Dealer says Tension arms replace

[Riley]

I have a 2019 3.3 with 30K miles on it. There is creaking coming from the rear suspension. The dealer said that the rear tension arms need to be replaced? Is this possible. Back in my day we just pressed new bushings in and I do know that this is not the way of today. However, how can these be worn out with such low mileage?

Thanks

 

[blnewto]

My 21 had a starter go out 2 weeks ago, when it was getting replaced they found cracked bushings in the front control arms and a timing cover leak. They repaired everything under warranty (had 3 months left). They replaced the control arms rather than just new bushings. So yeah, they seem to have some issues with the bushings. I had 45k miles when this happened.

 

[Volfy]

I have a 2019 3.3 with 30K miles on it. There is creaking coming from the rear suspension. The dealer said that the rear tension arms need to be replaced? Is this possible. Back in my day we just pressed new bushings in and I do know that this is not the way of today. However, how can these be worn out with such low mileage?

Thanks

Part of the problem has to do with the trend toward ever larger wheel diameters and shorter sidewall, all for vanity sake. That reduction in tire compliance and road isolation comes at a cost of higher NVH. To mitigate that, car mfrs are forced to spec softer rubber compound for the suspension bushings, in order to improve NVH.

It's a retarded way of tuning a suspension, especially on a sporty sedan. All those soft bushings makes suspension geometries imprecise, as the arms tend to squirm around under higher dynamic loads. This results in less precision handling, less road feel, and yes faster wear on the bushings.

This is why I prefer running 18" wheels/tires and firmer upgraded suspension components.

 

[Riley]

Part of the problem has to do with the trend toward ever larger wheel diameters and shorter sidewall, all for vanity sake. That reduction in tire compliance and road isolation comes at a cost of higher NVH. To mitigate that, car mfrs are forced to spec softer rubber compound for the suspension bushings, in order to improve NVH.

It's a retarded way of tuning a suspension, especially on a sporty sedan. All those soft bushings makes suspension geometries imprecise, as the arms tend to squirm around under higher dynamic loads. This results in less precision handling, less road feel, and yes faster wear on the bushings.

This is why I prefer running 18" wheels/tires and firmer upgraded suspension components.

The next question would be why don’t they sell bushings as opposed to replacing the whole arm?stupid

 

[blnewto]

The next question would be why don’t they sell bushings as opposed to replacing the whole arm?stupid

I asked my service writer that question, he just said that's what they do when the bushings go bad. Crazy!

It's possible they send the arms back to the factory, get checked out, and if the arms are ok then replace the bad bushings, then package them up and have them shipped out. That might make some sense

 

[Volfy]

The next question would be why don’t they sell bushings as opposed to replacing the whole arm?stupid

For a lot of folks, changing out the entire control arm might be more cost effective. Unless you're a seasoned DIYer that have a hydraulic press, you'd have to pay somebody else to do the work. These days most shops charge at least $125/hr for shop labor, so you could potentially pay more for pressing bushings than a simple control arm swap.

Also, like on many vehicles these days, G70's suspension bushings are not all omnidirectional. They are set up to be stiffer in one direction and softer in another. This means that it is absolutely crucial that the bushings are "clocked" correctly. Replacing the entire control arm guarantees the bushings are clocked properly.

If you really want to press your own bushings, you can always get aftermarket polyurethane bushings of the correct size.

 

[blnewto]

For a lot of folks, changing out the entire control arm might be more cost effective. Unless you're a seasoned DIYer that have a hydraulic press, you'd have to pay somebody else to do the work. These days most shops charge at least $125/hr for shop labor, so you could potentially pay more for pressing bushings than a simple control arm swap.

Also, like on many vehicles these days, G70's suspension bushings are not all omnidirectional. They are set up to be stiffer in one direction and softer in another. This means that it is absolutely crucial that the bushings are "clocked" correctly. Replacing the entire control arm guarantees the bushings are clocked properly.

If you really want to press your own bushings, you can always get aftermarket polyurethane bushings of the correct size.

Your posts are always thought provoking.