Bushing Materials — Pros. and Cons.
Short answer: There is no single “best” body-bushing material — it is a trade-off between deflection (handling) and NVH (noise, vibration, harshness). Rubber rides best, polyurethane sharpens handling cheaply but adds NVH and can squeak, and steel/nylon eliminates deflection but adds the most NVH.
NVH stands for Noise, Vibration, and Harshness — what an engineer tries to limit in a street car, and what a racer worries about least.
Rubber
Measured in durometer (hardness). Most stock bushings are fairly soft — a compromise for reasonable handling with a smooth ride, since the factory sold to both enthusiasts and buyers who would dislike a harsh ride. (Pontiac used harder-durometer rubber on later WS6 cars to limit deflection.) Downside: rubber decays and wears out, especially under hard road or drag use.
Polyurethane
A relatively inexpensive upgrade that limits deflection; users accept more NVH for better performance driving. Downsides: prone to squeaking and sometimes binding (drill the shells for grease fittings and lube regularly to limit it), and “cold flow” — under hard use over time the material can slowly deform and eventually need replacement. Expect increased harshness.
Steel/nylon or aluminum/nylon (Duralum)
A sure-fire way to eliminate deflection — companies like Global West and VSE tout it for “slot-car” handling, and it is popular on dedicated road-race cars. Downside: the most increased NVH. Try to ride in a car already equipped before committing; some owners love it, others cannot live with it.
The writer’s own choice for a convertible (to cut squeaks and rattles) was stock replacement rubber (TRW), accepting some deflection for a nicer ride. Bottom line: decide what you want from the car and what you are willing to trade off, and the choice gets clearer.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
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