking (see video link)........

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIf5f...ature=youtu.be

    So I broke the rod down in to it's individual components, the 'snail' piece consisting of the large bushing, the centre tie bar and the small end that attached to the gearbox....



    Incidentally, you can see just how inferior the original rubber bushings are by simply looking at the daylight poking through the crack in the large bush (shocking!) ....



    Next, it was a case of drilling out the old bushings (the large one was the easiest, can't you tell! ), and then I had to cut the plastic casing out from the snail end using a hacksaw before twisting out with some plumbers grips....





    Out came the blow torch afterwards to burn off the rubber from the small end (sorry about the poor lens focus on this shot)......



    Next, all the parts went off to the 'JamesT5 Paint Shop' for a coat of good old Hammerite Silver.......



    I got on with 'the other job' whilst I waited a few hours for the paint to dry and then it was time to push in the new bushes. The large bush went in really easily, the small bush was complete ball ache because the one side didn't quite want to push in all the way which meant getting the small end back in to the centre tie bar was nothing short of hard work. This of course was made a lot harder by the Black Series Powerflex compound being so stiff, but in the end I managed without the need to go and buy a G-Clamp or Hydraulic Press (I could of done with one). Incidentally, it helped to put the bolt through and tighten it up to press the bushing in before undoing the bolt again, then using brute force to wiggle it in to the centre tie piece, still, very hard work and a total PITA non the less.

    The completed Powerflexed Mount, both off and on the car.....



    (Again, sorry about the poor lens focus....)



    In terms of how the car feels, well all I can say is it feels totally epic! I'm really pleased with it and the whole front end just feels 'alive' and just like it's behaving itself. Everything feels really nice and tight and I just feel that the engine is really 'connected' to the car. There is a slight increase in vibration around the footwell area during idle, but this is totally fine and actually enhances the driving experience.

    I'm really pleased with the result and I now have every Powerflex bushing they make for the P2 V70 front end on the car and I'm lovin' it!

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    Ive just fitted a new torque rod myself yesterday, still feel the movement through the gearstick when coming off the throttle, wouldnt surprise me if its failed already, i probably should of went the powerflex route but was weary of too much vibration.
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    Quote Originally Posted by pillapow View Post
    Ive just fitted a new torque rod myself yesterday, still feel the movement through the gearstick when coming off the throttle, wouldnt surprise me if its failed already, i probably should of went the powerflex route but was weary of too much vibration.
    The vibration isn't anywhere near as bad as you think. People seem to have the perception that the whole car will shake itself to pieces when Powerflexing the front end like I have. But the truth is, there is more vibration and some people don't like it, but for me there vibration really isn't as bad as you'd think and I like the way the Powerflex bushes make the car feel reassuringly sturdy like it's 'stuck together' and will stay that way for the life of the car.

    I really will not go back to rubber ever again unless there is no alternative, I can't tell you what a difference it makes Powerflexing the car. I've just got to look at the back end now as I'd really like to get the whole car on Polybushes and I'm already half way there!

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    Quote Originally Posted by pillapow View Post
    Ive just fitted a new torque rod myself yesterday, still feel the movement through the gearstick when coming off the throttle, wouldnt surprise me if its failed already, i probably should of went the powerflex route but was weary of too much vibration.
    By the way, if you're worried about vibration then go for the softer Powerflex ranges but if you're as keen and enthusiastic as I am about a sturdy ride, then Black Series all the way!

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    By the way, did I tell you I fitted some Nivomats...?







    Just kidding.........

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    Quote Originally Posted by JamesT5 View Post
    I like the way the Powerflex bushes make the car feel reassuringly sturdy like it's 'stuck together'
    I reckon I know what you mean. Many years ago I replaced the rubber bushes on the rear beam of a 205 GTI, with what is know as Group N mounts (a popular modification). This comprised of hard nylon inserts for the front mounts, replacing rubber, and at the rear the rubber "sandwich" mounts are replaced with alloy blocks. So you end up with a beam that's very solidly mounted to the shell.

