DIY Poly Lower A-arm Bushings

I made my own lower bushings out of aftermarket polyurethane c900 swaybar end bushings using a Dremel tool. I cut off the solid end and ground them so they were symmetrical on both ends, like the stock bushing.

They were a PITA to install (using a press at a repair shop), and, performance-wise, I can't tell the difference between them and stock.

The upper bushings are thin, so the amount of deflection during cornering isn't going to be that much, and isn't going to make any difference unless you are trying to get the last bit of handling out of the car. On the street, or on the track with street tires, I'll wager it'll make about...0% difference in grip.

It goes without saying that, without a serious custom alignment, stiffer bushings are a complete and utter waste.

If you're looking for better steering response, add some toe out to the front end, and maybe try polyurethane bushings in the steering rack.

The likely reason for the high cost of aftermarket poly is low demand; the buying public also believes it's the greatest stuff since sliced bread. You could have custom brass, nylon, Teflon, or UHMW bushings machined for less $$.

9000 Brake "Upgrade"

Some facts:

• 9000 calipers are 3.6 pounds heavier per corner -- that is, caliper and rotor. (This can vary a bit depending on which rotors you have.) This is all unsprung weight.
  
• 9000 calipers and Aero/Super Aero rims add 43 pounds to your car, all of it unsprung and a lot of it rotating mass.
• The heaviest 9000 rotors, by Balo and Brembo, weigh 14.95 and 14.88 pounds respectively; meanwhile, the lightest rotors, by Zimmerman, weigh 14.5 (their kick-ass cross-drilled rotors weigh 14.0 pounds). The heaviest 900 rotors, by Brembo (which is OEM, I believe), weigh 14.2 pounds, whereas the lightest, by ATE, weigh 13.44 pounds.
• The stock donut spare tire does not fit over 9000 brakes: if you get a flat up front, you'll have to swap a good rim from the rear to the front, then put the donut on the rear.
• Installing 9000 calipers requires an adjustment to the master cylinder to compensate for the longer pedal travel. This travel is due to the larger piston size in the 9000.
• Installing 9000 calipers and rotors requires the use of washers on the caliper bolts; without them, the bolts will rub against the rotors. (900 rotors are 278mm x 23.5mm thick, while 9000 rotors are 280 x 25mm thick. If you purchased "9000" rotors that are 23.5mm thick, then you were sold 900 rotors being sold as 9000 rotors.)

Read more on brake "upgrades."