When it comes to improving your vehicle’s handling, comfort, and overall performance, few modifications offer as much value as upgrading to Powerflex polybushes. Polyurethane bushings, often referred to as polybushes, are an essential component for anyone looking to enhance their car's handling, especially for track performance, while also adding durability and longevity to their vehicle's suspension system.
A Brief History of Polybushes
Bushings, traditionally made from rubber, have been a critical part of vehicle suspension systems for decades. These small components absorb shock, reduce vibration, and allow for controlled movement between metal parts in the suspension system, enhancing comfort and safety. However, traditional rubber bushings degrade over time due to heat, oil exposure, and general wear and tear, leading to poor performance.
In the 1980s, polyurethane bushings emerged as a solution to the drawbacks of rubber. Polyurethane is a durable, high-performance material resistant to heat, oils, and chemicals, making it an ideal choice for automotive applications. Powerflex, founded in 1996, quickly became a leader in the production of high-quality polyurethane bushings. They offer an extensive range of polybushes for various makes and models, catering to road and track enthusiasts alike.
Materials Used in Powerflex Polybushes
Polyurethane is the backbone of Powerflex products. Unlike rubber, polyurethane offers greater flexibility in terms of hardness, wear resistance, and temperature tolerance. Powerflex uses engineering-grade polyurethane, which is specifically formulated to provide optimal performance across different environments.
- Shore A Hardness: This scale measures the hardness of the material, and Powerflex products are tailored to specific applications, offering bushings in varying levels of stiffness to meet the demands of everyday driving, high-performance street use, and track racing.
- Durability: Polyurethane resists degradation from oils, chemicals, heat, and UV light, ensuring long-term reliability. This material can withstand the harsh conditions often encountered in motorsports.
The Advantages of Using Powerflex Polybushes
The transition from rubber to polyurethane bushings brings numerous advantages. Here are some key benefits of using Powerflex polybushes:
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Improved Handling and Stability: Polybushes are firmer than rubber bushings, which reduces unwanted movement in suspension components. This leads to more predictable handling, sharper steering response, and better cornering ability, especially under high-stress situations like track driving.
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Enhanced Durability: Unlike rubber, polyurethane is resistant to environmental factors such as oil, salt, water, and temperature changes. Powerflex polybushes last significantly longer, reducing the need for frequent replacements.
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Consistency Over Time: Rubber bushings degrade and soften, leading to changes in the vehicle’s performance. Polybushes maintain their properties much longer, providing consistent performance throughout their lifespan.
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Reduced Vibration and Noise: While polyurethane is firmer than rubber, Powerflex designs their bushings to minimize NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) transfer, ensuring that comfort isn't compromised.
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Customizable Stiffness: Powerflex products come in different hardness levels, allowing you to choose the right balance between comfort and performance. For track users, the firmer Black Series offers exceptional control and feedback, critical for high-speed cornering and track precision.
How Powerflex Polybushes Improve Handling on the Track
For track enthusiasts, suspension precision is a crucial factor in shaving off lap times and improving overall performance. Polybushes offer several specific advantages in this area:
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Minimized Deflection: Rubber bushings can flex under heavy loads, especially in aggressive cornering or braking, causing suspension misalignment and unpredictable handling. Polyurethane bushings drastically reduce this deflection, allowing the suspension geometry to remain constant, ensuring greater control.
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Sharper Turn-In: Powerflex polybushes improve steering response, giving drivers more confidence in how the car reacts to inputs. This precision is vital when entering corners or navigating tight chicanes, as it provides more predictable feedback and control.
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Enhanced Power Delivery: Upgrading differential and engine mount bushings reduces drivetrain movement, translating to more immediate power delivery to the wheels, reducing power loss through drivetrain flex, and improving acceleration out of corners.
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Heat and Wear Resistance: Track conditions subject a vehicle to extreme forces and temperatures, which can rapidly deteriorate rubber bushings. Polyurethane's heat resistance ensures that Powerflex polybushes maintain their integrity under these conditions, providing consistent performance throughout a race day.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a daily driver seeking better handling or a track enthusiast chasing lap times, Powerflex polybushes offer a significant performance upgrade. Their durable, high-quality polyurethane bushings improve suspension precision, reduce deflection, and enhance overall handling. With their extensive range of products tailored to different applications, Powerflex ensures that there's a polybush for every vehicle and driving style.
Investing in polybushes isn’t just about immediate gains—it's a long-term upgrade that provides both performance and durability. For drivers serious about optimizing their vehicle’s handling, Powerflex offers a solution that is proven on both the road and the track.
