How to Preload Rubber Suspension Bushings
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- Опубликовано: 20 окт 2024
- How to preload rubber bushings which are typically found on control arms and other suspension components. Bushings must be preloaded, otherwise, they will prematurely fail. Preloading is when the bushings are tightened in a relaxed suspension position, meaning that the wheels will have to be supporting the vehicle’s weight or with some manufacturers, you may be required to have weight inside to make it seem as if people sitting inside the vehicle. If bushings are tightened while the vehicle is elevated and the wheels are in the air, once lowered, the bushings will be twisting, fighting against the direction they’re being pushed in. This will eventually cause the rubber to tear, crack, or separate. #suspension #autorepair #mechanic
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Tools/Supplies Needed:
-jack with stands
-torque wrench
-wrench set
-ratchet and socket set
Procedure:
First starting with the Volvo. As some of you may remember, I replaced the rear control arms. Each control arm has two bushings, one at the subframe and the other at the wheel carrier. Therefore both bushings need to be preloaded.
Once the new control arm and bolts are installed, don’t tighten it up just yet. I will be doing this with the wheel off.
Place a jack stand under the control arm or wheel carrier, in a safe place where the weight of the vehicle can be applied to the suspension. Lower the vehicle so the jack is no longer supporting the vehicle’s weight.
With the wheels in place, it’s very difficult to gain access to these bolts. With the weight on the suspension, the vehicle should be somewhat level as well and this can be checked by sticking a small magnetic level on the subframe.
Ensure the vehicle is safe to work around the suspension, even use addition jack stands as a safety but they should not interfere with the preloaded suspension. If there is a suggested weight required inside the vehicle, then you will also need to follow this specification.
Now tighten the control arm bolts to the correct factory torque specifications. Considering two control arms were replaced, all four mounting points need to be preloaded.
Elevate the vehicle, remove the jack stands, and then reinstall the wheel.
Moving onto another example while on the ground.
Next is a Ranger, this is a different style of control arm, which has two bushings on the frame side, at the steering knuckle there is a ball joint instead. The bushings at the frame will need to be preloaded.
With the truck on level ground, the fender liners covers have been left out to gain access to the control arm bolts. This truck also has adjustments on these bolts for the caster and camber angles, so you’ll need to lock those plates so they don’t move.
Reach inside the fender wells and tighten those bolts to the correct torque specifications. With these control arms, there will be two points that are preloaded, so the rear and front mounting points for each control arm.
Once done, you can then reinstall any covers and you’re done.
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Many videos will talk and mention about torquing it under load but they never show you on how it's done so thank you for showing us! Wanna make sure my mechanic does this right...
Thank you so much!
such an overlooked point when rebuilding suspension. great video, straight to the point, thanks 👍
Thank you so much!
Never new this had to be done! Good thing i watched this before i began my suspension rebuild project!
Yep you definitely don't want to be revisiting the same project after all that work!
Good tip that a lot of videos fail to mention
Thank you!
Just to clarify, you originally supported the car on a jack stand placed on the center jack point and to preload the bushings, you placed a jack under the ball joint of the control arm and let the vehicle to rest on the jack stand under the control arm? I presume the height of the jack stand under the control arm was higher than the one supporting the center jack point? I have a similar issue with my 2010 Legacy. The car is too low to get under even while on ramps and the only option I have is to do what you suggested. Thanks for the great tip!
Did you figure this out yet? No need to put a jack in the center lift point. Just the pinch welds or frame whichever you use. Don’t even need to move those jack stands when u use the jack under the ball joint (or wherever under the knuckle) to compress the corner
@@dackbowland1876 what i ended up doing was i first measured the distance from the center of the wheel arch to the center of the wheel when the car was on the ground with the wheels on. Once the car was on the jack stand, i placed a jack under the control arm and jacked it up until the distance from the center of the brake rotor to the wheel arch above was the same as when the car was resting on ground with the wheel on. I tightened the bushings at this point and then lowered the jack.
@@MrSoulMonk I love Subarus. All the weird annoying stuff with maintenance really isn’t thaaaat bad, great bang for buck. Love the older ones like 90’s early 2000’s but they are so rusty prone and can’t afford to fully restore/build one lmfao. Would kill for a clean first gen forester.
The last forester I had, did everything all controls, trail, sway, knuckles, buddy did body work so I could get the rear subframe back in lol too rusty. I don’t think I even know that I was supposed to preload suspension and I really beat on that thing, nothing on suspension ever broke for like 50k miles
Are you supposed to leave that plastic cap/cover on the middle of the control arm?
That's just a protective cap from when the control arm is new. That gets removed when it's installed.
Nope
@@JoeJoe-wp1vv feel like such a newb for that question 😂 in the 6 months that’s passed I’ve changed out a handful of ca’s and every other piece of suspension and steering but hey, u have to start somewhere
Suspension feels like crap if you don't do this.
Why not tighten after driving up ramps?
Yes that is an option, but not everyone has ramps.
Like just barely on there not even 10 foot pounds, or like temporarily half of the torque spec like lets say 25 pounds, if the spec is 100 foot pounds?
and how much you wanna bet shops and dealerships DON'T do this ??? ... learn your car ... and learn to work on it ... ANYBODY can do these things including women and even handicap people so there is absolutely ZERO excuse ... there is only LAZINESS ...