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
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
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
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
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
Worn spherical bushings:
- Split spherical joint boot
- excess compliance in joint
- Poor wheel alignment
Key areas to inspect – control arms, strut and panhard rods
Worn ball joints:
- Spilt ball joint boot
- Knocking
Key areas to inspect – control arms
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