100 mile bushings

tomj wrote: Brendang2000 wrote: Well, no more rubber strut rod bushings for me, poly it is:(  This is the second set I've gone through in a few hundred miles; both were NOS.  NOS rubber is bad rubber. It's never any good. It actually angers me that parts suppliers sell it as replacement parts. Its never any good it's simply too old. It goes bad sitting on the shelf. I do realize there have been threads on this forum arguing that stored properly rubber can last a long time. I'm sure it's true to some extent. But who's that intimate with the history of parts they buy? I have a hard time believing it lasts 50 years. Old rubber is bad rubber. I'm pissed off for you! (lol, I had written 'pissed off with you', as in I'm pissed off ALONG WITH you! buth at erm may have not gone well) I've been burned with NOS rubber too. I think AMC Lives! and others have new-manufacture one-piece bushings.  Strut bushings are one of those AMC things that take up a lot of discussion time and effort.

That's interesting - I'm running NOS in my 73 - the struts, and have been for over a year and a lot of driving. 
On the other hand, I put NOS lower control arms on my 70 years ago and I could see the rubber had some issues before I even fully unwrapped the arms. 
I think it's hit and miss.
I have NOS upper control arm bushings in my Eagle - they've been there for almost 30,000 miles and several years, no issues. 
The left lower control arm was NOS - with bushing in it from the factory - it's doing just fine. 
Yet the NEW sway bar bushings I put on the car at the same time - bad already, as were the links and link bushings. Weird. 
I generally try to use only current, new parts, but from time to time I find a good NOS part that's been stored well, clean boxes, no heat or dirt or OZONE (like AWAY from anything electric, especially welders and transformers)

I do recommend to anyone else - be wary of NOS bushings. I'll do it from time to time, but then decades of experience, and perhaps a bit of luck, and hey, if they only last a year I'm not too upset. I have everything I need for tools and equipment to swap stuff out (including the Kent-Moor control arm bushing tools - replace bushings and never remove the upper control arm fully from the car)
You don't know the history or age or how or where they've been stored. 
I use all rubber bushings, period. in every car I own or do for others. 

LakesideRamblin wrote: Been running with poly bushings in my car for two years.  Struts, arms, leaf springs, etc.  Not one problem with fitting or breaking things.  Nada.

Edited by Mopar_guy - Jun/21/2020 at 1:21pm

I am STILL waiting on my bushings that were supposed to be here on the 22nd, DHL says there was a "delay" or more likely their way of saying they lost them:)  I had the car apart while waiting on the bushings, but at this point I'm putting the poly bushings back in so I can at least drive the car; still working out other bugs.  I didn't put the Mevotech bushings in as they're even thicker than the poly bushings, and even the thickness of the poly bushings don't allow the use of the jam nut.  My concern, beside not running the jam nut, is that you lose a lot of the caster adjustment.  If the Centric bushings ever show up, I'll give my thoughts on them.

The Centric bushings arrived today, finally!  Almost three weeks to get here from NY.  Top picture shows a NOS below the Centric ones.  I called Centric to verify when these were made, as they are no longer listed on their website, and the lower right number on the box is date of manufacture; 20190430.  So already over a year old and guessing they aren’t making these anymore since they’re no longer listed, I should've asked.  I’d love to put these in and see the difference between them and the poly, but it’s supposed to be 110* here today, and I can’t drive the car anyway as all my seats are at the upholsterers waiting on fabric to arrive☹.  So it’ll be some time before these get tested.