After seeing the Garagestar Delrin Miata door bushings, and hearing of their effectiveness for users, I figured I'd see if I could make a pair for my car.
I made one rough set just to see if they made a difference in how the car felt, and then I made another set with a little more attention to detail.
I used 5/8" UHMW plastic, ripped down to size on a table saw, cut to length on a chop saw, rounded on a belt sander and holes countersunk with a 15/16" Forstner bit. I then flame polished it (turned out more mottled than polished, I'd say, but it looks nice). A few simple anodized washers for a little visual pizzaz, and that's it!
I'm pleased with the results..... I've adjusted the steel cups so the doors close with a satisfying thud, and so that it takes a modest tug to open them (this can easily be adjusted to suit your preferences, no matter which bushings you use). I'd say the car is a tad quieter (due to rattle reduction), but I didn't expect these blocks to turn the car into a canyon carving Rolls Royce....
All in all, a fun, cheap project that was more about time and details than money!



I made one rough set just to see if they made a difference in how the car felt, and then I made another set with a little more attention to detail.
I used 5/8" UHMW plastic, ripped down to size on a table saw, cut to length on a chop saw, rounded on a belt sander and holes countersunk with a 15/16" Forstner bit. I then flame polished it (turned out more mottled than polished, I'd say, but it looks nice). A few simple anodized washers for a little visual pizzaz, and that's it!
I'm pleased with the results..... I've adjusted the steel cups so the doors close with a satisfying thud, and so that it takes a modest tug to open them (this can easily be adjusted to suit your preferences, no matter which bushings you use). I'd say the car is a tad quieter (due to rattle reduction), but I didn't expect these blocks to turn the car into a canyon carving Rolls Royce....
All in all, a fun, cheap project that was more about time and details than money!


