Suspension Bushings - Rubber or polyurethane?

[FuzzFace2]

The truck is a 1981 F100 4x2 flare side, 300 six & T18, king pin front suspension.

The front suspension I had planed on using and was installed had the wrong wheel bolt pattern and because of the king pin size you can not swap spindles with out changing the beams.
So the beams I have to use, the axle pivot bushings need to be replaced.

So what are peoples thoughts on using stock rubber bushings or polyurethane bushings?
If you were going with polyurethane axle pivot bushings do you also go with polyurethane radius arm bushing also or keep them rubber?
Or the other way around rubber axle pivot and polyurethane radius arm bushings?
Can you mix the rubber & polyurethane radius arm bushings, poly at the front so it will not push back & rubber at the rear so it pivots easier?

Thanks for any advice given
Dave G.

[Ford F834]

I ended up not changing my pivot bushings because they were just not that bad... but if I were to need them I would use the 2-piece polyurethane ones. You leave the original steel sleeve in place instead of pressing that out. I just like that design. Either one will do the job, some people have a strong preference on poly vs rubber but for me the ease of installation made the 2-piece design much more attractive.

[Gary Lewis]

I'm going with poly on Dad's truck, and Big Blue already has poly.  Supposedly gives a stiffer ride and better handling, but BB is an F250HD so it's gonna have a stiff ride whatever bushings are used.

[Ford F834]

The internet info that is parroted over and over is that poly lasts longer and offers better handling... but rides rougher and is prone to squeaking if you don’t lube it correctly.

I wonder how much of this is just a preconceived perception based on the properties of the material. Maybe body mounts transfer more vibration, but I have poly radius arm bushings in my ‘81 and it rides and feels no different than the rubber. It is actually the smoothest nicest riding truck I’ve had. Years ago my dad and I replaced the bushings in his ‘68 F250 with poly. We could feel no difference except the slop was gone. Maybe there is a difference between rubber and poly but the only difference I’ve ever felt was the difference between the old worn bushing and a new tight one.

[85lebaront2]

So does Darth, I put poly radius arm bushings in years ago shortly after I bought him, which was also the last time I got a front end alignment. Tires still wear dead even after 24 years.

[FuzzFace2]

I have also heard the same thing of harsh ride with poly & the noise if not greased on install.

Well 4 for poly bushings guess what I will be ordering LOL
When you did the bushings just axle or just radius arm or both?

My rubber radius arm bushings are like new but being I have it apart again I might just go poly too.

Thanks again guys you are the best!
Dave ----

[Ford F834]

I bought pivot bushings in preparation for my 4x4 swap. The 2wd TIB bushings were pretty tired, but my 4x4 pivots were actually still quite decent. I decided to just put the axles in as-is. At some point I will want to rebuild the D44 and I will address the pivots then. The (poly) radius arm bushings had just been done by the PO and had maybe 50 miles on them, so I left those alone as well.