Let's end the control arm bushing debate

[mudgudgeon]

In my hzj105 I experimented with drilling the holes in a set of aftermarket rubber offset correction bushes out larger with a ½" drill, and added an additional hole

Idea was the bush would be more compliant and the front end flex would be softer/ less rigid. I think offset caster correction bushes have a negative impact on front end flex.

I ran the drill through the bush, and ran it back and forth in the hole to melt the rubber to seal any tears in the rubber from drilling.

It seemed to help with flex quite a bit, but the bushes (new set) lasted maybe 6 months

 

[Squeegee]

How can a larger bushing fit in the stock hole?

The voids are larger. Shoulda specified

 

[Squeegee]

I thought about drilling holes in non offset bushing but I feel like it would decrease the lifespan

 

[Squeegee]

Just replaced all the suspension bushings on a customer’s 80. Went from Dobinson’s poly s*** back to OEM. Damn that stuff is junk.

I’m not sure why offroad companies still sell polys. Nobody likes them

 

[mudgudgeon]

I thought about drilling holes in non offset bushing but I feel like it would decrease the lifespan

I think it definitely did in the offset bushes I played with.
If you have a suitable press and tools changing them is easy enough.
Not sure it's worth the trouble or cost.

 

[Dave 2000]

I’m not sure why offroad companies still sell polys. Nobody likes them

It was a craze back then, pretty colours, my best friends mates brother fitted them......pub talk! Now they are old news AFAICT.

I never bothered. Anyone who has read my long running thread will tell you I don't follow fashion, I do my own thing.

Regards

Dave

 

[mudgudgeon]

It was a craze back then, pretty colours, my best friends mates brother fitted them......pub talk! Now they are old news AFAICT.

I never bothered. Anyone who has read my long running thread will tell you I don't follow fashion, I do my own thing.

Regards

Dave

They are still heavily marketed and heavily sold.

If it's in 4wdAction magazine in Aus, it must be the ducks nuts

 

[SNLC]

They are still heavily marketed and heavily sold.

If it's in 4wdAction magazine in Aus, it must be the ducks nuts

Is that magazine still alive? I thought it died.

Cheers

 

[mudgudgeon]

Is that magazine still alive? I thought it died.

Cheers

No idea to be honest. I don't fit their demographic.

It may have morphed into something else.

If it's not advertising in a magazine, it's advertising on ask the 4wd TV and YouTube shows.

 

[Marco Lau]

My OEM front at the chassis end lasted a little less than 2 yrs after a few big wheeling trips...FWIF

 

[Woofythewolf]

My OEM front at the chassis end lasted a little less than 2 yrs after a few big wheeling trips...FWIF

It was 2 years ago, but do you recall if you allowed the vehicle to rest at ride height+bounce it around a bit before torquing everything down?

edit: if you had a shop do it it’s safe to assume that was done as that’s standard practice for all bushing installations. (Unless you got a lift without bushing replacement as leonard_nemoy’s buddy experienced other shops doing, but you didn’t mention anything about a lift)

 

[Dave 2000]

They are still heavily marketed and heavily sold.

If it's in 4wdAction magazine in Aus, it must be the ducks nuts

What like the rear axle radius arms that I purchased from a very well known company heavily marketed in oz, they were assembled incorrectly? Don't believe all you read my friend.

Regards

Dave

 

[Wrencher93]

What like the rear axle radius arms that I purchased from a very well known company heavily marketed in oz, they were assembled incorrectly? Don't believe all you read my friend.

Regards

Dave

I think he was being sarcastic...just sayin'

 

[baldilocks]

Page number 8 and this debate still hasn’t ended……. Come on now ladies.

 

[Railwelder93]

I was actually just looking at these! The built in voids look like they’ll decrease the amount of strain that the bushings experience when flexed out.
How have they lasted in the last couple of months?? Anybody else have any experience with them?

I haven’t put them in yet, unfortunately they are just chillin on a shelf with the rest of my dobinsons VT suspension

 

[NorCalFJ100]

What is the group consensus on bushings that come pre-installed in some of the aftermarket rear control arms out there? I'm shopping for some replacement rear lower control arms and all that are heavy duty have bushings already. I don't need adjustable bars. Run a 2.5 lift and moderate off roading. I have 20k old OEM bushings in my stock bars now, one bar is just bent pretty good.

