PST strut rod bushings--which way do washers go?

[375instroke]

1969 Charger, does the concave side go towards the bushing like original, or face away like Moog improved, or do I have that wrong?  These are all I can find right now in my myriad of new parts acquired for three cars, and I'd just like to get this thing back on the road.  Some people say they are junk.  Would Moog be better, or just wait and see if they last?  Either way, I need help.

[birdsandbees]

I looked at their little photocopied picture and said BS..  Cup side against bushings..

[375instroke]

With the sleeve they supply, the bushings will compress .3".  That seems like a lot for how hard these bushings are.  I see how people are complaining about them splitting in no time.  Others say they have over 10,000 miles on them without problems.

[Bronzedodge]

I don't have an answer for you 375.  I put Moog bushings in my Demon years ago and the washers were stamped - "THIS SIDE TO BUSHING" or something like that, with the flange facing out - opposite original.

[375instroke]

This is what I have.  Kit did not come with washers, instructions, or grease.  I have silicone brake grease, and silicone electrical grease if I'm suppose to use something like that as someone suggested.



The sleeve included is .3" shorter than the free length of the stacked bushings.  I don't see how these can compress that much without splitting in short order.  I mocked up the lower control arm and strut rod on the K-frame, and the shoulder of the strut rod sits 7/8" behind the K-frame.  This is just slightly less than the thickness of what the original bushing, which is still intact, and washer has set to.  The thickness of one bushing and washer is 1-1/8", so if I cut 1/4" off the rear bushing, it will allow the lower control arm to sit where it wants to be without any preload pushing it back, stressing the LCA bushing, and reducing caster.  There is an early Barracuda auto-xer who cut 1/4" off the back of his poly strut rod bushings with success.



Hot Rod magazine installed a PST kit on a Dart, and this is what they did.  You can see the washer says "THIS SIDE TO RUBBER" on the convex side:





I found these PST instructions on the internet, and they show only the rear washer concave out, and the front concave in:





Here are the instructions from a Moog A-body kit I have.  Two styles have the concave washers both outward, which without these instructions, one would believe is backwards, and is opposite of what was originally installed, and how the FSM shows, but these bushings are different than original.  They are the "improved design," which they charge four times the price for.  This kit uses the style on the lower right, with one cup in, and one out like the PST instructions above:



The bigger washer says "THIS SIDE TO FRONT" on the convex side, so the concave is to the bushing, and the smaller one says "THIS SIDE TO RUBBER" on the convex side, so the concave is away from the rear bushing.



Now my PST kit didn't come with washers, so I only have the original washers, which may be shaped differently from the aftermarket ones that go backwards.  Who would have thought a strut rod bushing could be so complicated?

[MoParJW]

I was wondering the same when I installed Energy Suspension PU strut rod bushings.
Seems to me the direction the cup faces only matters with rubber bushings, the PU bushings don't even touch the cup when installed

[375instroke]

I could squeeze them about .1" in a vise before experiencing hard resistance.  They were .28" thicker than the sleeve, so I shaved .18" off the pointy end of the rear bushings.  Torqued in place, with both washers facing concave side towards the bushing, it puts the LCA right where it should be on the K-frame without any preload fore or aft.

[tan top]

I looked at their little photocopied picture and said BS..  Cup side against bushings..

what B&B said  


fitted polly graphite PST stuff to mine 17ish years back ,
 ,   dished washer /the cup / dished side goes  towards the bushing , that's how all the originals come off , even think its in the FSM that way , just because its a polly graphite bushing , the dished washer should go the same way  

[375instroke]

I put the concave towards the bushing, but why do the Moog, and PST instructions show the concave away from the bushing on one, or both bushings, along with writing on the washers saying THIS SIDE TOWARDS RUBBER on the convex side?  What is the reasoning for this?

[tan top]

I put the concave towards the bushing, but why do the Moog, and PST instructions show the concave away from the bushing on one, or both bushings, along with writing on the washers saying THIS SIDE TOWARDS RUBBER on the convex side?  What is the reasoning for this?

I honestly think its an error ,

 by fitting them the way in your pictures dish out wards /this side towards  rubber , your not clamping / supporting / limiting the bushings longitudinal movement , not sure if i'm using  the correct terminology though !  to , what i'm trying to describe  

only way I could see concave / dish out wards ,  working !  is if the bushings were shaped that way  , not like the OEM type