Patrick, I can only speak for the poly bushings. Simply stated, go for them. I
upgraded my 76 Spitfire with poly bushings all around and it made a world of
difference. No more play in the steering, instant response to steering, and no
wandering, tail wagging, or oversteer. When I removed the rubber bushings, they
all looked like new (no signs of wear or shrinkage).
The slop in the steering you have now is probably due to worn bushings on the
steering rack. If you move the steering wheel while watching the steering rack,
you will likely see it moving back and forth without the wheels actually moving.
New poly bushings will cure that.
Vic Whitmore
76 Spitfire
Thornhill, Ontario
"Bowen, Patrick A. RP2" wrote:
>
> I am preparing to rebuild the front end of my car (within a month... see
> how long it takes me to do something, or save up for it). I have several
> questions to try and determine how much I need to replace, remember I am on
> a budget. If my bearings appear good, no noticeable scoring or marks and
> they spin freely, is it ok to reuse them? Is it worth the extra cost to
> use polyurethane bushings rather than stock rubber? In the Vicky Brit
> Winter Special Catalog it shows (pg.52) Woodhead shock absorbers for
> $29.95, any experience with these? How do I know if my coil springs are
> still good, it seems that I as once told they should be 12inches tall,
> uncompressed mine are probably closer to 16 (using the always accurate
> eyeball rule).
>
> Currently my steering wheel has about 15 to 20 degrees of freeplay in it,
> what causes this. Do I need to replace my tie rods? What else is there to
> inspect on the rack and pinion? Should I replace the rack and pinion
> bushings? rubber/polyurethane? And finally the anti-sway bar, should I
> replace its bushings with rubber/polyurethane? Do the end links wear and
> should I replace them.
>
> Is there anything else that I should take into consideration before doing
> this?
> Tons of thanks in advance!!
>
> Patrick Bowen
> '79 Spitfire
> Jacksonville FL
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