Features of SuperPro Polyurethane Components Innovative Engineering designs to suit Universal Applications.

Material

The polyurethane that is specifically blended for the Super Pro product has mechanical properties that make it extremely successful in its application.

The properties of extreme resistance to abrasion, low compression set, high tear strength and a resistance to oils and solvents make Super Pro's polyurethane ideal for automotive applications. These properties lead to a resilient product that is highly versatile in its applications.

Steelwork

The crush tube is an integral component of the suspension bush system and is necessary for free pivoting. The crush tubes are made to precision tolerances to ensure that the precise fits are maintained.

Wherever an outer shell or sleeve is used in the Super Pro product range you can be assured that it is also made within precise tolerance ranges.

The Double Helix

The double helix is a design feature that has lead to improvements in the SuperPro product. The double helix is used in two applications. The first is on the inside of the bush and the second is on the outside diameter of the crush tube.

The first design of the double helix is used primarily on shackle bushes. The double helix provides a region for grease to travel along. This allows a boundary layer of grease to form between the inside diameter of the bush and the outside diameter of the tube. The double helix is extremely successful in grease-able shackles as the grease can travel from the centre of the bush along the helix and out to the grease grooves in the head of the bush.

Knurling

Knurling is used on control arm bushes to enable unrestricted pivoting of the polyurethane bush around the crush tube. The knurling has two inherent design advantages. The knurling reduces the surface area of polyurethane in contact with the crush tube. This reduction in surface area results in less frictional forces being developed. The Super Pro knurl bore keeps the lubricating grease intact for the life of the bushing, and eliminates the necessity for periodic re-greasing.

Bullet Grooves & Voiding

Bullet grooves are incorporated in the design of Super Pro bushes to allow for variances in control arm or spring eyes.

The voiding and bullet grooves also allow for the transgression of displaced polyurethane into the volume of the grooves as load is applied during normal vehicle operation. Even though polyurethane is in a solid form when it is manufactured into bushes, its unique properties enable it flow in a manner similar to a liquid when loaded. The action of the bush flowing into its voids prevents the generation of harshness and NVH within the bush and its mount.

The tangential grease grooves in the heads of shackle bushes have reduced the friction between the head of the bush and the shackle plates. The grooves store grease, which is smeared around the mating surfaces when the spring shackles rotate forming a lubrication boundary layer. This has the effect of minimizing head friction and reducing noise.

Why Polyurethane?

Rubber has traditionally been used for automotive suspension bushes. It has the advantages of low cost, is easy to work with, it can be used a wide variety of applications and is able to provide a level of insulation between steel components. However, it has some significant disadvantages:

- Rubber is vulnerable to abrasion
- Rubber will deteriorate when exposed to ultra violet light and water
- Rubber will deteriorate when exposed to chemicals such as oil, petrol, salt, antifreeze, and other solvents and airborne contaminants.
- Over a period of time, when compressed, rubber will acquire a ‘Set’ in the position it has moved to.

The consequence is that the bush will quickly cease to function as it was originally intended – even if the car is not used. The driver will experience reductions in quality of handling, steering responsiveness & ride quality, plus a reduction in the life expectancy of tyres & suspension components.

By comparison, Polyurethane as a bushing material is not vulnerable to abrasion, does not deteriorate when exposed to air, light or chemicals and retains a perfect memory of its original shape. Fitting polyurethane bushes will therefore ensure that the suspension components retain their designed geometry giving better handling & steering response, longer component & tyre life and an improved ride quality over worn rubber bushes.

It will also last significantly longer than the equivalent rubber component.

The significant disadvantage of traditional polyurethane bushes, where the original rubber bush is replicated using standard industrial grade material, is an increase in the transmission of Noise, Vibration & Harshness through the vehicle suspension – when compared with NEW rubber. Successfully addressing this issue through the use of unique materials & innovative design has been Super Pro’s mission.

Who are Super Pro?

Super Pro Polyurethane Suspension Products are manufactured in Brisbane Australia by Fulcrum Suspensions – a company that commenced business in 1976. The main aim of the principal, Graham Scudamore-Smith was to create a business, which would specialize exclusively in steering and suspension systems.

What Graham found, very quickly, was that he was spending more time addressing the issues created by failing rubber suspension components in the harsh Australian environment, than those created by Springs & Dampers. He therefore started the search for an alternative material for Suspension Bushings – arriving at Polyurethane as a possible solution in the late 70’s.

By the early 80’s he had launched Super Pro on the Australian market. Since then the product range has grown and expanded through an ongoing process of research and development into both new applications and to make existing applications work better as knowledge & understanding of the behavior of Polyurethane as a part of complete suspension solutions has grown.

The Super Pro brand of Polyurethane has developed an excellent reputation in recent years for its consistent high quality and extensive range. Super Pro is not only the leading polyurethane product in Australia but now has acceptance in the international market.

What is Super Pro?

Super Pro is a polyurethane elastomer base material, and is a class of “Thermosetting” synthetic Cross-Chain polymer that involves the reaction of various types of isocyanate resin with curing agents, to give an extremely durable material with the best features of rubber and plastic.

Super Pro is unique, it is the only polyurethane product range fully backed by a professional research and development program based on many years of hands on experience in the suspension industry.

Why Super Pro?

Since the introduction of polyurethane into the after market suspension industry in the early 80’s many have tried but few have succeeded in manufacturing accurate, durable parts consistently. Anyone can take two jam tins and mix part A with part B, pour it into a mold and get a result. It takes proper management and high technology to achieve the right result every time.

Super Pro & Resilience.

This is one of those buzzwords and really what Super Pro is all about.

Q. What is resilience?

A. The Speed at which an elastomer will return to its original shape after being deformed.

For example: A cricket ball has low resilience and a golf ball has high resilience. Both have similar surface hardness. Suspension bushes with low resilience will tend to transmit NVH, while bushes with high resilience will tend to absorb NVH.

At Super Pro, we use nominally 70,80 and 90 Shore A material and have adopted a policy of progressive hardness reduction, using sophisticated polymers, design and casting techniques to eliminate noise, vibration and harshness.

It is in this “NVH” area that we are concentrating our greatest developmental efforts. Super Pro polyurethane suspension bushes are not copies of the original rubber component they are specially developed to take advantage of the material’s unique properties.

Super Pro bushes will now include unique design features such as Bullet Grooves, Helix Grooves & Knurling, tangential grease grooves along with attention to detail in design such as domed heads and articulation chamfers

Bushes being used in control arm, strut bar, radius rod or trailing arm locations, will improve the road-holding, handling and tyre wear of the car. This is possible because Super Pro will achieve consistent tyre to road alignment, particularly under braking and cornering loads. In many cases there is little or no effect on NVH, thanks to careful design by our engineers.

The Benefits of Super Pro

The Super Pro component offers many individual improvements. Here is an indication of what can be expected:

- Low Maintenance
- Cost Efficient
- Less Wander
- Responsive Steering
- Control
- Improved Stability