Junior-1

iTrader: (1)

For those that have followed my build thread on CF you know I have replaced all my control arm bushings with Delrin.

Stiffer than poly and zero maintenance. Now spherical would be top shelf but from what I gather the added money on them wouldn't buy me much more in terms of performance.

Anyways, I finally convinced Phoenix Performance to make them available to the V community. They currently have them available to the C5/C6 vette crowd with great feedback.

Send your control arms to them and they remove your old bushings and replace them with new ones. This is how they do them for the Vette guys since not all control arms are exactly the same depending on wear/tear.
They use Teflon impregnated Delrin. Each set is made to fit exactly by hand by lathe...

Pricing is $1,095 for the set

They are also going to be making the upper control arm modifications as well.
For those that don't know, back in the day GM Performance made upper control arm mounts that were modified to allow for greater negative camber up front.
Rather than filling and retapping the mounts, Phoenix engineered a way to insert an oblong spacer that accomplishes basically the same thing.
I believe they allow for greater than -2 degrees up front. I'm not sure of the process on these so its best to contact them...

Pricing is $165 for the modification

Get in touch with Joe @ Phoenix Performance 610.482.0141, tell him Chris sent ya

(Mods: let me know if I'm overstepping...)

Stone17

iTrader: (3)

Fixed the pictures.

Thats alot for some bushings.

RADEoN

iTrader: (12)

hopefully they didn't invest a whole lot of time into mass producing these.

Junior-1

iTrader: (1)

They are made to order as I mentioned in the first post.
Your control arms need to be sent in so the measurements can be exact.

I realize not everyone's budget is going to be the same or even warrant this type of product. For me it was a no-brainer.

There's good feedback from the Vette guys that track their cars. Its just another piece that the V guys now have an option to do and know where to go to get it.

Building out my car I've had to fabricate a lot of one off stuff, track down obsolete parts, etc.
You may not need it. You may not want to spend the money on it. But at least its good to know its available. Which is a lot more than I could say when I went looking for it...

garrettg

iTrader: (1)

Would anybody ever consider these in a daily driver or would the nvh be too much for the average person?

Dmax/04V

How much of a difference do you notice with the new bushings?

Bowtie70SS

iTrader: (10)

So you are saying that GM did not cast/machine all the control arms the same way? I call BS on that one. Those bushings look to be made in 2 halves with a sleeve through the middle and should not be too difficult to install. I bet they will work nicely but that is a lot of money.

tommycompton

iTrader: (1)

^^^ ya that.

shadyLS6

/\+1

its great there is an aftermarket option out there for this platform but there is no way that these need to be produced as one off pieces.

Bowtie70SS

iTrader: (10)

I probably come off as negative but even as a newbie it is obvious that the aftermarket thinks that Cadillac owners are chumps. Why do headers for our cars cost $1200 and Camaro ones are $300 ? I understand fewer are made but really? I love to see places make parts for our cars but I guess they only want to sell 2 or 3 sets instead of 100. Those couldn't cost more than $20 each to make. If you suppliers are reading c'mon cut us some slack so we can buy more.

shadyLS6

you're 100% right but the V1 tax will never dissipate, bottom line there was less than 8000 04-07 V1 made. id say at least 2000 have been totaled hahah sooo small *** market = low aftermarket sales = high cost for all aftermarket and replacement parts.. its only going to get worse

Pacesetters cost ~$400
kooks 1g

it is what it is, buy used

Junior-1

iTrader: (1)

NVH is subjective at best.
Some guys say there is a difference, others say there aren't.
If your seeing alot of track time then I'd say go for it. 1-2 track days maybe not so much.
I think you will see a difference in road noise being transmitted as its firming up those points quite a bit. So the transfer from wheel to cabin is going to be greater. I don't think it would contribute to harshness since it has less friction. This allows the suspension to move more freely over bumps.

When I installed the Specter cradle bushings I definitely heard alot more noise coming from that end of the car. I was able to tell the rear needed to be swapped easily but I considered that an acceptable trade off with the way the rear felt more planted on track.
My V never was a daily driver and now it only sees track duty so it would never bother me.

Junior-1

iTrader: (1)

The car is almost completed and hasn't been to the track yet. Not to mention the suspension has been completely changed (coilovers, bushings, control arms, wheels/tires) so I doubt that I will be able to isolate just that 1 item. The idea is more that several small changes will make a noticeable difference in the overall handling.
The Delrin version is self lubricating and will last much longer since it doesn't deform and has a higher mechanical strength.
Steering response should be greater and be more accurate in that there is more stability under hard braking or cornering by removing the deflection under load

Junior-1

iTrader: (1)

What I'm saying is that according to Joe from Phoenix Performance, (the guy that builds the vettes that John Heinricy races), that depending on each vehicle's wear and tear characteristics, control arm castings, and batch there may be some differences. Maybe 20/1000ths of an inch, but it is easier for them to make each and every one individually to ensure they are correct.
Every T1 Vette that they build has been done this way and I have no reason to question the process considering on how well mine turned out.
Feel free to give him a call at the above number. I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving you the specific details if I'm not describing it correctly.

STAGEUP

I don't mind spending money, even when things are a tad overpriced, but that price is just outrageous for bushings. Lol

Junior-1

iTrader: (1)

His pricing for the V is the same as the C5/C6 Corvette bushings that he makes.

As a fellow member has said:
If you have the ability to fully utilize them, they are priceless!

Point is that I don't think I would ever make the decision based upon price. I would always make it based upon application needs. Nothing is a bargain if it's the wrong part for the job...

9t8z28

iTrader: (19)

2' of delrin cost about $80 plus sleeves so about $1,000 labor.

AAIIIC

iTrader: (19)

Are you sure you're comparing equivalent parts? Kooks 1-7/8" headers for Camaro - $981 at Summit. Kooks 1-7/8" headers for V1 - $981 at Summit. Pacesetter 1-3/4" headers for Camaro - $322 at Summit. Pacesetter 1-3/4" headers for V1 - $322 at Summit. Damn that "Cadillac tax"!

Well, ****, just buy the stuff and make your own! Make some for the rest of us while you're at it.

I do have to question the need to custom make each batch, which obviously is a big part of the price. As an example, Maximum Motorsports makes Delrin bushings, both for their own fabricated control arms and for OEM Cobra IRS control arms. In both cases, you can just buy the bushings and install them. MM is certainly not the only one making / selling Delrin bushings that way.

garrettg

iTrader: (1)

If we could only get maximum motorsports to make cts-v parts the world would be full of happy v owners.

furbe

$1000 for a few bushings is nothing to a guy who lights his cigars with $100 bills

If you have to ask how much, YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT!