How to Deal With Worn Bushings on Your Vehicle

There are many individual parts on the average car or truck, and some of them are designed to wear out over time. While most of the major components are meant to last as long as possible, other smaller parts will wear down through use and will eventually fail. This is particularly the case for the bushings that help to support larger components or that form a link in between a static object and a moving one. If your vehicle is getting a little long in the tooth and it's been some time since a major service, why do you need to pay close attention to these bushings, in particular?

Flexible Rubber

There are many different rubber bushings fitted to your vehicle, and each one is a very simple component. It is designed to form an element of padding in between two metal parts, and the flexibility of the rubber allows it to perform its task well. Rubber is, of course, a degradable material, and each bushing comes under pressure whenever the car is in motion. While these parts are specially toughened and designed to last, they will inevitably wear down and will need to be replaced.

Widespread Use

You may be surprised to see how many bushings there are on your vehicle. For example, they help to support components of the engine or transmission, and they play a particularly important role in the suspension system.

The suspension is composed of many different parts that help to balance the vehicle when it is being driven, to cope with cornering forces, to enable the driver to steer and to put up with rough roads. You will find a pair of bushings along the stabiliser bar, both inboard and outboard, while there are bushings that support the ball joints on the end of the steering rack. Some bushings will help to support a suspension strut on a conventional vehicle, while others will give the gearbox a certain amount of flexibility during motion.

Passage of Time

Given time, each bearing will start to wear out and will not be able to perform its task as efficiently as it once did. In this case, you may notice issues with handling or a strange noise or two, and in this case, you may need to replace each one. Always remember to replace the associated bushing on the other side of the vehicle at the same time, as this could also fail in the near future.

Changing a Bushing

It's not easy to replace a bushing by yourself as you need a certain amount of knowledge and will definitely need the right tools. You may have to remove a lot of larger parts to get at the bushing and may then find that each bushing is stuck in place due to the effects of stress, vibration and tension, over time.

Getting Help

If you suspect that you have some issues with the bushings on your vehicle, get support from a local car service.