Why are my front thrust arm bushings leaking?
So I dropped my car off today for the airbag recall, and the dealer calls me up to tell me my front thrust arm bushings are leaking. Car has 47K miles on it.
When do thrust rod bushings go bad what happens?
Thrust rod bushings are not the same as control arms bushings. You have two suspension arms at the bottom of the front suspension (one is the control arm, and the other the thrust strut). If the bushings go bad they will either leak, or make the steering wheel twitch when the brakeis tapped, or they can do both.
What’s the difference between thrust strut and control arm?
See if their is play at the bushing end of the control arm bushing and/or thrust strut bushing (when you see both bushings this will be the best way for you to tell the difference between the control arm and the thrust strut. The thrust strut has a big bushing and is curved, while the control arm is straight and has a smaller bushing).
Is it possible for the lower control arm to leak?
Lower control arm bushings are solid rubber. They may crack, but they don’t leak. I know for a fact that some BMWs use some fluid filled bushings in the suspension, so it’s entirely possible that these bushings can be leaking. I’d take it by the BMW shop and get it checked out.
Thrust rod bushings are not the same as control arms bushings. You have two suspension arms at the bottom of the front suspension (one is the control arm, and the other the thrust strut). If the bushings go bad they will either leak, or make the steering wheel twitch when the brakeis tapped, or they can do both.
Can a crack in a bushing cause a leak?
Bushings don’t leak and as I said not all imperfections in the rubber parts of the bushings should be considered of consequence. Can you see some type of substance leaking out of a crack on a bushing? Lower control arm bushings are solid rubber. They may crack, but they don’t leak.
What can cause a trailing arm bushing to fail?
This can cause the vehicle’s steering to not be as responsive and cause you to potentially lose control of the vehicle. Another problem with trailing arm bushings is if transmission coolant or petroleum leak on the bushings. Both of these will cause the bushings to go bad and potentially fail.
What happens if your control arm bushing is worn?
Like bone-on-bone contact, worn bushings can allow metal-on-metal contact. Worn control-arm bushings can allow the vehicle’s front end to slip out of alignment and cause premature tire wear.