Lower control arm bushes. Am I being fleeced?

[demomanca Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close demomanca]

Is there a way to check if these are seized without tearing everything out? The wheel alignment is already out (I'm assuming from the buggered bushes) so I don't mind fiddling with these just to see if they are usable.

[sunny120 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sunny120]

Undo the lock nut and see if the adjuster spins/rotates. The front adjuster is 26mm and rear is 19mm from memory. Locknuts 19mm. Make sure you mark the bolt so you can put it back the same place.

Not a hard job to do once you've done a few. Shouldn't take more than 1.5 hours a side. The front lower control arm bushes are generally the first of any suspension bush that wears/splits. It is afterall the component of the suspension that cops most of the force of any bumps and weight of the vehicle. They will prematurely wear if the suspension system is not relaxed after a lift.

I have seen bushes (genuine only) on Prados which after been pressed in actually fall out of the control arm locating hole. If you compare a genuine bush with a superpro bush you will quite clearly see that the genuine bush is only held on by about 10mm of the bush shell in the control arm, whereas the superpro is 100% contact the whole way through the control arm hole for the bush (hope I haven't confused you). IMO genuine bushes are the way to go.

[sunny120 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sunny120]

I forgot to mention, genuine bushes are timed ie. have marks where they're meant to go as the bush is slotted. Aftermarket bushes are one solid bush so you can slap them in any way you want to.

[demomanca Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close demomanca]

IMO genuine bushes are the way to go.

Is that a ride comfort thing? From how I understand your explanation, the superpros seem to be a better made fit. Being poly with lifetime warranty, given it's one of the main wear points in a car, wouldn't that be better than a rubber bush?

Or am I wondering into Diesel/Petrol, BFG/Cooper territory with that question...

[sunny120 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sunny120]

Rubber has more flex/give than poly, hence a softer ride. But will deteriorate sooner than poly.

[wholesalesuspension Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close wholesalesuspension]

Is that a ride comfort thing? From how I understand your explanation, the superpros seem to be a better made fit. Being poly with lifetime warranty, given it's one of the main wear points in a car, wouldn't that be better than a rubber bush?

Or am I wondering into Diesel/Petrol, BFG/Cooper territory with that question...

The rubber having more flex is of no consequence in a Prado front end. The shocks and driveshafts limit the travel, not the bushes.

130k's is low to need your bushes replacing. On average most see around 200k's out of them.

I recommend the rubber purely for the ride quality.

Regards, Jason.

[beaujangles Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close beaujangles]

The rubber having more flex is of no consequence in a Prado front end. The shocks and driveshafts limit the travel, not the bushes.

130k's is low to need your bushes replacing. On average most see around 200k's out of them.

I recommend the rubber purely for the ride quality.

Regards, Jason.

If you go original toyota look up the prices on amayama.com, pricing is pretty cheap.

[demomanca Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close demomanca]

Ended up with OME, and SuperPro bushes. Getting installed today


https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.n...41950041_n.jpg

[Davis Dieso Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Davis Dieso]

I would be making sure your bushes are stuffed first. I replaced the front end bushes myself (in my home shed) as the front camber/caster adjusters were seized. Its a 2003 grande done 285k km's of hard yakka on the rough stuff. The bushes themselves were still reasonable (until I attacked them). I also fitted new springs and struts (Pedders) and all Pedders bushes (nolathane). The ride quality/harshness, is very smooth. It was a bit stiff to start with until we did the Anne Beadell, that loosened it up on the corrigations.
I've seen plenty of so called "stuffed" bushes when they were perfectly serviceable.

[demomanca Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close demomanca]

I got to see the bushes before they were oxy'd out. They would have probably lasted a bit longer, but they weren't great either. Happy to have it all done now. Just need to wait to get a wheel alignment, as it feels like it's running about 10° toe out at the moment

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[wholesalesuspension Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close wholesalesuspension]

I got to see the bushes before they were oxy'd out. They would have probably lasted a bit longer, but they weren't great either. Happy to have it all done now. Just need to wait to get a wheel alignment, as it feels like it's running about 10° toe out at the moment

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You'll have to post up some finished pics.

Regards, Jason.

[demomanca Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close demomanca]

I can get to far more places in the little 4x4 area at the back of my house, which is a great start

[OziOffroad Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close OziOffroad]

Bit late now but I just found a complete front end bush kit in amongst my "miscellaneous" stock (forgotten and lost stuff!) Could have done you a great "Dusty Box" deal!

Mick

[demomanca Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close demomanca]

Lol, dusty deal.

All set now, if I wear out the super pros I'll be cranky

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[tj5233 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tj5233]

Hi all, interesting read here. I recently had my lower control arm bushes replaced as I was having trouble getting/keeping a wheel alignment. From a reference here on PP, I chose to contact an independant tyre dealer to assess the alignment. He called me and said the bushes (both sides) were stuffed. So for around $700, I had parts replaced, fitted, and aligned. I was pretty happy with that and his explanation was good IMHO.

The really neat part of this exercise has been the "clunk" I would hear going from forwards into reverse at slow speed on uneven terrain has also disappeared, this is due to the new bushes and tighter tolerances. From memory they were rubber bushes.

Hope this info helps others.
Cheers all.
Tim.