I'm going to study abroad this semester...

[Spectre]

Well, typically Series III bushings get chewed up in 20-30,000 miles of normal US driving - but that was with the original "rubbish rubber" from Metalastik.

Trucks and SUVs tend to have larger, sturdier bushings, so they wear out as a matter of time, not mileage. The same holds true for some of the larger cars sold here. Usually, though, it's not the suspension bushings that go on US market cars, it's the ball joints, shocks, struts and suchlike. The recommendation on replacing shocks, for example, is every 50-60K or less. Balljoints get shocked, bent and broken by potholes; tie rods too. Toyota and others have had issues with potholes punching out strut mounts of late, too. I'd say I've had to replace more hard parts than bushings on my cars over the years, and I get about 50K out of a set of suspension components, on average.

Thinking about it, it's a wonder we don't have *more* suspension failures on US market cars.

 

[marcos_eirik]

Well, typically Series III bushings get chewed up in 20-30,000 miles of normal US driving - but that was with the original "rubbish rubber" from Metalastik.

Trucks and SUVs tend to have larger, sturdier bushings, so they wear out as a matter of time, not mileage. The same holds true for some of the larger cars sold here. Usually, though, it's not the suspension bushings that go on US market cars, it's the ball joints, shocks, struts and suchlike. The recommendation on replacing shocks, for example, is every 50-60K or less. Balljoints get shocked, bent and broken by potholes; tie rods too. Toyota and others have had issues with potholes punching out strut mounts of late, too. I'd say I've had to replace more hard parts than bushings on my cars over the years, and I get about 50K out of a set of suspension components, on average.

Thinking about it, it's a wonder we don't have *more* suspension failures on US market cars.

That's odd, we've hardly ever replaced any "hard" suspension components on any of our cars, only wear items like bushings. Our '92 Ford Scorpio ran 250'000 km on the same set of springs/dampers without any notable issues. Last winter though, it started bottoming out over very big bumps (it never did that) so we changed rear springs and all of the dampers. The front springs had already been changed as they had rusted on top and broken, lowering the car a couple of inches up front. The same thing must have happened at the back too, because it was lower than usual and had unusually much negative camber. After all of this it back to how it used to be.

Anyway, we usually just get that "clonking noise" which usually means that the bushings are due for replacement...

 

[Spectre]

Well, as you know, most US roads are far harsher than European ones. <shrug> Chances are good that the hard parts are getting shocked and giving way long before the bushings have a chance to wear out.

 

[marcos_eirik]

Well, as you know, most US roads are far harsher than European ones. <shrug> Chances are good that the hard parts are getting shocked and giving way long before the bushings have a chance to wear out.

So basically it's not actually the wear items that go first...? Shit, if I would have had to replace suspension components and weld new mountings and pick-up-points every now and then, I too would surrender and buy an F-150 4x4, with "sports exhaust" (almost everybody had those...)

 

[Crazyjeeper]

So basically it's not actually the wear items that go first...? Shit, if I would have had to replace suspension components and weld new mountings and pick-up-points every now and then, I too would surrender and buy an F-150 4x4, with "sports exhaust" (almost everybody had those...)

I don't know about the "sports exhaust" but having an F150 4x4 sure is nice on some of the roads in Dallas. :lol:

 

[marcos_eirik]

I don't know about the "sports exhaust" but having an F150 4x4 sure is nice on some of the roads in Dallas. :lol:

"Sports Exhaust" like those loud after market ones with double pipes exiting at the rear, usually one pipe on each side of the tow hitch. Something like these. Almost every single F-150, Silverado, Sierra, Tundra, Titan, and Ram 1500 in Lubbock was fitted with something like that...

 

[Crazyjeeper]

"Sports Exhaust" like those loud after market ones with double pipes exiting at the rear, usually one pipe on each side of the tow hitch. Something like these. Almost every single F-150, Silverado, Sierra, Tundra, Titan, and Ram 1500 in Lubbock was fitted with something like that...

