Lca Bushings - Offset Or Centered?

[bitcore]

The stock ones SUCK BALLS. I can move the control arm in the bushing socket with my hand.... I want some polyurethane bushings, I like how that material flexes.

The question: I know if I get the offet bushings, I'll get more caster. I know what caster is, but I havn't fiddled with it so I don't know how it will affect my handling. Is it much better? harsher?

Autotechnica, I think I remember seeing offet's on the list of your car mods, What's your reasoning behind them?

[bad man working]

If you want solid trailing arm bushes buy M Powered ones they’re solid castor is the amount the leg lean backwards this is what makes the steering centre its self increasing the castor won’t make a lot of difference to the handling. What you need to play with is the camber this is the amount the leg leans sideways to the car and governs the amount of camber on the wheel more camber more grip. This is altered by fitting off-set top strut mount which the dealer sell (be careful with the spring they can kill if you don’t know what you’re doing

[bitcore]

I know all the alignment peramaters and what they do. I'm asking for experience with offset vs centered bushings. I've got too much camber for a street car as it is, I'm eating through tires like nobody's business. (lets just say my driving style is probably a major factor )

I want to know if the extra caster would be much better at highway speeds to warrent getting them and if it will really adversely affect other driving. The reason I ask is because on the M3, from 96 and above, the bushings are centered... I want to know the reasoning behind this design change.

[Autotechnica]

Get the offset bushings. Basically you won't feel a difference in straight line high speed. What it does do is give you a better sharper turn in. I'm not sure why after the '95 M3 they decided to used centered bushings. At any rate, you can actually see the front wheels pushed closer towards the front bumper, it makes that much of a difference. Most guys I know who track/auto-x use Urethane off-set bushings and it does improve handling. I really don't see any disadvantages, unless they cost more than the centered ones.

I couldn't compare them directly to my stock ones. I had the stock E36 CA bushings which are really pathedic, they were completely torn so my car handled very poorly. My suspension is so far from stock, I can't even remember what a stock bimmer handles like. Anyways, I'm using the '95 offset stock M3 bushings now. I'm waiting for my urethane off-sets to come in sometime this month.

Anyways, even if the offsets don't make a significant difference in the handling, surely the solid bushings (urethane or not) will. The stock E36 bushings are some "T" shaped crap with holes in them, they aren't even solid bushings like the M3 and urethane ones. Personally, I went with IE.

Bry