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Control Arm Bushing Pre-load Question

4K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  somegeek 
#1 ·
On the JK control arms, I'm trying to understand what the control arm ends are built like. Does the rubber bushing rotate independent of the metal sleeve on the bolt or are they molded together and the rubber just flexes under rotation? I read somewhere about preload on the arms needing to be removed after installing a lift kit by loosening the bolts and re-tightening which piqued my interest.

I installed the rear portion of the 2.5" Teraflex lift tonight and neglected to loosen all my control arm bolts so I'm concerned if I may have risked damaging them when I lowered the axle. :confused:

Appreciate any input. :)
 
#3 · (Edited)
They do not rotate in the housing. You've twisted and preloaded the bushings lifting without loosening them. This is why in almost every lift thread, it is advised to loosen/reset at new ride height and torque all CA's/TB bolts.

This won't cause immediate damage. Maybe some handling issues at larger lift heights. Over time the bushings from what I hear can degrade from the stress/preload.
 
#4 ·
^^^^ what they said. There is no immediate damage done by lifting without loosening and re-torquing. After all, that kind of twisting is what the suspension is designed to do all of the time. When you flex your suspension, the rubber within the bushings is twisted...which happens continually during any off-roading trip worth going on. It even happens to a lesser degree when you take it to the mall. Just don't leave them that way for months/years.

The bushings are bonded to both the inner and outer sleeves as 'kejobe' said. But there is absolutely no reason for concern since, as I said, this twist is normal so long as it isn't left this way. When your lift is complete, just go around and do them all at the same time. Good luck!
 
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