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Lifespan of stock suspension

PyrPatriot

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How long do the shocks and springs last? Assuming normal road driving, not loaded down all the time, no lift.

I bet they last a while. I have a spare Max Tow suspension boxed up. Springs, shocks, control arms, links, etc. How long will it be taking up shelf space? I suppose I should probably oil them down at least.

Eta: I meant how many miles on the OEM factory suspension will I have before I should replace parts. And I got the spare set for $50 :rock:
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Renegade

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Do not put oil on rubber bushings. Petroleum breaks down natural rubber. Shocks should last 60-80k miles on a stock vehicle. In a shelf, they should last a long time.
 
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PyrPatriot

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Do not put oil on rubber bushings. Petroleum breaks down natural rubber. Shocks should last 60-80k miles on a stick vehicle. In a shelf, they should last a long time.
Right. Rubber is treated differently. It needs something to keep it from drying out. There are special applications for rubber parts.

I meant how many miles until I need to replace the oem suspension parts currently on my Jeep

How many miles on springs? Control arms? Links? Or do jeeps never survive long enough stock before those parts are replaced, or never go offroading stock in situations that break said parts.
 

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Right. Rubber is treated differently. It needs something to keep it from drying out. There are special applications for rubber parts.

I meant how many miles until I need to replace the oem suspension parts currently on my Jeep

How many miles on springs? Control arms? Links? Or do jeeps never survive long enough stock before those parts are replaced, or never go offroading stock in situations that break said parts.
LOL - well, how about 30 years and over 100,000 miles on an abused SX4?
Or, 35 years on a 70 Javelin?
I've seen the steering and suspension parts on my pickups go over 80,000 miles - and that's towing and hauling loads.
Granted, they aren't Jeeps........... but

Rubber bushings - don't put anything on them - just don't. You don't need anything. There is no need.
I have rebuilt car and truck suspensions with original rubber bushings that are decades and many many many miles old.
On the other hand, the rubber will break down with age in any case, no matter what you do, after 30-40 years DEPENDING on how you store them. The biggy - NO ELECTRIC FIELDS. Keep them away from welders, high voltage and/or high current lines. Keep them away from transformers and magnetic or electrical fields. Wrap things up in plastic, box them up, avoid temperature extremes.

Take note of the bushings in the photo below - pic taken in 2010. The car is a 1982 Eagle, 160,000 miles on it - it was abused. The left front spring had a coil busted off, both of the leaf springs were busted the rear differential was barely hanging on. So, 28 years, 160,000 miles.

Miles and years will vary wildly. But unless you do off-roading and really push the suspension, why won't the springs go 200,000 miles and 30 years or more?
The shocks, I agree - could be 60,000 miles without problem, but shocks last or don't last based a lot on use. Heavy pounding is what gets them - it heats and wears them.

My guess is you may never use most of those parts, especially the springs and links and control arms.


upper-ca-bushings-sx4-018.jpg
 
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PyrPatriot

PyrPatriot

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Man, if parts are so durable, outside of shocks, I guess the springs, control arms, and sway bars will just sit in the tub on a shelf in the garage for a few decades, if not forever! Assuming I don't snap something, which I would think takes a bit of ingenuity to snap a control arm, as I see photos axles snapped but never suspension components
 

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PyrPatriot

PyrPatriot

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The youtube channel "The Story Till Now" recently posted their 99th video on how they wore out their JT's suspension. They do have an aftermarket lift, run 37s, have a rack, do at least one video a week of going on some nice trails, and are a recovery/rescue vehicle for off-road mishaps in the Rocky Mountins of BC. So through what looks like extreme use they had to replace their suspension in about a year. Wonder how the Max Tow will hold up with less frequent/extreme wheeling

Vid for install of new suspension to see what looks worn on old stuff
 

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They have been using it like a rented mule.... Ran hard and put up wet. Not following the instructions for lubrication or anything but flogging it. Now given sealed and fixed bushings would not have broken down as soon but with over size tires (weight and taller) do the same to stock parts. I Noticed the drive shafts was still stock they normally need replacement parts before suspension parts in my experience. Unless using after market parts "johnny joints" or rod ends, heim joints and greaseable joints. Now I've seen some of them need replacement 2-3 times a year just due to wear and exposed to sand, mud and water let alone salt.
I got to the point of ordering 3 at a time for my XJ due to frequently needing to replace.
 
