IFS strut lower bush Failures

[spointdog]

Has anyone had a front strut lower bush fail or break on a D40?

I have 2 mates with hiluxs lifted about 2ins and both have had the lower bush on the strut fail and snap. One had about 15 000kms and the other about
25 000kms on the new suspension.
Talking to suspension places it has to do with the angle the bush ends up on once the ifs is raised. The hilux ends up twisted in a vertical and horizontal direction. They did say they think the D40 angles when lifted are not as bad as the Hilux but said still if you are going to do a lot of corrugations then there is still a good chance of failure.

I was about to drop a lot of $$$ into a suspension lift for my D40 to gain the ground clearance that is so desperately needed!! Until I heard of this fault.

So has anyone with a lifted Navara had any bush failures? Or heard of this fault? Or even a standard Navara that has this failure?

Thanks.

 

[steve1961]

Most time it's incorrect fitment , if your talking about lower strut bushes , after replacement of the struts for any reason , the lower mounts must be tightened when the full weight of the vehicle is on them , or they will flog out quickly

 

[spointdog]

Not so much the flogging out of the bush. The strut broke the outer metal ring of the lower bush.
I am sure the suspension was fitted correctly and doubt it is a workmanship issue. More a design flaw with IFS when it is lifted.

I am more asking if anyone has experienced a similar failure with a Navara.

All the suspension places I have talked have said it is very common on the hilux due to the angles of the strut/bush. They have said the Navara's have a better angle but can still fail in the same manner. They said the reason it may not be as common in navaras is there are more hiluxs out there.

Another suspension place said it was more due to the lifted suspension having less downward travel before bottoming out, thus stressing the bush and that corrugations have nothing to do with it.

I don't want to waste money lifting my navara to only suffer the same failure, and maybe suffer that failure in a remote location!

Leaving my Navara at standard height is not a great option either, they are pretty low, even lower now it has a bull bar and winch!

 

[steve1961]

Don't know it's that much of an issue , any re surfacing issue usually cops a hammering by members , and I've not seen any threads on it

 

[mgladwin]

I just got back from a trip up North and on return have noticed both strut top mount and bottom bush on the front right are knackered. Was very badly corrugated roads though and was loaded up fully. Its a 2" Tough Dog lift.

 

[seventies47]

The lower strut bushes are common on the early navaras, they are available separately now so no drama if they fail!

 

[4 naving]

mine failed aswell. 2' toughdog. pressed in new bushes and tightened on groung and what do you know... 10 000 k later chopped out again. the strut is too short and on full down travel it bashes on the internal bump stop as there is no down travel bump stop in the d40. the xxhd springs I have are to much pre load so its a softer spring 4 me and a spacer....

 

[Connaught]

ya mine failed on the bluemaxx shockies i put in, noticed it a year after install, the rubber of the bushing has extruded out the side

just went and bought some nolathane replacements, the nylon should last longer than the rubber bushed that come stock, now i need to find time for a 'dodgy mechanics day' at my house, hehehehe