Strut rod washers.... correct way to use.

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Lil' bit off topic but when doing rubber bushings on any car DO NOT GREASE THEM (the grease will deteriorate the rubber) but Do use never seize compound it will keep away the squeeks and Not deteriorate the rubber
 
put them anyway you want on your car but I put mine back like they came from factory
 
This is Easy----I just put adjustable strut rods on,Huh No bushings to worry about or which way the washer goes--It's that simple Imagine that--Steve
 
Another post about the dudes PST bushing going bad and we all thought his cupped away washer was incorrect. Turns out that its all over the place on the internet. MoparMuscle has 2 articles and they show them both ways. I was told by a competent authority (Dude with a beard...?) That the cup is AWAY from the rubber...that way when the rod changed angle, as in suspension travel, the washer will not pinch the bushing. Think about it this way, grab the bar and move it off the LCA. you can move it more if the cup is away, right? Maybe even Mopar changed things. BUT, I got a 65 FSM that show concave (cup) toward the bushing...so Install them whichever way you like. Low travel suspension, I would cup them in. 4X4 or pickup, I would cup them out. And the inner sleeve prevents you from overtightening them.
 
pishta said:
Another post about the dudes PST bushing going bad and we all thought his cupped away washer was incorrect. Turns out that its all over the place on the internet. MoparMuscle has 2 articles and they show them both ways. I was told by a competent authority (Dude with a beard...?) That the cup is AWAY from the rubber...that way when the rod changed angle, as in suspension travel, the washer will not pinch the bushing. Think about it this way, grab the bar and move it off the LCA. you can move it more if the cup is away, right? Maybe even Mopar changed things. BUT, I got a 65 FSM that show concave (cup) toward the bushing...so Install them whichever way you like. Low travel suspension, I would cup them in. 4X4 or pickup, I would cup them out. And the inner sleeve prevents you from overtightening them.
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I'm taking a beating in that thread as well.
 
shanker said:
I'm taking a beating in that thread as well.
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no one is trying to beat you up man. there has been an ongoing debate over this. with every factory car i have ever seen , the bushing has always been cupped. and that is the way i will always do it. like i say, i have done front ends that ,to this day, over 40,000 miles on them, the bushings look almost as new as the day they went on. no cracking or splitting. ultimately , its your choice , but for arguements sake, not one person has shown a factory built front end with the cup center facing in, where we have shown a number of pics and examples of cars with the bushing cupped. so dont sweat it, no big deal. maybe these aftermarket people are telling people to use their product that way, but even with my last PST bushings, they are cupped like the factory did it. and i will gaurantee, they will last a long long time that way.
 
The washers you recieve with the moog bushings are not even close th the same design as the originals. The originals are a tapered washers. And face the rubber The chrysler bushings also had a taper. On the replacement sets the bushing is wider then the radius edge on the washer.

Thats right radius not tapered . The bushing Has a wide flat surface which when coupled to the radius out it provides more movement with the same front and back stabilty. This provides equal pressure to the bushing for a longer life.

The originals were tapered and encapsulated the rubber which gave less travel and made for a stiffer suspension. The reason for the change was to prevent the strut from breaking under severe up and down motions and to hold a better alignment while moving.

a adjustable strut with a swivel would be the nuts with the original washers and rubber. I am not crazy about the idea of having no cushon from the K -member to the Lower control arm on the street. I believe there should be rubber

I had two piece red poly bushings in my duster. The washers were on as instructed this side to rubber. I had the correct 73 up shorter rods, I put the car up against the roll control and I saw a hunk of red rubber fly out the side. Its destroyed that poly bushing instantly. I installed one piece with the correct washers and struts they are still in the car its 3 years. I am going to be yanking everytjing out the bottom to install my billet timing cover . We will take a look at them then and take some pics.
 
OE was always cupped toward bushing. Moog brand "problem solver" improved design installs the other way around. Just depends on brand.
 
:thumbrig: Yep, Just what norcal mentions.

The Moog bushings are designed differently than the PSC or factory bushings. There is a metal sleeve at the small end of the bushings that is built in and absorbs most of the impact. That's why the washer is marked "this side out". It's a completely different/improved design.

My opinion for 'ya
 
d5667 said:
Just went out and looked at my38000 mile 68 cuda.Also looked at my 79 Warlock,Sorry I don't have a duster here.Both the same way.Looked at 70 dart-it has over 90000 miles,all cupped over the bushings.Let us know what you find.Maybe thats just how they did them in St Louis.
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Just looked at my 62,000 mile 68 Barracuda and my wife's 89,000 73 Dart.

None of the bushings appear to have been changed or tampered with.

I found the same thing you found.
 
Have cars both ways, I would do what ever way you want but, if you have the washer stamped a particular way, thats how I would install it.
 
I see comments that poly bushings are junk. Seems like PST wouldn't offer those if they are. I replaced all of the front suspension bushings with poly from PST and am well pleased.
 
Tadams said:
I see comments that poly bushings are junk. Seems like PST wouldn't offer those if they are. I replaced all of the front suspension bushings with poly from PST and am well pleased.
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Agreed.
 
Lot's of junk sold in the aftermarket.
Nothing new about that.
I put this page together 15 years ago. And the photo from Steve's former website is even older than that.
Making A-Body Strut rod Bushings Work
You need to check everything and make your own decisions.
 
From the 1967 Factory Service Manual, This is with OEM style bushings, If I had aftermarket bushings I'd install per the recommendations.


Alan

1967.jpg
 
My .02 on this. I just went through this on my car. I got the Mogg replacement bushings with new washers. I thought it was wierd to install them with cup facing inward toward the bushing. So I installed them with the cup outward. My friend has a ‘67 Cuda that’s untouched. I noticed the washers are installed with the cup facing the bushing/kframe. I got to thinking about it. It makes sense to install it with the cup facing the bushing. It forces the stepped part of the bushing to stay seated in the kframe when the suspension is moving, along with a little less binding. Installed with the cup out, when the suspension moves, it would seem that the bushing would be pinched around the outside and possibly cause the stepped part of the bushing to be able to move in and out the kframe. Maybe I’m just blowing hot air but that makes the most sense to me.
 
Mattax said:
Lot's of junk sold in the aftermarket.
Nothing new about that.
I put this page together 15 years ago. And the photo from Steve's former website is even older than that.
Making A-Body Strut rod Bushings Work
You need to check everything and make your own decisions.
Click to expand...

I had to do a similar thing with my Polys back in 1999 when I installed IIRC PSTs. It helped with getting some caster. Those bushings are still in there with perhaps as much as 135,000 miles on them, many many of them hard; so I would not use the word junk.
Like Mattax said; "You need to check everything and make your own decisions".
and I will add;think about it guys. Think about the job that rod has to do; why that end is flex mounted; and what it does when the car is moving along in traffic,stopping, going, and turning. When you slam the brakes on, what keeps the wheel from tearing off?
 
Just to muddy up the waters a bit.....
Just spoke with FirmFeel, they say with their stuff you cup the washers toward the driver. Commented there is the most movement on the inside, so that is why they recommend doing it that way.
 
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