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PyrPatriot

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Not following the instructions for lubrication or anything but flogging it.
What are the lubrication instructions?

Bros have money for all those mods, friends with the shop, and the vehicle is their source of income. I would think because of that they do regular maintenance and take care of their rig. But, IF I dont know what proper maintenance is, maybe they dont either?

I got to the point of ordering 3 at a time for my XJ due to frequently needing to replace.
Ordering 3 of what? The entire suspension? Some specific joint or bushing?
 

Blade1668

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What are the lubrication instructions?

Bros have money for all those mods, friends with the shop, and the vehicle is their source of income. I would think because of that they do regular maintenance and take care of their rig. But, IF I dont know what proper maintenance is, maybe they dont either?



Ordering 3 of what? The entire suspension? Some specific joint or bushing?
Adding grease to the fittings, on a set of greaseable control arms I've had on my XJ recommend at each oil change and weekly if used off road and after any water crossings.
Part of their business is salesmanship being "U-tube" rolling advertisement not saying they don't maintenance the vehicle but it's a sales tool replacing parts with new. Drumming up sales for the newest parts. As I said before the driveshafts are not needing replacement parts. 🤔🤔🤔 My LJ and XJ wear out driveshaft U-joints normally before bushings and springs other than as I explained. After market steering parts.
 
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PyrPatriot

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Adding grease to the fittings, on a set of greaseable control arms I've had on my XJ recommend at each oil change and weekly if used off road and after any water crossings.
Part of their business is salesmanship being "U-tube" rolling advertisement not saying they don't maintenance the vehicle but it's a sales tool replacing parts with new. Drumming up sales for the newest parts. As I said before the driveshafts are not needing replacement parts. 🤔🤔🤔 My LJ and XJ wear out driveshaft U-joints normally before bushings and springs other than as I explained. After market steering parts.
Good point. Plus on what criteria are they deeming parts need replacing? What "problems" have they been experiencing? Good things to keep in mind.

I am glad I picked up a Max Tow takeoff set (springs, shocks, lower control arms, sway bar links) from someone who almost immediately put on a Mopar lift, for $50 :rock:
 

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I think it must have been massive amounts of salt that killed those johnny joints on "The story till now". Once the salt gets into those johnny joints, it is hard to stop the corrosion. They go out 4wheeling every week, so, he should have been greasing them weekly, starting from week 1. Once, he let them go for a while, there was no saving them....
 
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I think it must have been massive amounts of salt that killed those johnny joints on "The story till now". Once the salt gets into those johnny joints, it is hard to stop the corrosion. They go out 4wheeling every week, so, he should have been greasing them weekly, starting from week 1. Once, he let them go for a while, there was no saving them....
What do you grease with? Just the ball joints? How often? How do you grease the JT OEM ball joints, as they are non-greasable?
 

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What do you grease with? Just the ball joints? How often? How do you grease the JT OEM ball joints, as they are non-greasable?
His Johnny joints went out on his new control arms, so, that makes the Gladiator wander all over the place on the road. The Johnny joints have grease fittings. If I had them in Canada like them, I would be greasing them with Marine wheel bearing grease (the kind used for boat trailers) on every off-road trip.

There are no Johnny joints on the OEM control arms, they are rubber with no maint. required.
 

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You're in KY so your rubber bushings and boots will be fine for a long, long time. They'll die from fatigue before they rot out and worst case you might need to change a boot here and there. For the rest of the suspension, springs are damn near a lifetime part in places where cars rot out and even where they don't, you'll still get 100k+ even going hard. Shocks are a 50k part generally speaking. Links and all are metal and will eventually fatigue and break but the answer there will wildly vary based on how you drive.

Now if you were here in AZ... different story. Cars last forever but anything not metal certainly doesn't which is why I picked a suspension kit with easy to replace bushings.
 

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The salty air in (Savannah GA. and Florida) plus sand definitely didn't help with my XJ running with heim joints in steering I went with regular tie rod ends for steering. Great flex but short lived.
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