Auto Parts Obstacle Course: Helping You Find Value For Money

In 2012, 71% of Australians over the age of 18 travelled to work or school by passenger cars. With such a huge reliance being placed on automobiles, understanding the unique properties between various parts can make a huge difference to one's purchasing decision. The shocks of a vehicle is often overlooked; although, it plays a fundamentally important role in making sure that the vehicle drives smoothly and responds quickly. There are different types of suspensions, like bushings and a sealed cartridge bearing; however, bushings supreme.

The Fundamentals of Bushings

A bushing is merely a part of the shock suspensions and is responsible for reducing friction and reducing the amount of wear that happens between two different materials. It does not have any moving components to it and basically relies upon a sliding motion. The bushing is normally installed at the shock eyelet and will keep the mount kit snug. Depending on the make and model of the vehicle that you have, you can choose between two different sizes of bushings: 12mm and 12.7mm.

Bushings differ from a sealed cartridge bearing because a bearing often relies on a rolling element rather than a sliding motion. 

Advantages of Bushings

If you're on the fence regarding whether you should choose a bushing or a bearing, and you don't think that either choice would make a big difference, then think again. Bushings offer a wide range of advantages, including the following.

• Weight reduction. Most bushings are made from plastic rather than metal, which helps to reduce its overall weight. The weight reduction eliminates the overall toll that the part will have on the vehicle.
• Vibration dampening effects. The bushings contain polymers that absorb vibrations and also help shock loads. This reduces overall wear experienced by the other parts.
• Corrosion resistance. Due to the difference in materials that bushings are made of, they are able to tolerate extreme weather conditions, and will resist corrosion. They do not rust nor oxidize.
• Self-lubricating. The bushing has a thin layer of preliminary lubrication overtop that will self-lubricate the parts as they are used to reduce the overall amount of friction experienced.
• Contamination resistance. Bearings are often sealed and contamination can affect their overall performance. In comparison, the accumulation of dirt and debris will not have an effect on the performance of the bushings.

Conclusion

Installing bushings into the shock absorbers is also quite easy. However, if you do not have any fundamental knowledge on auto maintenance or repair, it may be best to leave this job to a professional mechanic in order to reduce the chances of human error.

For more information, contact a business such as Wilkinson Suspension Centre.