    Anyway, the downside was a slight increase in cabin drone as road noise was transmitted back through the beam and in to the shell. But the thing that struck me most - and this is where I think I can relate to what you are saying - is that is made a massive (positive) difference to how the entire car felt. It felt sturdy, tight, fresh. It was as if that one small change had turned it from 80s Peugeot tin can build quality in to something more typically Germanic.

    I have very little other experience of uprated bushes on any cars, but it's clear that bush choice is a very personal thing. Everyone will have a different tolerance to NVH. You seem pleased with your choices, so good for you!
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    good work James.
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    Quote Originally Posted by JamesT5 View Post

    Incidentally, you can see just how inferior the original rubber bushings are by simply looking at the daylight poking through the crack in the large bush (shocking!) ....


    Just to clarify James, that's NOT a crack in the rubber. If you look closely at the larger bush you will see that it's point of contact are infant top and bottom, as per your picture. The bush is not round and does not make full contact with the entire circumference of the bush frame. The crack that you see is, in fact excess rubber from the casting of the mould. The rubber is wafer thin at that point and not part of the actual bush. You will see exactly the same hairline crack on a brand new bush! It does not affect the characteristics or performance of the rubber bush.
    I know your not bothered now as you have replaced the bushes, i just wanted to point that out incase anyone was wondering if their bush is cracked. The picture is misleading as are your comments (thou I know not intended), hence my reason for clarification.
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeeT5 View Post
    Just to clarify James, that's NOT a crack in the rubber. If you look closely at the larger bush you will see that it's point of contact are infant top and bottom, as per your picture. The bush is not round and does not make full contact with the entire circumference of the bush frame. The crack that you see is, in fact excess rubber from the casting of the mould. The rubber is wafer thin at that point and not part of the actual bush. You will see exactly the same hairline crack on a brand new bush! It does not affect the characteristics or performance of the rubber bush.
    I know your not bothered now as you have replaced the bushes, i just wanted to point that out incase anyone was wondering if their bush is cracked. The picture is misleading as are your comments (thou I know not intended), hence my reason for clarification.
    I think you're being a little pedantic here, I don't really give flying monkey about whether that gap is or isn't supposed to be there but it looks like a crack when you see it.

    The fact remains that the original bush is quite clearly inferior to the solid Powerflex bushings that are now in the mount and the video clip I posted says it all. If I can bend that bushing in the mount like I did with my bare hands, just think how much force the engine puts on it. The small bushings tend to fail first in these mounts, I know that because my original had failed and another small end that came attached to my current gearbox was exactly the same. Yet, to see how much effort it took to drill out the small bushing from the above mount makes you appreciate just how much force these Torque Mounts take. So that hole in the original large bushing just invites premature wear and tear, something totally eradicated by fitting a solid Powerflex version.

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    James for your info LR Defender guys do not fit powerflex bushes because they do not last as long as the standard ones that are fitted.
    Different type of vehicles I know but maybe the same outcome.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmie View Post
    James for your info LR Defender guys do not fit powerflex bushes because they do not last as long as the standard ones that are fitted.
    Different type of vehicles I know but maybe the same outcome.
    Powerflex offer a "Lifetime Warranty" on all their bushes, they wouldn't offer that if they were prone to failing like a rubber bushing. That's enough for me and says it all!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmie View Post
    James for your info LR Defender guys do not fit powerflex bushes because they do not last as long as the standard ones that are fitted.
    Different type of vehicles I know but maybe the same outcome.
    I'd be interested to see pics of a failed powerflex bush. With factory bushes having gaps, contours & sleeves etc they are normally the areas to giveaway. I'm genuinely interested in seeing how the powerflex bushes (as they are solid) fail

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    Quote Originally Posted by p fandango View Post
    I'd be interested to see pics of a failed powerflex bush. With factory bushes having gaps, contours & sleeves etc they are normally the areas to giveaway. I'm genuinely interested in seeing how the powerflex bushes (as they are solid) fail
    what a failed poly bush looks like.
    beit not a powerflex...
    Name:  post-1374-0-02308400-1374423567_thumb.jpg
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    lol....PPS specials no doubt.

