I'm about to put on a 2inch ironman lift with 315 BFG AT so do I really need the new bushings or not?
Lift going on... Do i need caster correction bushings?
- Thread starter AndrewLcruizer
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I put on the exact same lift about 8 months ago. I just bought some drop brackets to correct my castor. I got tired of the way it handled. I think its money well spent.
Yep get the bushings
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- #4
So which ones would y'all recommend, what do they cost, and can I install them?
You can use anything to correct caster on a 2" lift. I slotted my mounting holes and welded washers. You can do bushings or plates, or drop brackets they all work.
Ideally on a big budget I'd do a cut n turn lol.
Ideally on a big budget I'd do a cut n turn lol.
I went the bracket route and am satisfied.
Bushings are about $100 and you can install them with a shop press, maybe a 12 ton at$100 or more reliably a 20 ton model at $160.
The drop brackets cost more, but they can be installed more easily with common tools.
Also the brackets stick out on the bottom of the truck and can catch on rocks making them an easy damage target. I am sticking with bushings.
They don't really stick out. They level the arms back to the stock angle and position, which of course is less clearance than a lifted truck with caster bushings or welded washers. The one advantage is that the slope of the front of the arms will tend to 'skid' the arm over stuff.
brian
SILVER Star
do you need them? no.
been driving for about two years without anything on an ome heavy.
with that being said the handling did change, quite notably. nothing dangerous or scary. i have been half heartedly looking to pick up a second set of control arms to rebush with caster bushings.
been driving for about two years without anything on an ome heavy.
with that being said the handling did change, quite notably. nothing dangerous or scary. i have been half heartedly looking to pick up a second set of control arms to rebush with caster bushings.
It should matter and it should be noticeable. I think the better the condition of all the steering and suspension components the more noticeable it will be and the opposite if your components are worn/mostly original. Talking bushings, TRE's, coils, shocks, steering box, wheel bearings, etc.
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Why big budget? It is free unless I suppose you have to pay somebody to do it...
- Thread starter
- #13
Thanks guys for all of the input i think I'll do the bushings!
Uncle Grumpy
SILVER Star
Pressing in the new bushings is easy, removing the old ones is where the real fun is.
Agreed. I found that drilling the rubber and cutting the old ones with a jigsaw worked great. Did that on my first arm. Then I walked over to the 75 ton press I have access to and pressed the second set out. That was also easy.
Drilled and cut my old bushings out too.
Not free, will take me a day to tear down and service, plus the time to do the cut n turn. So perhaps a dozen hours all together. My front axle isn't due for service yet
If you have to pay to have it done, a few hundred dollars more than a front axle service, plus whatever parts you're throwing in as PM.
I elected to slot the holes and weld washers because that took an hour, and because I'm only on OME 850-860. If I had lifted higher, or felt driveline issues I'd have thought harder about a cut n turn. One hours time is much more appealing than a long days work lol.
THIS.
For the lift install process, it took me longer to remove the old bushings than it did for me to install the shock and springs on all four corners!
That's a good reason to do the bushing install right the first time! 
At least we can say Toyota did a good job of tolerancing the arms/bushings so they wouldn't spin out!!
At least we can say Toyota did a good job of tolerancing the arms/bushings so they wouldn't spin out!!
Speaking of lifts and the whole process...does anyone know of any good YouTube videos on the 'how-to". I see a million professionally done vids for Jeeps but not so much for us 80's.
