Symptoms of worn body mount bushings
What are Body bushings
Many 4WD vehicles use a chassis / ladder frame construction. The chassis provides a place for the driveline and most other mechanical components to be mounted. The body of the vehicle sits ontop of the chassis, and body mount bushings are sandwiched between the two. These body bushes reduce the amount of road noise and vibrations transferred into the interior of the vehicle. Over time and use these bushing will degrade and become less effective at there job.
Symptoms of worn body mount bushings
Body bushings are the under appreciated hero's of the car world, providing many years of service with absolutely no maintenance or even acknowledgement of there existence. Many of our favorite 4wd vehicles are starting to age and have odometers well into the high 6 figures. If you have any of these following common symptoms then chances are you might have some rubber body mount bushings that need replaced.
#1 Panel gaps out of skew: That's right, body mount bushings generally don't wear evenly. Parts of the body that aren't supported correctly due to a worn bush can sag and make doors not latch correctly and cause panel gaps to be uneven.
#2 Poor ride Quality: Worn bushes can make the body creak and knock when going over bumps, and make a significant increase in road noise and vibrations.
#3 Leaking window seals: Bad body bushings can misalign the body and make window seals leak. Leaking window seals will make the car smell damp but more seriously can also create a long term issue with corrosion.
#4 Cracks or splits: Minor cracks and splits in these bushes can be a warning sign that they are nearing the end of there effective life.
Body mount bushing replacement
Replacing worn body bushings on most vehicles is quite an easy task that can be completed with basic hand tools. On alot of vehicles the body bolts that hold the chassis and body together haven't been loosened for many years so spraying the area with some penetrating oil prior to starting the job is helpful.
Body mount bushings rubber vs polyurethane
Polyurethane bushes have a longer useful life, but the compromise is they are harder and transfer more vibrations and road noise into the cabin. The softer rubber body bushes absorb vibrations more effetely and result in a softer ride. Although rubber body bushes have a shorter life span, it can still take 20-30 years of normal driving to wear them out.
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