fabchef

Hi gang, i was curious to know what are the symptoms of the lower table (bushings) goong bad? Last year i changed out quite a few suspension components ( quick struts all around, fromt and back sway bar links and bushings, brake pads and rotors).
Right now, i find that when going over big bumps (potholes) the suspension ends up a little noisy (no major clunks though). Is this to be expected on a 12 year old car?
the last components I didn't change are the tables and/or bushings. The car does not pull to a side when hitting the brakes.
thanks
fab

tomr51

you will see cracks in the rubber bushings. more noticeable if the car is jacked up and the wheels sre hanging

fabchef

Tomr... yes i've looked at them a few times when car was jacked. There seemed to be a few hairline cracks. I had asked mu mechanic but said they still seemed fine. Could worn or cracked bushings cause more suspension noises? What does it feel like (driving wise) when they are bad?
thanks
fab

tomr51

i relaced mine earlier this year. the cracks were clearly visible. difference in ride handling was small, but noticeable. had a full wheel alignment and tire wear is very even after 20k kms.

fabchef

Tom, thanks for the info. The handling is ok on my car. It's really going over bumps and imperfect roads..especially if there is a long stretch of it...it gets a little loud in the cabin.
I installed fcs quick strut assembly on all 4 corners last year.
fab

tomr51

i had no real issues, just the cracks in the rubber concerned me and i was going on a 12k kms road trip with 2 passengers and luggage. the car had 185k kms when i changed the lower control arms. all other suspension parts are original.

fabchef

Tom, have you noticed and different after you changed them, in terms of cabin noise or Clunking while going over bad roads?
good milage you got there...i'm at 210k km!
fab

tomr51

going over speed bumps the car felt tighter. on the road it felt tighter as well. all up improvement was noticeable, but not huge as i had no major issues before the change. I followed instructions from this forum and it was straight forward. (i had the use of a hoist which also helped). i replaced the full arm, but did not replace the ball joints as they can replaced separately. the ball joints felt tight when checked with the control arms removed

iMSQ

if alignment was done but you still have uneven wear of tires (outside zone) so it's time to replace lower arm

fabchef

Imsq...yes i had an alignment done a little while ago. The tires seem to have a very slight wear on the outside but it was quite off alignment for a while. The tires themselves are soso, i find michelin defenders. Came with the car. Might have 1 or 2 seasons left. Not sure how old they are. Can bad or old tires cause more noise?
fab

uksparky

I got tire noise, any tire out there quiet ... my lower bushings have some cracks but still holding up, going over bumps feels like all the plastic under the front wheels are all loose. Stock shocks.. ... some push pins need replacing i am sure... 09 RX

fabchef

Hi guys, well i decided to jack up the front to see what's going on. We just got back from a road trip and the main thing i noticed is when veering towards the left, it's smooth. As soon as i center the wheel i can feel a slight pulsation in the steering wheel, as well as veering slight right. I jacked up each front wheel, pulled and pulled each wheel (up and doen, side to side). The only thing i noticed was an ever so slight play i think in the left front hub...but microscopic.
The tie rods and ball joints seem snug.
when braking, the steering wheel is pretty straight, no pulling to sides.
i took some pics of the control arm bushings, there are some hairline cracks, but nothing major. I took pics of the tires too, the seem to be balding a bit at the sides...this is on all 4 tires...which are now 6 years old (only used in summer time.

iMSQ

problem:


is it only one tire?

fabchef

Imsq...no all 4 tires are like that, they seem hard too. They are 6 years old. I showed the pic to a friend of mine, he said they look dry rotted.
i passed by dealership to pic up some washers. I spoke to parts guy, I mentioned the control arn bushing to him. He said unless they are completely broken across, they should still be good, even if there are some hairline cracks. He said the ones on his 2004 model are still original and stil good.
when braking i'm not getting any drag on one side or the other, the car stops well and straight.
i'm leaning towards the tires as they have gotten hard and worn and causing slightly harsher ride. I will wait for the spring to look for new ones as i'll put on the winters late fall.
does my theory make sense?
fab

iMSQ

Just drive a car, and if tire wear (outside) will be worse then replace the LCA.