Polyurethane bushings

Been doing a bit of reading as I'm interested in getting the dakar leaf packs. Seems like the OME poly bushings are very popular. Couldn't find a whole lot of info on why people get the OME bushings but I did some reading on rubber vs poly bushings. My question to you all is if you're getting a stiffer suspension what creates the need for bushings that will make the ride stiffen up further?

From what I've come to understand polyurethane are a good option if you're trying to improve handling responsiveness on the cheap for say auto cross. I know people complain the stock tacoma suspension is kind of mushy but wouldnt leaf packs like dakars help a lot with that as is? Are polyurethane bushings at that point actually a better option than OEM rubber ones or do we have members blindly doing things? I'd imagine the suspension could be over stiffened. Wouldnt the dakars go better with the better flexing rubber bushings?

The only thing I've read that has appeal with polyurethane bushings is that they last, but do rubber bushings go bad that often? I'm relatively new to tacomas so I'm not a guru but on previous trucks stock bushings were good even after 6 years. Are toyota bushings cheap with a short life?

 

I swapped my OEM bushings to poly because they squeaked. It is a slightly stiffer ride now, but not by much. The truck doesn't seem to rock back and forth as much with the poly either. More of a solid feel now. No regrets.

 

What I know about the polyurethane bushings is that they squeak. I got some Alcan leaf springs made and I got the polyurethane bushings installed and they squeaked for the get go. If I had to do it over again I would have had them install OEM bushes . Just my .02 cents .

 

Poly bushings do usually squeak. That's been my experience at least over the years. I used poly bushings in the shackle side of my Dakar springs with the factory rubber in the fixed side of the springs and in the frame-side of the shackle. I greased everything when I installed it about 3 weeks ago using Super Lube (you should not use petroleum grease on poly, or at least that used to be the case) and they started squeaking after driving through some good downpours on our way to Steamboat Springs last weekend.

 

No squeaks using Energy Suspension's grease on my Energy Suspension poly bushings:
http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/formula-5-prelube-bushing-lube.asp

 

Did you grease the whole bushing? Inside and outside?

 

Yes.

 

Man, I did this on my alcan leafs with the energy suspension bushings. I lathered the prelube on thick. Yet with less than 1500 miles on them, they're squeaking like crazy. I've tried spraying them with silicone and nothing helps. Tempted to take them back apart if I can find any good recommendations.