Suspension Shot (or Not)? Bonus Q: Caster Correction Bushings! (1 Viewer)

[jaymar]

I've never done suspension work, sooo...

GOOD OR SHOT?
OME stock replacement suspension installed in early 2011 by PO. Shocks are gone (in-place but not helping), and there are no flares. Suspension will be replaced with a 2" lift to handle added weight, but I wonder how to tell if components (and steering stabilizer) are still in good working order?

CASTER CORRECTION BUSHINGS:
Yes, I know they're not ideal, and I know they won't last. But they come with the kit, and I don't have thirteen hundred to drop on radius arms, bushings, and hardware at the moment. (Slider attachment points prevent the use of drop brackets. )

My Question: On a 2" lift, how long/how many miles can I expect caster correction bushings to last with ordinary street/highway and light offroad driving? Also, how will I know when one fails?

Thanks for any help!

 

[mudgudgeon]

My Question: On a 2" lift, how long/how many miles can I expect caster correction bushings to last with ordinary street/highway and light offroad driving? Also, how will I know when one fails?

What brand bushes?
Poly, or rubber?
How often do you drive the car?
What's your driving style? Miss Daisy, it drive it like you stole it?
Mall crawler? Or rock crawler?
How often do you wheel it?
Do you baby it, or beat it like a red headed stepchild? . . . .


2" lift needs about 3.4⁰ caster correction ( varies vehicle to vehicle, and lift to lift).
Caster bushes give you 2⁰ correction at best.

I've destroyed rubber caster correction bushes in about 9 months or so when rock crawling fairly regularly in a rig with 2" lift modified for a bit more flex.

I would expect shorter life from poly bushes if all else is the same.

I would look at caster plates from land tank as a preference over caster bushes.

 

[jaymar]

What brand bushes?
Poly, or rubber?
How often do you drive the car?
What's your driving style? Miss Daisy, it drive it like you stole it?
Mall crawler? Or rock crawler?
How often do you wheel it?
Do you baby it, or beat it like a red headed stepchild? . . . .


2" lift needs about 3.4⁰ caster correction ( varies vehicle to vehicle, and lift to lift).
Caster bushes give you 2⁰ correction at best.

I've destroyed rubber caster correction bushes in about 9 months or so when rock crawling fairly regularly in a rig with 2" lift modified for a bit more flex.

I would expect shorter life from poly bushes if all else is the same.

I would look at caster plates from land tank as a preference over caster bushes.

I'm willing to drive like Miss Daisy for a while. No crawling, mostly street, nothing crazy. Poly I'm guessing because they're not black.
LT always high quality (didn't Joey do something like this as well?), but cutting frame brackets and welding (which I've never done)--for what would be (for me) a temporary fix? Appreciate the suggestion, but I might have to pass on that one...

Did you experience any driveshaft angle problems? Whose bushings were you running--and how did you know when they failed?

 

[mudgudgeon]

Did you experience any driveshaft angle problems? Whose bushings were you running--and how did you know when they failed?

No driveshaft angle problems.

The bushes I had were identical in appearance to the dobinsons bushes, but they weren't sold as dobinsons.

The rubber had visibly pulled away from the metal outer sleeve

 

[jpoole]

Regarding caster correction the "washer mod" is a reasonable option that is very low cost.

​

Washer mod for caster correction - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/washer-mod-for-caster-correction.937493/​

Cant find the caster washer mod link. Any pictures? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/cant-find-the-caster-washer-mod-link-any-pictures.397440/​

 

[ChaseTruck]

FWIW - the yellow bushings (OME?) were in our 80 when we got it in 2012 and are still in there 10 years and 30,000 miles later.

 

[smritte]

Mine were from Slee and I went about four years before I bought my new arms. Looking at them they were not bad. I still could have gone a year more before I would have replaced them.

 

[gummycarbs]

I wonder how to tell if components (and steering stabilizer)

I don't think that the steering stabilizers really wear out unless you've got an ongoing issue that it's been damping (like poorly balanced tires), or you do a lot of driving on rough, rocky surfaces.

For the rest of the steering, people usually advise using a pry bar to check for excessive slop in bushings. Tie rod ends should move smoothly, but with some resistance, and they shouldn't make a clicking sound when you push and pull on them in any direction.

On a 2" lift, how long/how many miles can I expect caster correction bushings to last with ordinary street/highway and light offroad driving?

I suspect that the answer is "a very long time". You're not very likely to read that here, since the content, casual drivers aren't spending a lot of time on the forum.

If I were you, I'd go with a complete package. If OME, then use OME bushings the way that OME tells you to. The more you veer from proven, common setups, the more trouble you run into. Besides, if the OME bushings *do* start to go bad, you can then go back to Toyota bushings and add Landtank caster plates.

 

[jaymar]

Mine were from Slee and I went about four years before I bought my new arms. Looking at them they were not bad. I still could have gone a year more before I would have replaced them.

What was your lift height?

 

[jaymar]

Was unaware of washer mod; good to know, but more cutting and welding...

 

[Broski]

All depends on what you do, mine lasted less then a year before they spun in there mounts maybe 500 miles, but I like big rocks

Can you say drop brackets ?

 

[smritte]

What was your lift height?

In the beginning two inch. Later I went with a Dobinson three inch which is actually closer to four. The bushings worked very well until I went part time. I now needed a bit more caster to make up for the lack of front pull. 70mph down Cajon Pass was white knuckle at times.