Temporary Strut Rod Bushing Repair

[MIPS]

I just finished rebuilding the front steering and suspension and didn't think to replace the strut rod bushings on either side because other than the front adjusting nut being seemingly backed off until the front bushing was loose and hammering out the hub on the bracket I thought they just needed to be cleaned and adjusted back. Well the alignment found that the caster (the rear bushing along with the adjusting and jam nuts) could be set but the front bushings could not be adjusted. You just kinda went so far and then you bottomed out on the inner metal bushing sleeve, so the bushings are excessively compressed and need to be replaced.



Well I can't get new bushings and an alignment done in less than 24 hours before I leave for California so I'm wondering if it's okay to use a marking pen to note the position of the rear jam and adjusting nut so I don't promptly wreck my alignment, remove them, the washer and the sleeve, cut half an inch off the sleeve and then reinstall it back to the marked points before using the new slack to firm up the front bushing.

[AMC of Houston]

Your caster setting is already wrecked!  I can't believe an "alignment" (caster setting, at least) was even done with that sort of slop in the strut bushings.  Do what you need to temporarily get the slop out of the bushings to make it drivable - but no telling where your caster setting will actually end up.

[MIPS]

Well this will hold up for two weeks until new bushings arrive. It turns out you can do this without removing the strut rod from the vehicle and wreck the alignment. Just index and measure the depth of the nut before you remove it and you can reference against *something* when reassembling it back exactly where it was.





Since I have no way to dial it in from the driveway the best I can do is snug the front adjustment up so it doesn't fall apart on the road. Seemed okay on the drivability test and absolutely no longer klunks so I nailed that one.

[AMC of Houston]

Looks entirely functionable!  Hope the new bushing get there soon.

[Taylor]

If the nut keeps working loose you could always try safety wire, it is widely used in the aircraft industry as well as motorsports racing.
This is the stuff.
 https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pnpages/12-16626.php?adlclid=fe0a5631764a1a10764c3eb7021d3a30&msclkid=fe0a5631764a1a10764c3eb7021d3a30&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5BADL%5D%20%5BUS%5D%20%5BShopping%5D%20Catch-All&utm_term=4580634179352843&utm_content=Catch-All

On larger bolts/nuts I have drilled a tiny hole through a portion of it to run the wire through. Then twist tie to something sturdy.