LOOKOUT for your BUSHES !

Suspension Diagnostics

It’s important to note that in identifying a worn suspension component, all surrounding or relative suspension components should be reviewed for contributing or affected signs of wear

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Worn rubber bushings look for:

• degraded, distorted, elongated, compressed or torn bushing
• free play of centre sleeve in bushing
• delamination of rubber from outer steel casing or inner steel sleeve
• Poor wheel alignment

Key areas to inspect – control arms, leaf springs, sway bar mounts, steering idler,
steering rack mount, strut and panhard rods

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Worn hydraulic bushings look for:

• leaking fl uids from core of bush – simply run a fi nger over bush to collect any moisture
• Poor wheel alignment

Key areas to inspect – front control arms, strut rods and rear crossmember

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Worn sway bar/ stabiliser link with bushings look for:

• Bushings have degraded, over compressed, split or even missing
• Bent or snapped link rod

Key areas to inspect – front and rear sway bar/ stabiliser link

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Worn sway bar/ stabiliser link with ball link joints:

• Split ball link boot
• excess compliance in joint- simply grab the sway bar, pull up & down and listen for knocking
• Bent or snapped link rod

Key areas to inspect – front and rear sway bar/ stabiliser link

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Worn spherical bushings:

• Split spherical joint boot
• excess compliance in joint
• Poor wheel alignment

Key areas to inspect – control arms, strut and panhard rods

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Worn ball joints:

• Spilt ball joint boot
• Knocking

Key areas to inspect – control arms