What bushings to get and where?

[Ramdough]

Ok, after 90K miles, my bushings are squeaking extremely loud. I believe that only the front IFS bushings are the problem.

What bushings do you recommend and where would you get them ?

Are there any greasable bushings available?

I want to spend the least I can while eliminating the problem long term.

Thanks in advance,

 

[kcowyo]

Are 100% certain that's the problem?

No offense, but I thought I had the same problem. Squeeked everytime I hit bumps, closed the doors, etc. I chased the squeek for months. Turned out it was my hood latch. It got dirty and crusty from the trail. I wiped it off, dabbed a little white grease on it and viola!, all gone.

Still happens occasionally but I clean it off and it's good to go for awhile.

Just a suggestion - :campfire:

 

[DaveInDenver]

KC is probably right. The bushings on my control arms are ~200K and don't squeak. I had one with a frozen adjuster cam bolt, but when the stock bushing wear out it's usually manifested in clunking. It's the aftermarket poly bushings that tend to squeak badly and I've known a few people who got fed up with that and went back to factory bushings.

 

[Ramdough]

Well, there really is no way to be 100% until I replace them.

I have had the bushings submerged in water on a few occassions. I figured that there is crud in there.

When I pressure washed my undercarriage once, the squeek went away. I tried using spray lithium greese, and the noise reduced for a day, then came back.

When I shake the truck from side to side, it squeeks.

What do you think?

 

[Ramdough]

Oh yeah, when I climb in, the weight change causes a little squeek.

 

[Ramdough]

Some more thoughts....

I had replaced my sway bar and rack bushings earlier with polly bushings because the OEM bushings were torn. A year later, I thought that was my squeek problem. I then greased the heck out of them.... did not help.

I can pop the hood and shake the truck, but I think I have already done that...if memory serves me, I thought that was how I narowed my search to the IFS bushings.

I will also retighten my body mounts (I have a 1" BL), just to eliminate that possibility.

Any other thoughts? It squeaks whenever the suspension moves.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Interesting, could be the control arm bushings but the factory ones being rubber and all I would not have guessed first. But if they are failing, maybe. I've driven mine through water and they get sprayed with mag chloride all winter and they are hanging in there. Like I say, only that frozen bolt so far. If spraying them directly with lube makes them quiet down, that sort of points at them, doesn't it?

As far as being super quiet, yeah I'm not the guy. I drive an old truck and I wish I could isolate a noise down to a single part. But I have noticed that my poly leaf spring bushings start to get squeaky after about 6 months. I also get a high pitched squeal/squeak from the bracket that holds the leaves aligned. The one riveted to the overload in the back. I wipe a finger's worth of grease along the inside of that and things get much quieter for a while. Body mounts, door hinges, body panels. It all makes noise on mine after 17 years (8 of which I know have been fairly hard wheeling with a Wildernest).

 

[Bighead]

I'm wondering if it is the SAW coilover. I had that same type of squeak back when I was still running them on my 4Runner. After e-mailing Sway-a-Way about it, they told me to spray some WD-40 on the shock shaft. After doing that the squeak went away. This would usually last for a few months.

 

[Ramdough]

I tried the wd40 thing.... no change.

It has to be the bushings.

I have already had failing bushings for my rack and sway bar. I can believe that the IFS bushings are going bad too.