 

[xetura]

While everyone is still debating the topic, I'd like to share the good news about our lord and savior, Impex Japan, and how much you can save by switching to Geic.... err.. yes, Impex Japan.

For example, rear bushing suspension refresh:

	48702-60031 TOYOTA ｻｽﾍﾟﾝｼﾖﾝ ｱ-ﾑ ﾌﾞﾂｼﾕ			JP¥1,920 US$13.43	JP¥7,680 US$53.72
	48702-60040 TOYOTA ｻｽﾍﾟﾝｼﾖﾝ ｱ-ﾑ ﾌﾞﾂｼﾕ			JP¥2,020 US$14.13	JP¥8,080 US$56.52
	90170-18007 TOYOTA ﾅﾂﾄ			JP¥120 US$0.84	JP¥600 US$4.20
	90201-19011 TOYOTA ﾜﾂｼﾔ-			JP¥170 US$1.19	JP¥850 US$5.95
	90105-18006 TOYOTA ﾎﾞﾙﾄ			JP¥390 US$2.73	JP¥1,560 US$10.91
	48706-60040 TOYOTA ﾗﾃｲﾗﾙ ﾛﾂﾄﾞ ﾌﾞﾂｼﾕ			JP¥1,420 US$9.93	JP¥2,840 US$19.87
	90105-18007 TOYOTA ﾎﾞﾙﾄ			JP¥640 US$4.48	JP¥640 US$4.48
	90119-18001 TOYOTA ﾜﾂｼﾔ-ﾎﾞﾙﾄ			JP¥640 US$4.48	JP¥640 US$4.48
	48815-26020 TOYOTA F/STABI BUSH INNER			JP¥460 US$3.22	JP¥920 US$6.44
	90385-11021 TOYOTA F/STABI BUSH OUTER			JP¥220 US$1.54	JP¥880 US$6.16

$172.71 + shipping (around $26-$30ish).

Other hits include, front radius arm bushings for $14.41, and other great songs of our time.

Anyways, I hope this helped someone save some money. Debate on.

 

[Pascoscout]

I just replaced all of my bushings. I went with OEM in the pan hard rods because that's all I could find that weren't the super cheeps and OEM in the front radius arms because that's what came in the DELTA arms. I went with MOOG everywhere else. Side by side the MOOGs look just like the OEM. They also fit in perfectly in every location. I've run MOOG stuff in my previous vehicles and have never been disappointed.

I know this doesn't help with your longevity questions now but my truck should provide a nice test bed with aftermarket and OEM installed at the same time.

So it's been a couple years since this post but I have an update. The Moog bushings did not survive my second trip to Moab last year. In both the upper and lower rear control arms the rubber tore. The bushings didn't totally fail but you can see they are damaged. I am replacing the control arms with metal tech to get johnny joints and some adjustability. I suspect the Moog joints did not like all the twisting from the suspension flexing. For normal street and light off road use they may be fine.

Everywhere I used OEM bushings appear to be fine. Except the rear sway bar, but that was a result of a rock tearing it off the truck

 

[Pascoscout]

What is the group consensus on bushings that come pre-installed in some of the aftermarket rear control arms out there? I'm shopping for some replacement rear lower control arms and all that are heavy duty have bushings already. I don't need adjustable bars. Run a 2.5 lift and moderate off roading. I have 20k old OEM bushings in my stock bars now, one bar is just bent pretty good.

Unless the builder of the arms lists them as OEM you're probably getting the cheapest bushing they could find. See my post above for my experience with Moog bushings in this location and those aren't the cheapest option out there.

 

[Dave 2000]

What is the group consensus on bushings that come pre-installed in some of the aftermarket rear control arms out there? I'm shopping for some replacement rear lower control arms and all that are heavy duty have bushings already. I don't need adjustable bars. Run a 2.5 lift and moderate off roading. I have 20k old OEM bushings in my stock bars now, one bar is just bent pretty good.

Forget Pedders.....period.

Regards

Dave