Products > Polyurethane Suspension Bushes

Bonaprene Products are producers of a huge range of polyurethane parts for the automotive industry. Bonaprene supply parts to every type of customer in the automotive world including:

• Earth moving equipment manufacturers
• Fork lift truck manufacturers
• Road sweeper manufacturers
• Bus manufacturers
• Truck and van manufacturers
• Sports car manufacturers
• Road roller manufacturers
• Tipper truck manufacturers
• Four x four car manufacturers
• Polybush after market sales
• Military vehicle manufacturers
• Luxury car manufacturers

Bonaprene Products range of automotive part types are detailed below. Bonaprene Products make these parts in a wide range of hardness’s and chemical grades of polyurethane, called Bonathane. Bonaprene's in house machining and tool making facility combined with Bonaprene's comprehensive polyurethane to metal bonding facility allows any type and size of part to be undertaken.

Bonaprene Solves Your Problems!
If you are a design and development engineer for vehicle suspension parts, Bonaprene can solve your problems with a material that overcomes the following drawbacks of rubber suspension parts: 

•  A too high wear rate
•  The high cost of tooling and prototypes
•  High minimum order quantities for bespoke designs
• The long lead time for prototypes
• The wearing away of mating metal parts
• The deterioration due to the effects of petrol and oil
• Poor resilience especially at high hardness
• Poor load bearing and low tensile strength
• High compression set causing permanent deformation
• High temperatures generating by the working bush leading to failure

Why use Polyurethane (PU) for your vehicle suspension bush requirements?
Bonathane polyurethane, PU, is an ideal material for making into vehicle suspension bushes. Bonathane's combination of high tensile strength and elasticity translates into immense durability in the toughest conditions. Polyurethane vehicle suspension bushes have excellent resilience, springing back in to shape effortlessly to absorb shock and prevent dirt ingress and wear. Bonathane polyurethane vehicle suspension bushes don't age or perish - rubber vehicle suspension bushes both perish and are attacked by oils and fuels. Bonathane polyurethane has great versatility at low temperatures with typical service temperatures ranging from –40ºC to +80ºC.

Bonathane Polyurethane (PU) Proves Long Working Life A European bus manufacturer was looking for a link bush that would offer the ultimate performance and longevity. Using the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, they compared standard rubber bushes with Bonaprene’s Bonathane polyurethane, PU:  The tests were repetitive +/- 80mm anti-roll bar movement cycles on a fixed test bed plus ride comparisons on a road vehicle. The results were: The rubber vehicle suspension bushes failed after 5,000 to 15,000 cycles Bonaprene's polyurethane vehicle suspension bushes lasted 55,000 cycles Bonaprene’s polyurethane vehicle suspension bushes were measured at 10 to 15º C cooler than the rubber bush while operating on the test bed. Bonaprene’s polyurethane vehicle suspension bushes did not change the ride of the vehicle.  Photo comparing the rubber with the Bonaprene Bonathane polyurethane bush. Bonaprene Products are now a supplier of a range of Polyurethane vehicle suspension bushes to this European bus manufacturer.

Bonathane Polyurethane (PU) Solves Permanent Compression Problem A customer asked Bonaprene to compare samples taken from a problem rubber vehicle suspension bush with two possible Bonathane polyurethane vehicle suspension bush alternatives. The customer's bush was permanently compressing under load and then splitting radially.  The samples were compressed at 30mm per minute to 50% of their original thickness and relaxed at the same rate. This cycle was repeated without interruption over 20 cycles.  The actual force and reduction in force between the first and last cycle were:

Results
	Maximum Force First Cycle	Maximum Force Last Cycle	Force Loss
Bonathane 65ºA	1644N	1614N	1.8%
Bonathane 75ºA	2756N	2656N	3.6%
Original rubber bush 65º A	1912N	1700N	11.1%

The table shows how quickly the rubber vehicle suspension bush permanently compresses compared to the equivalent hardness of polyurethane vehicle suspension bush. Once in this state, the rubber vehicle suspension bush's resilience and ability to flex is greatly reduced causing splitting and failure. 

Bonathane Polyurethane (PU) Suspension Types