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    Quote Originally Posted by stephenevans99 View Post
    lol....PPS specials no doubt.
    whos pps

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmie View Post
    James for your info LR Defender guys do not fit powerflex bushes because they do not last as long as the standard ones that are fitted.
    Different type of vehicles I know but maybe the same outcome.
    As you pointed out, you're not comparing apples with apples. On another marque of vehicle I'm involved with it's widely regarded that the OE wishbone bushes should not be replaced with poly bushes as they are proven to not last as long. In fact some poly bushes have been known to fail within a few hundred miles.

    It's not just the type of vehicle in question, it's also the type of bush and the manufacturer of those bushes that needs to be considered. That's why what is known to work and not work on one type of car isn't necessarily going to be the same on a different car.
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    Quote Originally Posted by JamesT5 View Post
    I think you're being a little pedantic here, I don't really give flying monkey about whether that gap is or isn't supposed to be there but it looks like a crack when you see it.

    The fact remains that the original bush is quite clearly inferior to the solid Powerflex bushings that are now in the mount and the video clip I posted says it all. If I can bend that bushing in the mount like I did with my bare hands, just think how much force the engine puts on it. The small bushings tend to fail first in these mounts, I know that because my original had failed and another small end that came attached to my current gearbox was exactly the same. Yet, to see how much effort it took to drill out the small bushing from the above mount makes you appreciate just how much force these Torque Mounts take. So that hole in the original large bushing just invites premature wear and tear, something totally eradicated by fitting a solid Powerflex version.
    FFS James, I was not being pedantic! Read my post again!!!
    I was not having a pop at you nor was I intending to undermine your thread. The fact is YOU were incorrect in what you said about the Bush having a 'crack' in it. Being as your post will be viewed by thousands of others, I had to stress that in fact what you had shown in your picture was not a crack at all but was totally normal in that type of rubber bush, due to the way it is manufactured.
    To coin your phrase 'I don't give a flying monkey about whether that gap is or isn't supposed to be there' just illustrates your unwillingness to learn and, also demonstrates how immature you can be in your responses to other peoples threads.

    Quote Originally Posted by JamesT5 View Post
    Powerflex offer a "Lifetime Warranty" on all their bushes, they wouldn't offer that if they were prone to failing like a rubber bushing. That's enough for me and says it all!
    I rest my case!
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeeT5 View Post
    FFS James, I was not being pedantic! Read my post again!!!
    I was not having a pop at you nor was I intending to undermine your thread. The fact is YOU were incorrect in what you said about the Bush having a 'crack' in it. Being as your post will be viewed by thousands of others, I had to stress that in fact what you had shown in your picture was not a crack at all but was totally normal in that type of rubber bush, due to the way it is manufactured.
    To coin your phrase 'I don't give a flying monkey about whether that gap is or isn't supposed to be there' just illustrates your unwillingness to learn and, also demonstrates how immature you can be in your responses to other peoples threads.



    I rest my case!
    Lee, for what it's worth I was about to post the same advice but, anticipating the response, I didn't bother.

    However having spent many years on the tools, IMHO you are correct to point it out as there is clearly one person who thought the bush was U/S or "inferior". Like the bush in the OE upper engine mounting there too, the way the rubber is moulded, it could lead the less experienced to mistakenly assume the bush was requiring replacement.
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  27. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeeT5 View Post
    FFS James, I was not being pedantic! Read my post again!!!
    I was not having a pop at you nor was I intending to undermine your thread. The fact is YOU were incorrect in what you said about the Bush having a 'crack' in it. Being as your post will be viewed by thousands of others, I had to stress that in fact what you had shown in your picture was not a crack at all but was totally normal in that type of rubber bush, due to the way it is manufactured.
    To coin your phrase 'I don't give a flying monkey about whether that gap is or isn't supposed to be there' just illustrates your unwillingness to learn and, also demonstrates how immature you can be in your responses to other peoples threads.



    I rest my case!
    No, I think you lack maturity, going off on one with troll-like behaviour on virtually every thread I post. For a man who claims to know so much about these cars, yours seems to spend a lot of time in the Volvo garage which says it all to me - an ego bigger than your knowledge.

    Sorry mate, you respond so abruptly to me all the time then my replies will be the same back to you. My attitude will change no more than yours will but just stop hijacking my threads and devaluing the content of my initial post.


 

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