I'm stuck in the middle on this one.
I use poly bushes on my normal car and wouldn't have anythign else. I also have fitted dozens of full sets of poly bushes to other cars, some for track use some for road.
I've also fitted/supplied many 'mixed' sets of bushes where you use poly for the areas that will benefit and rubber for the areas where the most NVH will occur. So keeping it reasonable for road use.
Not sure how that would work on these though as they have so many ball joints.
Some std bushes are designed ot allow an amount of flex for geometry changes under load etc... whether this is good or bad is up to the individual to decide. Some prefer the supple trailing arm bush design for example, others prefer the tightr feel of poly.
Personally I prefer less movement as I like to have control myself rather than the vagueness of rubber flexing. (but then my normal road car runs suspension and geometry that most would think harsh for track use).
while I agree with a lot of what you say aragorn this part is going a little too far.
A polybush is designed by a bloke in a factory without a clue about suspension design, on the principle that a solid lump must be better. They are also not bonded to anything which results in the bush grinding back and forwards inside the housing, often causing damage to the housing itself.
They are designed by people who actually have a clue (usually) they are often offered in different shore ratings and often different shore ratings are used depending upon where the bush is fitted.
They don't need to be bonded to anything as that would stop them working as they are meant to work, which is to turn in the housing to allow free movement rather than pulling against the rubber bond.
In 15 years of using such bushes I've never seen one case where the bush has caused any damage. (unless due ot total neglect, they shoudl be greased now and then to stop this, mine get done once every 3-4 yrs as I'm lazy)
{QUOTE]People usually fit them and do some kinda "wow its soo much better" dance, but they've just replaced a shagged out rubber bush thats done 150k and is 12 years old, if they'd replaced it with a new rubber one there would also have been a huge improvement.[/QUOTE]
Agreed that is usually the case and any half decent bush would be far better, but I have changed brand new bushes out for poly on some cars to the same effect. Depends on the driver more than anything in that case though.
Will the above-average road user get much benefit? Probably not.
For me the main advantage is the life of the poly is better and the feel for the driver is much better... most people will prefer the nice supple feel of the rubber bushes though as the actual driving experience is far less important.
As always, each to their own and neither is more correct than the other.