Delrin bushings

[Kidd-7]

These have not been available for a while, but does anyone have the CAD files? I’ve got a friend that works for a fab shop and may be able to get some CNC time.

 

[Grog6]

Thedrawings available; dlf published them. All my files are on another computer, that I'm working on ATM, when I can I'll post them. They're expensive to make, msc or mcmaster sells the parts, but they need to be machined to shape, and cut to length. It probably costs over a grand to buy the materials for 4-5 sets. I've never considered making any, I'm not a machinist.

 

[racecougar]

Delrin really isn't expensive, and it's actually pretty easy to turn on the lathe.

 

[MadMikeyL]

I remember talking to DLF about the delrin bushings way back when he was still alive and making them, and he said the most expensive part was sending the aluminum sleeves out to get hard-coated. That was why he only did them in batches, because the cost to coat the aluminum sleeves got significantly cheaper per unit the more you did at a time.

 

[Grog6]

Delrin is hdpe, right? Rod, would you have any interest in making enough sets for a group purchase? IDK if we could even get one together, but I'd buy a set. The hard part, assuming you were going to make a set, what would it cost to make? If you think you might, don't answer, but if it's a oh, hell no!, then what do you think it would cost. I won't ask anyone what something costs to make if they're selling them.

 

[MadMikeyL]

No, Delrin and HDPE are 2 different materials. DLF made the control arm bushings out of delrin, and the subframe mount bushings from HDPE. I believe he said that Delrin was harder, and so would hold up better in the control arm location, but that HDPE was cheaper, especially in the larger diameter needed for the subframe mount bushings, and it was good enough for the subframe mount, which doesn’t really move much.

 

[Chingon1]

I got mine from a guy on the Facebook group, I forgot his name but can ask if your interested.

 

[dDUBb]

I thought DLF made a set from UHMW also ?

 

[Grog6]

I Bought a set from dlf back in the day. I'm pretty sure he said uhmw. it was the irs , lca, and knuckle bushings, and I still have a set of unused knuckle bushings, for my wheelswap knuckles. dude that fell off the grid was using delrin, IIRC.

 

[MadMikeyL]

You’re right, it was UHMW, not HDPE. I got my abbreviations confused.

 

[Irv]

I had the aluminum sleeves powder coated with my Mark VIII LCAs, so I don't know what having them anodized or coated would have cost on their own. I'm sure it was itemized by the shop I had do the powder coating though if I could find the receipt. It really wasn't that much.

The guy Jay who fell off the grid and took months to make the parts supposedly bought all of DLF's tooling and produced everything Doug did, other than coat the sleeves apparently.

Dalke also sells the bushings. Not sure what material he uses for them.

https://www.facebook.com/XR7Dave/posts/596003853893079

 

[AdamG]

Bill has all the UHMW bushings in stock at scp as well. I've installed all of them on mine and love them. They got rid of the rest of my wheel hop so now it's smooth if the tires break loose, which even with 285 nittos is pretty easy to do...

 

[Grog6]

The wheel hop issue is what they were trying to cure; the wheels bounce, and the halfshaft snaps. TM showed what the inside of the metal looked like, lol.

 

[AdamG]

Here was one of my victims...

Thats why I went with dss level 6 axles and hubs, along with uhmw on everything I could. I did that not even trying on street tires. Now it's so smooth you have to watch the speedo and tach to see how much the wheels are spinning vs gripping...

 

[racecougar]

Rod, would you have any interest in making enough sets for a group purchase?

Sorry, but I don't have any interest in doing that.

 

[Grog6]

I understand, rod.
They're available from Dave Dalke, all is good.
They're expensive to make, and I understand that uhmw is as fun to turn as teflon, lol.
4.5" uhmw is $519 for 96" that's >15 sets, so the $1000 investment was pretty close.


A 5" dia piece of delrin is$300 for 2 feet; About 2x the cost.

 

[racecougar]

I was thinking of the IRS bushings rather than the mounts. Yes, the large diameter material for the mounts will cost significantly more than the small diameter material for the bushings.

 

[jb351]

I did up drawings/files for the subframe bushings a couple of years ago and posted them on the other forum. I've been doing up CAD drawings/models for other parts as I buy them and install them for the last few years. Eventually I'll get them all sorted and post them for all to use.

Here is a copy and paste of the uhmw bushings from 2021 and there are pdf's of the prints attached..

This took a bit longer that I expected due to work scheduling and other priorities but I finally got the rear subframe back in the SC today so I am OK with finally publishing the prints to make them. The dimension/prints for the rear subframe bushings are similar to the ones I installed on my car so you can make them or have them made. They have not been road tested but fit very well. No guarantee that these will fit yours but they fit my 1993 SC very well and I would expect them to work with any other MN-12 chassis vehicle as well but have not tested nor verified this. Rounding/converting to metric might get you closer but these dimensions are what worked for me. You will also need some 1/2" Grade 8 washers or equivalent as well. The bushings I made have a hexagon bore and the prints are round that it just because I had hexagon stock at home and not round bar when the time came to make them up. Big thanks to those (both here and no longer here) who researched and made/documented these in the past.

 

[Grog6]

Doug Freley originally came up with a design; he has a small farm at Arlington these days. about 3x6.