strut bushing, proper assembly, the Final Word (version 6)
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strut bushing, proper assembly, the Final Word (version 6)



After long deliberation, three lawsuits, murder, world war(s),
tea-leave consultations and a glance at some AMC TSMs (aka
tea-leaves in a cup) I've determined with good certainty that the
direction of the cupped washers on strut bushings is totally
arbitrary. Sort of.

The TSMs I have do not spell out assembly in detail, but have
grotty little pictures that "hint". Here's what I found. Schematic
drawing of the strut with front-of-car on the left:


1963: ---------------------( |== (-- (one piece)

1970:
           ---------------------( |= =| )--  (two piece)

1972: (drawing vague)
           ---------------------) |= =| )--  (two piece)

1974:
           ---------------------( |== )--    (one piece) (see notes)
           ---------------------( |= =| )--  (two piece)

1977:
           ---------------------( |= =| )--  (two piece)


Pre-1965 don't really count, as they are of a different design than later parts, though the general design (load-bearing bushing and all that) is the same they use a different part.

I've used three different brands of rubber and one polyurethane
part. All the rubber parts were of different shape.

_ The "traditional" one is a simple truncated cone with a
  cylindrical base, plus the stepped part that fits in the hole.

_ The most-recent part is the same, except the truncated cone
  is undercut; it has a concave shape, probably the cheap bastards
  saving a bit of materials cost.

_ The third shape is very substantial; the center steel bush
  instead has a flange, goes on the outside of the (included)
  cupped washer, which is nearly 1/4" thick, and the rubber
  is massive. Looks like a truck part! Might be a Jeep part.

_ The poly part was a copy of the traditional shape; I cut
  these down for the Rambler fix.

Alas, I did not record the brand names of these items, except that
the most recent, undercut part is NAPA 274-9054. MOOG #K3090,
Perfect Circle #FA685 are good-quality "traditional" ones, and
Norris McQuay? FA685 might be the super-good one.

LEGEND:

   (
   )   The cupped washers.


|== is the old-style one-piece bushing. Parts stores always list it, but in my lifetime I have never seen one available, and yes, I asked. NOS parts for 1963-1964 are available; I bought one and it self-destructed within days (ancient rubber).

       I find it strange that it's mentioned in 1974
       (though it would be a different part than 1963-1964)
       and not in 72 or 77.


|= =| The two-piece bushing we all know and love and

still available today, used on 1965?-1989.





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