1966 Strut Rod Bushing Question

I haven't had much success with one piece bushings. I replaced them on a 65 American many years ago and they split after a couple of weeks. These were genuine parts from the Rambler dealer back then. I remember they were a tight squeeze through the bracket, but tightening them up so the other side balloons out just doesn't seem right, even though that's the way the factory meant it to be and worked on thousands of cars. I found a suitable local Ford Falcon two piece set that just needed trimming a bit and they worked well for years.

6PakBee wrote: Boy, I hope that the ones I bought from NAPA for my SC/Rambler are going to fit.  The application guide says the Marlin and American are the same bushing.  I see that NAPA lists two piece bushings from Rare Parts but I couldn't tell how they would be installed and at the time I bought the one piece didn't see the need.  I have heard about problems with the Machine strut bushings and did get the two piece NAPA units for them. https://www.napaonline.com/en/search?text=strut+bushing&isApplication=true&isInterchange=true&referer=herofitmentForm-newveh

"Rare Parts" is what these bushings are. Probably identical. Your car might have a bigger bracket in the frame though...

While I do not have a vehicle with trunion suspension and can not comment on whether a bushing is universal in size when going from trunion to ball joints I have used the one piece bushings on front suspensions. The installed with out a problem. However if advertised as New Old Stock? They have failed quite quickly. In some cases before I got the car back on the ground.

There was a heavy duty one piece bushing made for Eagles. I wonder if that's what you have?

In any case, if you have the adjuster nut on both sides of the bushing I'd go to the two piece design. Same as used on later Hornet/Concord, etc. Much better!

 If you don't have an adjusting nut on the front you're stuck with the one piece (which doesn't usually last long) or can go to a "half-n-half" urethane and rubber setup. If you cut the rubber two piece to fit correctly it loses some structural integrity and the strut rod will push through the bushing. Order one set of polyurethane strut rod bushings and one standard rubber. The poly is tough enough you can cut it down to fit the front without the rod pushing through. It will jar the car a bit harder when you hit something like a pot hole, but on good roads you won't notice. Get a single rubber set and use rubber on the back side. If you use poly on both sides the harder bushings will slow down and even limit suspension travel. Using a rubber half on the back side reduces that effect.

I ran mine like that for several years. Too many pot holes in Gulf Coast Mississippi (I was stationed at Gulfport)!! I got a set of Concord strut rods, cut mine and the Conocrd in half, and welded them together. Was a welding instructor for USAF at the time, took them in the shop, beveled, and welded back up! Love the adjustable strut rods with rubber bushings on both sides.