Flo-Flex LCA Bushes

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yung-gun
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Mon Jan 21, 2013 9:57 am

Hey guys, Bought a set of LCA Flo-Flex bushes. they are in perfect condition as they have never been fitted. I pressed my original bushes out of the lollipop and the Flo-Flex buhses will push in and out freely by hand.

has anyone encountered this problem before with Flo-Flex bushes?

Cheers
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yung-gun
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Wed Jan 23, 2013 11:48 am

No one?
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HairyScreech
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Wed Jan 23, 2013 8:58 pm

its normal. poly bushes rely on bearing action rather than the flex of the material.
this is why they need periodic lubrication.

i expect they are tight in the housing and loose on the shaft?

fwiw i wouldn't bother with poly lca bushes. just use eccentric bmw ones.
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Brianmoooore
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Wed Jan 23, 2013 11:22 pm

HairyScreech wrote:its normal. poly bushes rely on bearing action.....
Bearing action = friction; which you don't want on suspension joints. OE bushes are frictionless.
HairyScreech
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Thu Jan 24, 2013 5:28 pm

Not quite true.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysteresis ... hysteresis
Rubber also has a spring rate which is not damped as accurately as the suspension damping and allows movement in more directions than is desired.
If rubber was truly frictionless and could be made to deflect in one one direction then poly bushes and solid bonze bushes would be redundant.
I'm sure i have seen somewhere info to the tune of lubricated poly having less friction than rubber has hysteresis but lubricated poly is a pig. Periodic lubrication is a significant factor in the function and life of poly bushes.
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yung-gun
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Mon Jan 28, 2013 3:35 pm

The bushes push out of the lollipop freely by hand, these would have no use when it cam, to hard braking as they would move back out of the lollipop

I have spoken to a member of the Flo-Flex team they say that all bushes are produced at the same specification.
I had to purchase some new Q-drive bushes due to the fact that i ruined the old bushes pressing them out and my new oem ones fit perfectly

How can they be a direct replacement part if they do not fit the same as an oem part?
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M1k3
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Mon Jan 28, 2013 3:41 pm

Mine are the same, but under hard braking the inner balljoint won't move which in turn won't allow the bottom arm to move. I've never had an issue with mine. As long as it hasnt got side to side movement they will be fine.
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yung-gun
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Mon Jan 28, 2013 4:14 pm

Thank you mate, so they will press in by hand initially. i think i'll get some different lollipops so i can faf about without having to immobilize the car for a day or 2
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M1k3
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Mon Jan 28, 2013 4:28 pm

Yes mate, just make sure you put them in the right way, I had to strip mine back down because I put one in the wrong way :o:
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