The old Chrsysler Amplex Plant now stands a fossil in the K2 layer of manufacturing history.

"In the late twenties, a group of Chrysler Engineers met with representatives from several US
bearing manufacturers. Chrysler Engineers wanted a heavy duty self-lubricating bearing, as existing
bearings failed quickly on low duty applications. A spokesman for the bearing companies said,
"Gentleman, we are sorry, but it cannot be done."  Statement from Chrysler Amplex Archives 1933

AMPLEX Division - 1930  
"Chrysler Engineering developed a way of using sintered metal and having oil in small spaces
within the metal. Thereby resulting in a self lubricating bearing... Walter Chrysler  felt that the
invention was worth investment and authorized that Amplex Division of Chrysler be formed in
1930 to make sintered metal products and oil impregnated bronze bushings. Amplex Division was a solid money maker and a corporate bright spot during the depths of the Depression."
Excerpt from : Chrysler, Ford, Durant and Sloan
Founding Giants of the Automotive Industry
by H. Eugene Weiss

"Floating Power" is introduced.  In this new system, a leaf spring below the transmission and rubber bearings separate the engine vibrations from the chassis.  Chrysler researchers also develop oil impregnated bronze, a revolutionary new kind of large-pore metal material for leaf springs and joints. These bushings are able to absorb 30 percent of its own weight in oil in its pores, release additional greasing volume under pressure and reabsorb it when the pressure declines again."   Information obtained from The Standard Catalog of Chrysler 1924-1990 by John Lee and Chrysler Chronicles by James Flammang.

A Bank of PM presses turns high volume sintered bronze bushings at Chrysler Amplex

WW2 Advertisement for Chrysler Amplex

Chrysler's Amplex division was founded in 1930 to manufacture bushings using sintered bronze technology. Chrysler engineered the method of manufacturing parts by mixing powdered metals and compressing them into near-net shapes. It was faster to make a part this way than to machine one from raw material briquette made of iron, copper, bronze or aluminum powder is shaped by a press, passed through a furnace and pressed again into final form, without any machining necessary. Parts made in this manner are used in low-strength areas, not crankshafts, connecting rods, etc. A benefit of this process is that parts can be vacuum impregnatedwith oil after sintering enabling them to be self lubricating bearings. The parts are actually 19% porous and hysteresis ( HEAT ) draws the oil out of the pores, forming a hydrodynamic wedge at 6 o'clock between the shaft and bushing. They started production at the Dodge plant then moved here in 1937.  Chrysler stopped manufacturing in the late 1980's.


Today, Chrysler Amplex is a ghost of our manufacturing past. However, there are numerous powdered metal houses who manufacture oil impregnated bronze bushings.

Today, Sintered Bronze remains the least expensive avenue for the benefits of:
self lubrication, close tolerances and loading. In fact, it is now available with self lubricating additives like graphite, PTFE and wax lubricants. There has been a rush to switch to plastics ( C of F from 1.5 - 3 ), but maybe we should give a second thought to an old standard...sintered bronze bushings
( C of F from .04 - .08 ).