Ah, the ubiquitous flowmaster dual pipes. I think I have one of 3 F150s in the state that doesn't have that :lol:

 

[Spectre]

So basically it's not actually the wear items that go first...? Shit, if I would have had to replace suspension components and weld new mountings and pick-up-points every now and then, I too would surrender and buy an F-150 4x4, with "sports exhaust" (almost everybody had those...)

Yeah, and even with a truck sometimes you can't avoid the repairs.

"Sports Exhaust" like those loud after market ones with double pipes exiting at the rear, usually one pipe on each side of the tow hitch. Something like these. Almost every single F-150, Silverado, Sierra, Tundra, Titan, and Ram 1500 in Lubbock was fitted with something like that...

Ah, the ubiquitous flowmaster dual pipes. I think I have one of 3 F150s in the state that doesn't have that :lol:

Yeah, those aren't "sports exhausts" per se. They're just people who want louder trucks, for the most part - they wish to hear that V8 roar.

Unfortunately, most of them proceed to buy the loudest and most annoying Flowmasters (which are also, not coincidentally, the cheapest) and have them thrown on. They sound terrible, they drone at highway speeds and they're not actually all that free flowing. They're called "Assmasters" by more intelligent gearheads.

Flowmaster = avoid.

 

[marcos_eirik]

Yeah, those aren't "sports exhausts" per se. They're just people who want louder trucks, for the most part - they wish to hear that V8 roar.

Unfortunately, most of them proceed to buy the loudest and most annoying Flowmasters (which are also, not coincidentally, the cheapest) and have them thrown on. They sound terrible, they drone at highway speeds and they're not actually all that free flowing. They're called "Assmasters" by more intelligent gearheads.

Flowmaster = avoid.

Really? I kind of liked the noise they made. It actually got to the point that if I got a truck I would like to have a set of those fitted. But then again, I'm still wearing a cowboy hat (Stetson, no shit...) although I'm not in Texas anymore...

 

[Spectre]

Oh, it's not all the retrofitted exhausts that sound bad. Just the Flowmasters.

 

[NooDle]

funny how this thread has derailed...

on another note, everytime I read the topic title, I read "I'm going to study a broad this semester", which is quite a bit more interesting than what it actually says

 

[CyberMonkey]

^ I thought I was the only one doing that

 

[klankymen]

clearly you're not the only ones doing that, see Post 26....

 

[marcos_eirik]

So, it's time to post the last pictures from my semester in Texas. I feel kind of depressed being back; So cold, (between 0 and 10F this week) and dark. I also miss my friends from Lubbock, I so miss going out drinking on College Night every Thursday with them. I also miss people being nice and talking, caring about more than themselves. All in all, we had a lot of fun, although I do suspect that I got that very un-funny mono (which ruined my last couple of weeks) from someone. I've never had a sore throat that bad before, all I could eat for several days was yogurt and soup. Which means all that was added due to four months on an American diet of various types of fast food, probably disappeared...

Again, I will recommend to anyone that it's a good idea to study at least one semester abroad. Not only do you get a unique combination of subjects/classes in your degree, but you also gain experience with living in different cultures.

My friend's Golden Retriever:

So Texans do think big of their football players:

Some of my friends over there were graduating from Texas Tech

Last picture I took on this trip, looks so sad... But on the other hand it's of the sunrise, which hopefully means the beginning of something new...

 

[Jacobfox]

:lol: at the Deion Sanders poster.

 

[NooDle]

woo F1 cars in Texas? WTF?

 

[h-p]

woo F1 cars in Texas? WTF?

Maybe it's in San Francisco.

 

[marcos_eirik]

Maybe it's in San Francisco.

Yes, it's in a Ferrari store near Union Square in San Francisco. That F2003GA (with the 2007 livery) was only on display though, not for sale.

 

[NooDle]

well duh :lol:

when is there ever an F1 car for sale, anywhere?

 

[ahpadt]

That's some seriously steep roads in the city... oO