Rear upper control arm bushings always cracking, breaking and shredding won't last, why

DGROFFWA

MEMBER
2001 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE
140,000 MILES

I have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4.7 liter automatic. Everything about my jeep I enjoy, except, the rear suspension. The main issue is that the read upper control arm bushings don't last any longer than about six months. Then the rubber is cracked, broken, shredded and then the rear end clunks over every bump and the side to side sway in the rear gets bad. This is my third set of bushings. I replaced the whole boomerang shaped control arm, then it went bad, so I just replaced the bushings and now they are going bad. What causes this premature failure time and time again. The manual is followed and the torque specs applied. What other part of the rear end might cause this failure? I'm only seeing rubber bushings. Are there neoprene ones available? How about a mod to keep things aligned or from too much articulation. I don't off road in this thing, it's basically a daily driver and family car.

Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

Darryn

3 Replies

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,885 POSTS

Was the vehicle ever in an accident with frame damage? Are you purchasing factory parts or aftermarket?

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Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 AT 4:25 AM

DGROFFWA

MEMBER
3 POSTS

I bought the jeep used and was not informed about any incident from a private party. When I went to have it aligned, I was told it had been in some sort of accident because the drivers side wheel is about an inch back from where is should be, like an impact with a large pot hole. And, the wheel does have an indent in it. So I would say yes, but I don't know what kind. It just barely aligns. I'm buying aftermarket parts. Where the link that goes from the front wheel area to the frame, the area that the link attaches to the frame is distorted or pushed back. I would need a longer link to push the wheel forward that extra inch to center the wheel in the wheel well.