High Mileage 80 keeps going and swaybar ?'s (1 Viewer)

[Box Rocket]

Just thought I'd say how impressed I am with my 80. It's a '93 that I bought in Texas back in 2001. At the time it had 110K miles on it. It was already lifted with 35's so it's had 35's the entire time I've owned it with no speedo correction or regear. This past week my family and I drove to SoCal from Utah to go to Disneyland and the beach. I've got 240K miles on the odometer now and the truck is my wife's daily driver so doesn't see too many miles typically since she stays home with the kids. I'll be honest, with the miles on the truck I was a little concerned about it hanging in there for the long drive to Cali and back, just because it seems like I haven't been spending much time on maintenance other than oil changes for the last little while.

I've had a CEL a couple times in the last 6 months for O2 sensors and got those taken care of and did a full tune up before the trip. In the back of my mind I'm wondering when/if I'll have headgasket issues. With no speedo correction or regear (and if my calculations are correct) I can add about 10% to the odo miles because of the larger tires. I'm not sure how long the PO had the truck with 35's but while I've had it its been 130K recorded miles +10% or another 13K so really I'm at least 253K miles. The truck ran like a champ and even loaded with all our stuff and our family of 6 it pulled great even on steep grades.

I'm continually impressed with the truck.

So to add a little tech to the "chat" I need to address my rear sway bar. The bushings seem to be shot and its clunking around a little and making noise. Are there any other options for bushings other than OEM? Is it worth using anything other than OEM?

 

[Hilux]

Check your rear universal while you're at it...

I think that's the clunk you're hearing...

And if you hear one in the front, check your drive flanges...

 

[Box Rocket]

Check your rear universal while you're at it...

I think that's the clunk you're hearing...

And if you hear one in the front, check your drive flanges...

I've checked those and it's definitely the sway bar. Rear DS was rebuilt with new U-joints last summer, and the front DC shaft is only a couple years old too. The noise is most definitely at the rear and I can duplicate the noise my shaking the swaybar by hand.

Thanks for the headsup however. For others reading the thread, those are good suggestions if they are hearing noises.

 

[spdwaver]

Given the amount of miles on your truck, I would answer a swift "no" to going any other route than OEM for the bushings. Imagine, you can probably get another 253K miles out of a new set.

 

[Michael Hanson]

270 plus on mine and basically no problems. Just go Toyota on the bushings,Id also check the shocks and front bushings. Mike

 

[lt1fire]

I'd go with some poly busings for the sway bar....... or oem. IMHO either would be fine.

Bushings on other suspension parts though would only be OEM for me.

 

[nuclearlemon]

The bushings at the axle or at the frame? i've got new bushings at the frame on the sway bar that i took off and never installed. i may even have one new axle side bushing and one good axle side

 

[Michael Hanson]

At these mileages Id look at all very closely. MIke

 

[zx9r]

Not nearly as many miles but I was experiencing the clunking from my rear end. Sway bar bushing looked terrible so removed it. That was 5-6 months ago now. Even with it removed I still was getting some clunking (reduced a little) so replaced the panhard bar bushings since it seems to have a bit of play in it. Noise is gone and can actually feel the difference in the ride. Makes we want to change out all the other bushings as well since it would probably feel like a new suspension again.

I do plan to replace the anti-sway bar but haven't gotten around to it yet. I ended up buying the OEM bushings after reading somewhere that the poly ones (from Slee maybe) were too stiff for colder weather (I'm in upstate NY) and they are better suited for west coast trucks.

Since I have an OME lift (2.5") I may go ahead and add extensions to the sway bar ends to align it more as it was when stock. Since I didn't this may be why mine were so worn. Mine must have been bad for a while since even the metal bar is worn down about a 1/16" in both spots where the bushing were...

 

[Box Rocket]

The bushings at the axle or at the frame? i've got new bushings at the frame on the sway bar that i took off and never installed. i may even have one new axle side bushing and one good axle side

Pretty sure it's the frame end. Mine is the old style with the straight bracket off the frame.

Thanks Ige!

 

[gotmud]

High Mileage 80...

...I've got 240K miles on the odometer now...

Thought you said you had high miles - for a Chevy maybe. -Your 80 is just breaking in

As others have already said, replace with OEM and go another 240K!

 

[nuclearlemon]

Pretty sure it's the frame end. Mine is the old style with the straight bracket off the frame.

Thanks Ige!

yep, flat metal bracket coming off the outside of the frame with the funky little tie rod end thingy. i'll grab em for ya...pm me your addy.

 

[darwink1]

Went through the same scenario last fall when we took the new to me 93 80 on a 6000km road trip. Every day I had little voices in the back of my head saying "man youre a dumbass and youre gonne be stranded in the middle of nowhere".

The trip was uneventful with only ds pwr window issues to report, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. The looks I got were worth it too.

The PO was great on the maintenance and the HG had been done at the dealer a while ago so at least I had that going for me. Still drive it every day with only reg oil changes and 25 pumps of grease added to the birfs (greasable) now and then.

Its got its quirks but Id drive it to Florida tomorrow if I had to.

D

 

[zx9r]

Think I remember seeing you replace all of your bushings Darwink in your "beater" thread. Must have made a huge difference judging from my experience with just the rear panhard bar so far. Did you need a press for the others (tailing arms, etc)?

 

[darwink1]

Yeah, I had all of the link bushings done. My old ones were messed and the links were rubbing the mounts in places. It was the middle of winter so I had a shop do the job. I also dont have a shop press which I hear you need.

I still have to do the panhards f/r and the rear stabilizer bushings. May get to it eventually.

The ride is a lot better w the new bushings and the van feels tighter.

D