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Ive got some NOS bushings to use..... bought before the prices went nuts. Is there any way to renew the before install?? like soak them in xyz?? or heat to "ohfawk" temperature while in a bath of oil??? orrr???
Yes, you can. I make the sway bar bushings that way. However, it's not cheap or easy. You have to buy a bushing to get measurements (I don't cast directly from an OEM one, because both the mold silicone and polyurethane castings shrink, so you have to compensate), as well as get a vacuum degassing setup and pressure casting chamber. The material costs (only) for something this size are probably about $75-120 for silicone mold rubber, and $15-25 per bushing (including color dye and UV inhibitors). You can cut corners if you're on a budget, but the castings aren't nice/right (e.g. small fitment issues that require trimming each by hand or muscling them to fit, crude aesthetics, bubbles and imperfections that can create stress points that fail sooner, no expensive UV inhibitors but they will break down outdoors sooner, etc.). And then, after all that, you have to do it a second time for the other bushing of the top/bottom pair.
It's totally doable, and needing several takes some of the sting out of the cost, though I recommend against the "squish mold" approach. The squishing action means you are always putting stress on the mold and casting, resulting it parts that are often deformed, as well as trapping bubbles inside. If the parts have a flat side, which the bushings all do, just have a mold that is open on top, overfill it, then trim the cured bushing down to size on that flat face.
a flexible silicone mold wouldn't fall apart like plaster.
If you're not going to make too many of them (e.g. <12), a cheaper tin-cure silicone mold rubber will do. Be careful not to tear the mold while taking the castings out, as the tin-cure silicone is not as stretchy and resilient as the platinum-cure (which costs significantly more). You'll probably need 2 of the $40 "trial kits" to make a mold that size (I don't think one would be enough). https://shop.smooth-on.com/mold-max-30
Thanks.
If you're doing Shore 80A hardness, I recommend PMC-780. https://www.smooth-on.com/products/pmc-780-dry/
have heard that more than once. @Awesomeness (an engineer) mentions 60shore for the neccissary shore you want to make them earlier in this thread. .... and according to below video..... Hockey pucks are around that. Have seen them listed in charts giving average examples of what "shore" hardness is at 60shore also
For our style of rear cab latch you actually will need 4 bottoms - 2 for the rear cab latch, and 1 each for the front cab mounts.
There are a number of factors at play, including the Shore A hardness. Generally, the harder materials have higher tensile strengths, so they should resist splitting and tearing under pressure better. Aftermarket polyurethane bushings that are marketed as "high performance" typically use harder materials than stock, both to provide a firmer resistance and a stronger part.
I think you mean 80. My research landed at shore 80 for the cab bushing (I don't think Awesomeness mentioned a specific hardness in this thread). We've had this discussion in several threads here. Hokey pucks are 90 so there are very close to what is used in most HD bushings.
Back in the day.... ( I must be getting old). I had a Jeep with a body lift made from machined aluminum pucks..... I wonder if something like that would be a (better?) option for us? Just replace the worn out rubber with aluminum. How much flex does it really need?
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