Hi Chris.

That's awesome that you actually took time to A/B these products. Thank you.

Its partly a mental mindset, in terms of money; I'm dealing with a ~
30% exchange rate from CAD to USD. Regardless, I'll likely have to
sell one of my Westies so UCA bushing brand choice will depend on
which I install parts on. (sooner or later). Both Westies have the
same engine. On one, the engine is a bit louder under load so added
NVH over bumps, potholes, may not be an issue on the van with louder
engine.

Neil.

On 1/19/20, christopher@t3technique.com <christopher@t3technique.com> wrote:
> Hello!
>
> The Nolathane and Whiteline bushings are 100% exactly the same part, just
> different packaging. The biggest performance difference between the GW,
> Nolathane/Whiteline, and the Powerflex bushings is the ride quality. The
> stiffer/harder the bushing material, the more NVH (noise, harshness,
> vibration) is transferred into the chassis. The softer (more NVH absorbent)
> the bushing material, less NVH is transferred to the chassis. The GW
> bushings are the hardest, the Nolathane/Whiteline bushings are quite a bit
> stiffer than the stock Vanagon rubber bushings (but a lot softer than the GW
> bushings), and the Powerflex bushings are more NVH absorbent than the stock
> bushings due to being the softest of the bunch and having more material than
> the stock rubber bushings. I have personally tested all of the bushing
> options back to back in the same van with the same tires, suspension, etc.
> and when you test the bushings that way (all other NVH factors being equal),
> you can definitely tell the difference in ride quality and noise level.
> Point being, if ride quality and noise level is important to you, choose
> wisely. If you are on a serious budget, the Whiteline bushings are a
> reasonable option, but you will be giving up a bit of ride quality and
> increasing the noise level in the cabin a bit...all other things being equal
> of course.
>
> Christopher
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com> On Behalf Of Neil N
> Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2020 9:19 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Nolathane upper control arm bushings?
>
> Thanks Dennis. Helpful info. IIRC, the GoWesty upper control arm bushings
> may require similar adjustments. The bushings supplied by T3 may not?
>
> I may just go with Whiteline bushings from T3
>
> Neil.
>

-- 
Neil n

VE7TBN

1988 Westy 50º ABA swap: https://tinyurl.com/yap5hpwt

1981 Westy 15º ABA swap: https://tinyurl.com/y9n4xob8

VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>