Was perusing the web and I came across a company that offers polyurethane suspension bushings for the F-TYPE. Good news for people that are trying eliminate some of the suspension slop thats on these cars. They're based in the UK

Jaguar F Type Powerflex High Performance Complete Front & Rear Bush Kit

 

Was that Irony? Many people in the US appear to have problems with the whole concept. Which is why Brits would be trying to sell suspension bushes that eliminate slop on a car which has none to Americans.

Good effort chaps.

 

I must be one of the few that despises handling slop. The stiffer the better!

 

Outstanding! Thanks!

 

I had similar products on my audi b8 s4 and they were much better than the stock soft rubbers. However s4 is pretty comfortable stock so it was a welcome change.

Given how stiff the f type is I wonder if the bushings would make the ride too harsh. Can you post a review once you install them WhiteTardis?

I wonder if there like billet transmssion mounts, differential mounts available for our cars.

 

I thought about you when I saw this lol. Just a heads up though, the labor to press out the OEM bushings costs just as much as a brand new control arm. Might be cheaper to buy new control arms and have the polyurethane ones pressed in.

 

Stiffer isn't always better. Common misconception among the enthusiast community that a car must be stiffer to handle well. A car with zero suspension at all would not handle better than a vehicle with a properly tuned suspension, yet everyone tries to firm up the suspension as much as possible.

On a high end car like this I don't think you can just throw poly bushings in it and have that be the end of it. Sure it may help turn in, but now you may have a dampening problem to fix... No engineering thought went into this kit so you have to be the engineer and figure out which bits help and which bits hurt the performance of your car.

Remember, stiffer does not equal better handling.


Also this kit has been on paramount performance's site for like a year.

 

You'd be crazy to put billet mounts in a car like this. The NVH alone would drive you insane. Race car only...

 

I came to post pretty much the same thing as Stohlen said. Stiffer and lower isn't necessary better. I think this is mostly ricer culture that ingrained that these are always better, so people started believing that stanced car would actually be decent at handling. Newsflash - it isn't, you will likely lift-off rear wheel much earlier that with stock suspension.

Plus, I enjoy my F-type because it is both track-capable, but also not overly punishing during normal use. I'd hate to commute in a formula car.

 

I understand what you're saying. I've had custom valved coilovers for my Honda S2000 and suspension tuning is a bit of black magic. I meant that for me I enjoy a stiffer feeling suspension.

 

Do we have the technology to compare the SVR suspension and ours to see if the reported improvement found on the SVR can be transferred ...at moderate cost ? Most of what I've read about the SVR describes better handling.

Alternatively, any reports on the improvement using the poly bushings ?

 

The SVR has alot of different parts that combine to make it a better handling car. Adding all of them wouldn't make financial sense, and adding the suspension bits only won't make up the difference. The lightweight parts used in the SVR in addition to the different ECU tuning make a significant difference as well.

I don't think anyone has used the poly bushings, and even if they did you would it be enough to trust them? So many people buy a part because a part exists and then say they love it to justify the cost, even if they didn't notice a difference at all. How many forum posts have you read where someone says their car feels faster on the "butt dyno" after adding an exhaust that does nothing?

Some advice to everyone... don't just buy parts because they are there assuming they'll be better than what you have. Do the research and learn about what the part will do, or enlist in the help of someone who really knows what they're talking about (not some random forum guy like me) prior to making a decision. Engineering is a real thing, and not every company engineers their parts. Outside of tunes/engine performance parts with real data to back up claims, we don't know anything about performance parts for this car. There are very few people who've used anything outside a tune and even less data available to tell us what performance parts really do.

Being completely honest, VelocityAP is the only place i'd consider to buy non-engine related performance parts. They're the only company i'm convinced actually engineers their parts. Maybe you can include a spring company like H&R for springs, but even they won't publish spring rate data or anything else to help you make an educated decision.

 

+1. If the bushing compression specs aren't available, they're useless.

 

True, but in the case of the F-Type, lower does generate higher g-forces (at least based on the I-dynamics data). With a lower center of gravity, there is far less sway to the car.

 

If my car were as low as that second picture, I couldn't get it within a mile of home

 

Pretty sure that 2nd photo is the ride of the Unhingd

 

Yes, sir. Mike, per the pm, that shot is with the 295s and 15mm spacers.

 

Forget the handling improvement (not really), the lowered look is worth the price, humped driveways not withstanding.

 

I don't own an F-Type, but saw the thread title "polyurethane bushings", and had to click on it, and read through it.


Having said that, I've been using polyurethane bushings in various cars, in various places in the car, since the late 1970's, when such critters first became available. Initially, I installed poly bushings in any and every place I could, and was happy as a clam, with their performance improvement. However, as tire profiles got lower, sidewalls got stiffer, and road surface quality got poorer, I began to back away from them.


YES, without a doubt, they sharpen suspension response. However, unless the roads you drive on are as smooth as glass, and/or you're using tires with aspect ratios of 60 or 70, they'll beat the crap out of both the car and you.


Sway bar bushings, however, are another situation. Polyurethane is the only way to go, there.

 

and not a speed bump in sight..... Remember - to take them at a 45° angle...

Now I know why you have to shave your 'beardie' so often!