Lower eye shock bushes failed after 20,000km

[Tom_150 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Tom_150]

Anyone know what might have happened here? I had new Koni 88-1713 SP3 shocks put on my 150 series Landcruiser 6 months ago, and now the lower eye bushes look completely shot after 20,000km (probably about 15,000 road use, with corrugated dirt trails etc. making up the rest of the km).

I have ordered new Superpro polyurethane bushes (I was told the Koni OEM rubber bushes are available from Koni Holland only, and would take 3 months to arrive). However, I'm now wondering if they over-tightened the bolt when installing the shocks and have damaged the control arms as a result. The left and right side lower eye bushes look exactly the same.

I can't imagine they tightened the bolts when the car was off the ground, given it was a specialist suspension garage that did the work.

[Piggy Water pistol pilot. Find all posts View Profile Close Piggy]

Over tightened, or tightened when vehicle was still on hoist instead of with weight on the lower eye of the shock (IE: Wheel on the ground)

[Tom_150 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Tom_150]

Thanks for your reply. I was wondering though, is it actually possible to over-tighten the bolts, given that there is a metal sleeve around the bush?

I have booked booked in for the bush replacement at a different garage, but they can't do it for 3 weeks. I asked him if he thought the control arm bracket could have been damaged, and he said without seeing it he couldn't say, however he did confirm that he had never heard of that happening before.

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

Had Koni front lower bushes fail in a Fortuner in a similar fashion about a year after fitment.
I now have a 2019 GXL Prado and have had to replace lower front bushes on 3 occasions in 2 years on Lovells shocks. The lower shock bolts were definitely tightened with the vehicle on the ground. I've been given a few different explanations for the premature failures, such as the vehicle being too heavy in the front end and front end geometry not right. The vehicle spends a lot of time offroad giving the suspension a hard time, but the lower shock bushes seem to be the weak link for some reason..
I'm looking at the Superpro Polyurethane bushes myself, but a little hesitant to fit polyurethane bushes as they have a reputation for harshness.
Will be interested in how you go with the Superpro bushes.

[Daniel150 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Daniel150]

I'm looking at the Superpro Polyurethane bushes myself, but a little hesitant to fit polyurethane bushes as they have a reputation for harshness.
Will be interested in how you go with the Superpro bushes.

Hi mate. I’ve had super pro bushes in my 100 series before. They where ok. Factory rubber is best for flex etc, but polyurethane is next, it’s a lot more flexible than Nolathane bushes that are really hard and brittle.
A lot of people get nolathane/polyurethane mixed up. As a general rule red (nolathane) is bad, purple (polyurethane) is good.
Cheers

[Tom_150 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Tom_150]

Had Koni front lower bushes fail in a Fortuner in a similar fashion about a year after fitment.
I now have a 2019 GXL Prado and have had to replace lower front bushes on 3 occasions in 2 years on Lovells shocks. The lower shock bolts were definitely tightened with the vehicle on the ground. I've been given a few different explanations for the premature failures, such as the vehicle being too heavy in the front end and front end geometry not right. The vehicle spends a lot of time offroad giving the suspension a hard time, but the lower shock bushes seem to be the weak link for some reason..
I'm looking at the Superpro Polyurethane bushes myself, but a little hesitant to fit polyurethane bushes as they have a reputation for harshness.
Will be interested in how you go with the Superpro bushes.

That's interesting, you're the first person I've come across who's had a similar issue. Even the suspension mechanic said he'd never heard of them failing this early. He did refer to this part of the car as the 'Achilles heel' of IFS off-roaders though.

I'm not keen on the polyurethane bushes either, but I can't risk leaving the current bushes on for 3 more months waiting for a delivery from Holland. The only other option is to buy whole new shocks. The Superpro bushes are supposed to be a lot less harsh than some of the other polyurethane bushes on the market.

They should be a lot tougher than the OEM rubber bushes, so hopefully they won't fail again anytime soon.

Booked in at a different workshop in 3 weeks (not going to let the original place touch my car again). Parts and labour will be $440 in total.

Will report back re. ride quality/NVH once they've been fitted.

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

If the bushes you are fitting are the Superpro SPF2348PK, be aware they may not fit Koni shocks.
https://www.4x4modsaustralia.com.au/...Hilux/Fortuner

[Tom_150 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Tom_150]

SPF2583K is the model part number for the Koni shocks.

Called 3 local workshops here in Cairns to be told that you can't buy Koni bushes, and that I would have to buy new shocks.

30 second phonecall to Top Performance in Melbourne (the Koni distributor in Australia) and the very helpful lady had given me the part number I needed.

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

Tom,
I was told the same thing regarding Koni bushes when I had my Fortuner a few years back. Sounds like your all over it.........
I wonder if there's any common denominator with lunching shock bushes we share. My vehicle is a 2019 GXL with Lovells EHD springs in the front, which I ended up with due to sagging of anything lighter. ARB Summit bar, Warn winch and Kaon UVP. The suspension place I deal with tells me the heavy front end is causing my continual bush failure. I also have Superpro UCA's which may have something to do with it. The vehicle spends a lot of time offroad in the Vic High Country.

[Tom_150 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Tom_150]

I suppose it could be the extra weight causing the premature degradation of the bushes. But if so, I would have thought it would be a much more common occurrence, as most Prados around here have bull bars etc. on the front.

The suspension mechanic told me he had never seen them fail after just a year.

My car is a 2020 GXL with ARB deluxe bar, synthetic rope winch, ARB underbody plates, with Kings springs to match the weight of the above.

I hope the Superpro bushes should last a lot longer - the life of the shocks.

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

Most seem to replace with Urethane, Top Performance say to do that and they are the koni distributor. The bushes are a consumable and they do eventually
collapse though I got about 60000Km over outback roads out of them. I don't think it is possible to overtighten, on the setup for my camper the bolts are only thread
on the end, you actually have to put in washers to take up the slack. I didn't change the bushes on the car but I have thought it would be a similar arrangement ie
nut screws to end of thread and stops.

[Tom_150 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Tom_150]

So I got new Superpro polyurethane bushes fitted a week ago. And they are now buggered as well.

I have been told by many, many people that it would have been impossible for the original fitter to have over-tightened the bolt on the control arm bracket when fitting them, due to the presence of the crush tube in the middle of the bush.

It is inconceivable to me that two separate suspension garages would have tightened the bolt when the car was in the air, so I am discounting that as a cause of the bush deformation.

I still think the bracket must have been bent slightly, causing the bush to not sit exactly in the middle - there is a slight gap visible at the top of the washer. Two separate suspension specialist garages did not pick this up when they fitted/re-fitted the shocks.

[Tom_150 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Tom_150]

For reference, below is a picture immediately after the new bushes were fitted.