[VaSteve]

So working on Mike's car today we ran into a major snag with these Neatrix rear spring plate bushings. These damn things would not go into the car. I have Neatrix on my car installed in October. The install procedure that we used on my SC was to put the bushings on the spring plates and slip over the T-bar. We lubed the up bushings with some WD-40 and inserted one or two of the spring plate cover bolts. With a pry bar hooked under the edge of the bolt head, we were able to just pry this into place a little and then install the spring plate cover and "walk" the bushings in. It was relatively pain free as I had seen on other folks cars.

Not on Mike's car.

Everything we tried failed. Lubes, hammers, prying, walking it in with no outer bushing. None of it. In fact, it bent up the spring plate cover. We measured the inside of the bushings, cleaned the hell out of the spring plates and no love. Nothing. I think Mike has given up and is going to get some Elephant Bushings.

I'm wondering what could be the deal. I know Mike got these from a vendor I don't particularly care for (which might explain why he got 5 of them!). Mine came in a nice box with a tool (which we were able to reuse!) and a cool Weltmeister sticker for my tool box. Mike's came in plastic bag. I can't imagine that there might be more than one vendor producing these...would be hard to believe that they might be fakes...market for this stuff is only so big.

I seem to recall that the ones we messed with today had a straight 90 degree edge. I looked at some of the photos on Paragon and Pelican and it looked like the outside may have a slightly rounded edge that would go into the body and under the sping plate cover. Anyone have a known official set that can check?

[cmartin]

They were a bitch on my car too. IIRC I made a 'tool' to press them on. Oh, and lube 'em, then lube 'em some more.

[Noah]

Are these the red ones? They're not Neatrix. Neatrix are black. The red ones have to be turned on a lathe to fit.

[Jase007]

These were black neatrix.

[VaSteve]

I wonder if these were an old stock and perhaps the newer ones (like those that ended up on my car) have been slightly redesigned somehow? Rick V and Tito helped me with mine, but I don't recall any major issues such as we experienced yesterday. Do you guys???

[Rick V]

No yours were fairly simple.

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by Rick V

No yours were fairly simple.

That's how I remembered it as well.

[Rick Lee]

First time I had the poly bushings for my Carrera, they went in without shaving, but we did have to use the spring plate cover and some longer bolts to press them in. On the SC they flat out had to be shaved. We used a Dremel for this, IIRC. Thos Neatrix bushings you had looked to me to be every bit as hard as the red poly ones I had to shave. So they may need to be shaved. There was also a tub of that Weltmeister marine lube in that box and that is good stuff. It's hell if you get it on anything but the bushings though. You almost always have to use the spring plate cover to press the bushings in, even if you shave them. It's best to get some extra long bolts for this. They will fit with some massaging.

On second thought, I think I also had a set of Neatrix bushings when we did my Carrera and they were very rubbery. I think the black bushings you had in that box yesterday were Weltmeister poly, which is why they came with that lube. If you use the lube properly, they won't squeak. But if you really want Neatrix, I don't think that's what you have.

[Jazzbass]

Originally Posted by VaSteve

I wonder if these were an old stock and perhaps the newer ones (like those that ended up on my car) have been slightly redesigned somehow? Rick V and Tito helped me with mine, but I don't recall any major issues such as we experienced yesterday. Do you guys???

The Neatrix you describe from your car (rounded edges, in a box from Weltmeister or somewhere) are exactly what I got for my car in 2004 for Pelican. They were a tight fit, no question, but went in with the "tighten the bolts on the spring plate cover" easy enough. Definitely no warping. Sounds like Michael got some low quality repros.

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

On second thought, I think I also had a set of Neatrix bushings when we did my Carrera and they were very rubbery. I think the black bushings you had in that box yesterday were Weltmeister poly, which is why they came with that lube. If you use the lube properly, they won't squeak. But if you really want Neatrix, I don't think that's what you have.

Rick, what you were looking at was that box of stuff I bought for the 944 on the workbench. I expect that to be a two week project with all the fitting they will need. Mike's stuff was on the floor in the big box.

Originally Posted by Jazzbass

The Neatrix you describe from your car (rounded edges, in a box from Weltmeister or somewhere) are exactly what I got for my car in 2004 for Pelican. They were a tight fit, no question, but went in with the "tighten the bolts on the spring plate cover" easy enough. Definitely no warping. Sounds like Michael got some low quality repros.

See that's what I'm thinking. Mine when in slowly with the spring plate covers but it was not the struggle affair that these were. But I can't imagine why someone would spend the time counterfieting/reproing a $60 part for a relatively low production car. Given the vendor these came from...anything is possible.