Powerflex bushes are rubbish?

[Hans Efde]

Powerflex is going to send me bushes of 27.25mm diameter. These should solve my problem. I suppose my bushes did not belong in this kit, so check them if you buy them. Ed had a problem with his AR bar bushes from Powerflex. When he described them to me I believe he accidentally got Rover 100 bushes. My AR bar bushes fit perfectly.

[Hans Efde]

Today I received a package from Powerflex with new bushes. These are completely different. They are purple and have a small oversize so it was a squeeze to get them in (but no press needed), the flanges are not shortened like the yellow ones and are thicker. Result is a suspension arm that sits pretty tight and free from play in the subframe. Now I can install the subframe in the car and get the rest of the stuff in, including an expansion bottle from a Seat Ibiza I got from the breakers yard this morning.
Here are a few pics of the new bushes:

[Hans Efde]

Great, I installed the anti roll bar but again problems with the Powerflex bushes kit PFF63-205. They don't have the inner radius the original Metro bush has. So it gets distorted by the curve of the anti roll bar. First I installed the bushes with the cut facing aft:



This looked quite bad, so I reversed them. With the cut facing forward it's better, but not the perfect performance part I wanted:


Again this looks like a Rover 100 (post 90 Metro) part. So If you still have the original bushes, hang on to them like a gibbon.They are the best.
I have asked Powerflex for a review of my pics, so maybe they turn up with a better design.

[Alan D.]

Hello Hans,

I've got two sub-frames to build, a standard one and a coil spring subframe in the next couple of weeks. I was wondering if you had the correct part numbers for the bushes and a contact for Powerflex?

Regards Alan

[Hans Efde]

Hi Alan,
The contact is Paul Solbe (paul@powerflex.co.uk). The inner lower front bushes I received were packed with a paper stating 4x5-109 pu, 2x 344014 sleeve, 1x grease.
For the anti roll bar bushes they haven't yet come up with an alternative. I am going on holiday in a few days time, but if I haven't heard from them when I come back I'll send them a reminder. If they do not supply a better bush I am a bit puzzled where to go next. Keep the ill fitting Powerflex bushes or ditch them and install standard Metro ones?

[Alan D.]

Thank you Hans,

I'll await instructions.

Alan

[Richard moss]

Perhaps if you put an aluminium (or steel) shim between the flat face of the ARB bush and the subframe then it should close the bush up.

[Hans Efde]

I am busy with Paul Solbe to improve the design. One of his ideas was to increase the height of the bush to close the gap. He also sent me an email about the cut being in the wrong place and was going to change the tooling. Also I have stressed the fact that there should be a sort of chamfer inside as per the original bush. Powerflex hadn't realized the bush was so close to the bend of the AR bar.
This afternoon I will disassemble my AR bar and take measurements of the bracket and email it to them. In the end I hope that they supply us with a high performance part that does what we pay for.

[Hans Efde]

I just heard from Polyservice that they are almost ready with a new AR bush for the Metro and that I should receive the prototype next week. Hopefully this cures the fitting problems. Among the missing inner chamfer, during the production of the present bush they made the mistake by placing the cut in the side. Originally the Powerflex bush had the cut in the flat part as per the original but (appararently after the fire) they lost the data and produced a number of bushes with the cut in the wrong place. I have asked Powerflex to come up with the proper partnumbers for the new kits (also for the lower inner bushes).
TBC.

[Stuart]

Good work Hans, I look forward to seeing the new bushes, fingers crossed they'll be perfect this time. I shall be buying some if you give them the thumbs up.