jimbobrian15

This is a summary of my bushing replacements, because some info was hard to find and this may help some of you. My '98 XJ went over 200K miles and I decided to finally try some front-end bushings.

WHY DO IT? Front end bushings seemed loose. I heard and felt a thumping, jiggly kind of response from the front end on bumpy forest roads and streets. In some places, it felt like the front end wanted to bounce itself left or right on bumpy turns. The thumpy feeling was very subtle. A completely blown bushing would be obvious, and mine weren't completely blown. They were original bushings, so they lasted a long time or I just lived with their weakness.

ADVICE & ANALYSIS? A friend said, "It sounds like your joints are loose." My son said, "Your steering wanders." But which joints? Nothing really moved easily, but I could see that the front stabilizer bar bushings on the frame were ovaled out. They were definitely loose. I could slightly twist the control arms with my bare hands. Online advice said that control arms should be stiff and solid, hard to move front back or twisting. So they were "soft", I guess. They weren't cracked or rotten. U-joints seemed good (no noise or leaks). My shocks seemed solid(Edelbrocks with about 80K on them). Ball Joints were solid and not leaking. Control arm bushings aren't very expensive, but it's a big job with lots of apparent cursing.

WHAT KIND OF BUSHINGS? The lower control arms have two large bushings on each arm, both the same size. I could get those arms out of the vehicle and work them on the bench. The upper arms have only one bushing in the arm, and the other on the axle. I was not removing the axle, so those would be tough. I got MOOG rubber bushings. Consensus seems that rubber bushings are fine for street and occasional off-road use. Polyurethane bushings are "performance" parts, stiffer and better for serious off-roading or racing. Rubber bushings are complete, with the rubber middle and metal sleeves. Polurethane bushings typically don't have the outside metal sleeve and you have to reuse your existing metal sleeves.

STABLIZER BAR: This replacement was easy, so not much to say. I didn't swap the track bars or their bushings, only the front stabilizer bar bushings on the frame. It was a simple unbolt/rebolt.
LCA BUSHINGs JOB: The lower control arms were easier than I thought they would be. Bolts loosened easily with a socket and breaker bar. Once the arms were out of the vehicle, these two videos were perfect for the job.
http://s347.photobucket.com/albums/p...t=MOV05125.mp4
http://s347.photobucket.com/albums/p...t=MOV05126.mp4
I did only one arm at a time, to help keep my axle from shifting. You are supposed to tighten the bolts with the axle at normal ride height. I had the front end on ramps, and figured the ride height was okay, despite the ramps. Plus, the arms went right back in without any need to pull or push the axle to line up the bolt holes, so I tightened up the bolts. That was an easy Friday evening worth of work.
UCA BUSHINGs JOB: Ah, the fun begins. All the UCA bolts are anti-spin, with lobes on the bolt, so focus on the nut. The front (axle) bolts came off easily, but the rear bolts on the frame were "almost" seized, which seems a very common problem because many people end up cutting those bolts off. A long-handled box wrench and hammer allowed me to spin the nut until the anti-spin cam caught on the bolt head. Then they loosened up. I had soaked them with PB Blaster. There isn't any room to get a deep socket and breaker bar in there. Even after getting nuts off, the bolts don't slide out easily. They are under under tension because the UCA's control caster angle of the axle. A small jack and/or come-along helps to twist or pull the axle into better alignment, and the bolts slid out. But before that, I destroyed the threads of one bolt with a hammer and had to cut it off. I replaced it with an M10-1.5x85mm and a couple washers. The bushings on the arms were easy to replace, using the same method in the videos. Then I put the frame on jackstands, removed the tires, and let the axle drop as far as it wanted to work on the axle bushings. One bushing on the axle fits in a U-shaped iron arm, like the control arms, and it came out with some good hammering. I had a long piece of 2x2 wood that I slid through the coil and put against the bushing to bang on from the passenger side. It popped out after many good whacks. I froze and lubed the casing of the new bushing before whacking it in place and then made sure it was seated by wrenching down with a couple C-clamps on the edges. It seated well on all edges. The small bushings have to seat all the way. That left the bushing on the cast iron lobe on top of the differential. I ended up leaving that bushing in place. No matter how hard I whacked, with hammer or long piece of wood, or even a rigged up pully press with large socket, it wasn't moving. Most people recommend a ball joint press to get that one in and out. But I was still worried about being able to get a new one installed, with the coil in the way, etc. The bushing was a little soft, but it wasn't falling apart and seemed okay. I left it there. I got 3 of 4 upper bushings replaced, with one new one still sitting in the freezer . This took an entire Saturday, into the evening, before I rolled the Jeep out and cleaned up the garage.

RESULTS: The front end is more stable and firm. Steering is tighter. When I brake, the front end doesn't dip down as much. My Cherokee Sport feels more "sporty" and less like a wallowing boat. It recovers more quickly after bumps, potholes, and washboardy gravel roads. I probably should have replaced them several thousands of miles ago, rather than waiting for 200K+. It used to shake more after a bump, which transmitted shakes to the floorboard, and it doesn't do that anymore. A Jeep is a firm ride, no matter how you feel it, but there is a difference between a bump-and-recover and a bump-and-a-shake-a-wobble.

ZINGGG

Bushings are never the most fun thing to replace. Congrats on getting it all done and I'm glad it feels a lot better.

Just a little info, the ball joints and u-joints don't exactly leak when they go bad... It's more like they become warn and you'll be able to see and feel play in them.

BotakBeng

Awesome video!
Thank you for sharing.