“Brighty”, our Land Rover 110, spent the summer of 2019 exploring potholes, bouncing over topes and tripping over washboard roads in Mexico and Guatemala. The heat and humidity was often stifling, and our little Land Rover was carrying the family three and all of our travel gear. This trip chewed up the aging lower rubber bushings in our trailing arms - Land Rover part #ANR3285. I ordered Super Pro poly kit SPF0129K as a replacement.
I am going to make my case for polyurethane replacement bushings as a road-tripper and driveway mechanic. I am not a rubber scientist, so I will not dip my toe into the original equipment “rubber - it ain’t what it used to be” debate. Equally, I will avoid discussing the affects on vehicle dynamics of the stiffer polyurethane option as my Land Rover’s suspension is still roughly 40% rubber. From the perspective of the road and the driveway the poly’s earned my money due to one overriding factor - their ease of installation.
This is how I punch out failed original equipment bushings:
This is a sweat soaked process that smells like your penetrating oil of choice and feels like metal filings grating under your fingernails. Schedule forty-five minutes to an hour. If you choose to reinstall the OEM option you’ll need a very long, high tensile nut and bolt (not from your Home Depot bin), an assortment of washer and socket sizes, patience and a cheater bar to hand-tool press the bushing in.
You have two options to avoid these processes: dip into your travel fund and try to find a machine shop to do it, or order my recommended polyurethane bushing replacements.
To install the polys, first grease the two halves of the bushing with the provided Super Pro grease. Hand press them into the trailing arm. Next, grease the metal centre bolt sleeve and tap, tap, tap with a hammer until it is centred in the bushing. You’re done - reinstall the trailing arm. With a hammer and a punch you can remove a failed poly just as fast as you can tap, tap, tap.
The Super Pro brand came highly recommended by tuner car friends and fellow Land Rover wanderers. Polyurethane bushings have traditionally been criticized for their stiff compounds and lack of longevity. I was advised Super Pro would provide the suspension flex and long life I was looking for.
I will not comment on the flex until I’ve replaced Brighty’s future rubber bushing failures. Speaking to the longevity, six years ago I replaced these very trailing arm bushings with the OEM option. That same year I did the front radius arm to axle bushings that required Land Rover part number NTC7307 (I have the skinny arms measuring approximately 38mm at the bushing; measure before you order). They were replaced with Super Pro kit SPF0126K which today appear as new under visual inspection. This is not a direct comparison, but their comparative resistance to road salt, road conditions, heat and load is impressive.
The final consideration when ordering parts is always cost. The Super Pro bushings are significantly more expensive - up to four to five times the price. The knowledge that I could replace these bushings anywhere, quickly justifies my additional upfront cost. If one resorted to finding and paying a machine shop to remove and install the OEM rubber option the added cost would negate any OEM bushing savings.
When next I hear metal on metal from my wandering Land Rover’s suspension - I’ll be ordering the polyurethane replacement option.
Note - I am not affiliated, I have received no product or discounts from, nor do I have Super Pro stickers all over my trucks or tool boxes. They work - so I give them my money for their product.