Noticed nearly all of the bushings in and around my front suspension, sway bar and steering components are very degraded. I see a few old posts of folks searching for bushing kits for the Liberty, but no note of actually finding a source. Mines a 2006 Sport CRD. Web search has uncovered no good source yet. Any new info out there on kits?

Nope no kits,must buy individually.

Is there a list of part numbers for the bushings someone might need? I suppose it's at least front upper and lower (front and rear) plus rear upper and lower (front and rear?). That's 16 individual bushings?

thx

After further review, it turns out all I need right now are the clevis bracket bushings attaching the strut assemblies to the lower control arms... have those coming in via O'Reilly (Moog parts), hoping their available tool will work to to the R&R. But a decent source to focus in on the full set of 'bushings' for a front and rear overhall is one of the Mopar parts sites... did that at http://www.moparpartsoverstock.com/prod ... rm=bushing . I haven't correlated this to the parts fiche, but it looks promising.

So... replacing just the clevis bracket bushing evolved to replacing all three lower control arm bushings (the main two are not sagging, but badly weathered / cracked), which, given cost to press in/out, evolved into just replacing the entire control arm... cheaper, eliminates some of the rust... parts on order... expect to be done by Wednesday, alignment to follow. Struts operate fine and look OK, so they're staying for now (they're actually easy enough to replace vs the bushings).

Could have told you that it was easier just getting the whole LCA with new bushings installed already.Those suckers are in there and generally require to be torched out and then use a 20t+ press.

Wait a minute. I'm ready to do the front suspension and have read through the above posts.
This is not what I expected to hear from you fellas unless I am not getting this right.

Regarding the LCA bushings; The three bushing cost $85

A whole new LCA with the three new bushings is $388.

So are you all saying that it is more trouble than $300 per side to replace these bushings?

_________________
06 CRD LIMITED- Factory Belly Armor, Hooks.
EHM, MagnaFlow SS Cat Back, FS-2500, HDS 001 TStat, Some Gauges, PML Trans Pan, PML Diff Cover, Marinco Mod, FIA Blanket, Cooper Discoverer ATR 225/75, CTS 245/70, Front-JBA 2.25" C/Os, Rear-OME HD, JBA UCA, SS Brake Lines.

Yes.

I even bought the correct miller tools for those bushing removal,broke them in less then 30 seconds.Has it been done? Yes but those that did it had to burn the old bushing out then use a pretty big press to get the metal sleeve out and press the new ones in.With all that heat involved it does weaken the LCA some.By the book time it would cost you about $1200 at the dealership,that and they don't want to touch them but replace the whole LCA anyways.


Man I remember when those LCA's were $170 each when I did mine a few years ago,bushing take a beating when you play on the rocks.

tjkj,
Appreciate the info. Sounds tough but interesting.
I think I'll give her a whirl and replace the bushings. Stubborn German. (You'll probably tell me I told you so later).
I have a Cobra that is next in line that needs the same bushings replaced so this might be good practice.
Already did the rears in the Cobra, how much harder can the fronts be on a Jeep?

_________________
06 CRD LIMITED- Factory Belly Armor, Hooks.
EHM, MagnaFlow SS Cat Back, FS-2500, HDS 001 TStat, Some Gauges, PML Trans Pan, PML Diff Cover, Marinco Mod, FIA Blanket, Cooper Discoverer ATR 225/75, CTS 245/70, Front-JBA 2.25" C/Os, Rear-OME HD, JBA UCA, SS Brake Lines.

I'm half German and half Irish,after 30 seconds that 1/2" breaker bar almost was impailed into a brick wall after I flung it.

A little rough on religion, was it?

_________________
06 CRD LIMITED- Factory Belly Armor, Hooks.
EHM, MagnaFlow SS Cat Back, FS-2500, HDS 001 TStat, Some Gauges, PML Trans Pan, PML Diff Cover, Marinco Mod, FIA Blanket, Cooper Discoverer ATR 225/75, CTS 245/70, Front-JBA 2.25" C/Os, Rear-OME HD, JBA UCA, SS Brake Lines.

Nope just drank alot of wiskey and yelled about it.

My clevis bracket bushings are well rusted, looks VERY unlikely they'd come out without significant trouble. I gathered various tools too... got to where I thought I might be able to get them out, but didn't see a path to getting new ones in... thus, pull control arms and take them to have them pressed out, but that cost, including bushings, is more than a new control arm with new bushings.. see http://www.jeep4x4center.com/lower-cont ... 636af.html or http://www.amazon.com/Dorman-521-378-Fr ... an+521-378 . And if you're thinking 'made in china', you're probably right. After discussions with several '4x4' providers, most of these products are now. I'd be a little surprised if even the $388 version you mentioned was fully US made. Net... $116 each for LCA's with bushings (they were cheaper when I ordered mine) vs bushings and labor to fix the old one... Moog does make CA's for all positions other than Front LCA... will go that route if I decide to do more... then at least a strong rep firm over-seeing china build. (see http://www.fme-cat.com/Application.aspx ... Suspension )

Yeah not looking good with this...............



OEM ones from moparpartsamerica.com are $323-$333 each before shipping.

You don't think that "street use only" is a legal protection? Is there any mention of being guaranteed for off-road use in the 'Mopar' parts 'warranty'? (I did see the 'abuse' definition includes 'running over a curb'... if that's abuse, I'd say off-road could be classified as such.) Any experience out there of an after-market replacement CA failing?

1 LCA R&R down, 1 to go (when it gets here tomorrow). Wow, that was way easier than trying to extract that clevis bracket bushing. New LCA looked exactly like the original, weighed the same, bushings even looked exactly the same... China appears capable of doing some things OK.

I give it a year or less before those bushings are in worse shape then the OE ones.


Been doing this far to long to know china can't do anything right when it comes to auto parts.

You might want to do a little research... you'll find many parts labeled 'Made in USA' are really just final assembled in USA... in fact, just re-packing them or re-labeling them can allow suppliers to put that USA label on. Welcome to the global economy.

Known that for years and why I'm picky on where,and what parts, I buy my parts.

Good you're doing your best to buy USA. I do what I can, but paying 3x for something that may very well be partially Chinese anyway is nuts (i.e. those 'Mopar' LCA's). I do feel the best parts are made here, or Japan for 'Japanese' cars, or cars that are made by Japanese manufacturers here in the US, wait, that's another complication... . Anyway, Moog, Wix, etc and, beyond car parts, Rheem, GE; parts within kits from 'American' manufacturers, it's all mixed in now. As far as quality, China, like Korea, is catching up. I remember those first few years of Hyundai's... pure crap, now their quality ranks with the best. After the last 10 years of gaining experience, I'm thinking the Chinese know how to make cast iron and rubber, pretty basic stuff. In another decade or so, their labor and manufacturing costs will be up with ours, like they are in Japan and Korea, and we'll all be left to battle with the African and eastern European economies.