Polyurethane Radiator Support Mounts (Cab Also)

Just did all six body bushings. I suggest starting from the front and working to the rear. Those rear bushings are a fucking bitch compared to the radiator bushings. The radiator bushings were definitely in the worst shape on mine, but the passenger rear was tearing as well. I used about a half can of WD, and smeared anti seize on all the bolts.

 

As far as I know, doing the other 4 cab bushings require you loosen up each side in order to remove them right?

Or do you have to loosen every bushing and then you can remove the bushings by lifting the cab?

 

You have to loosen them all and the steering shaft and jack the cab up one side at a time.

 

Didn't loosen my steering shaft and everything turned out fine.

Jacked up each mount enough to slide out the old in with the new and back down.

 

Oh damn. I didn't realize the steering shaft was relevant as well. Makes sense though.

 

the instructions with the kit stated to loosen the steering shaft too, makes sense it comes out of the cab and connects to the steering rack which is solid to the frame. It is just the 2 12mm bolts on the collar that you can access from the drivers side wheel well. Can't remeber if the instructions said this but before you pop the collar off mark it and also tie off your steering wheel.

 

Yeah but if you think about it the shaft is elbowed kind of like this /----- so the shaft has some play in it if the cab tilts up diagonally while doing work under it. I could understand why @AaronArf was able to do his bushings without ever touching his shaft. (No pun intended)



I got the instructions in the toolbox. I'll take a gander at them tomorrow to see if they mention loosening and or removal of the shaft at all.

 

I loosened all the bushings I order to get the cab up high enough. Didn't have to loosen the steering shaft, but I did keep an eye on it while I was doing the driver side middle bushing. I did rip my passenger side front splash guard off the tab, so I loosened the driver side when I did them so I wouldn't rip those.

 

Instructions are silent on the steering shaft. I posted them on page 12 in this thread.

 

Sorry, is there a complete kit for the radiator and cab mounts?

 

Yes. $165 on Amazon:

$186 Energy Suspension Bushing Kit, Hyper-Flex, Suspension Bushings, Master Set, Polyurethane/Steel, Black/Cadmium, compatible with Toyota Compact Truck 1995-2000, Kit

http://www.amazon.com/Energy-Suspen...699&sr=8-2&keywords=tacoma+bushing+master+kit

 

I may take you up on that! It sounds like the cab mounts are the toughest.

 

Well I'm not making this stuff up guys, I did get the kit over 2 years ago so maybe it has changed...just think about it the steering shaft is fixed to the cab on one end and fixed to the steering rack on the other end and it does not have any slack in it the only slack is that collar when it is loosened. As you jack up the cab you are obviously tweaking the steering shaft. It takes ten seconds to loosen those two 12mm bolts so that the steering shaft will slide in that collar while you jack the cab up. Why stress any parts when it takes ten seconds to loosen those two bolts ? Not sure why they would have omitted it from the instructions unless some dillhole spun their steering wheel and snapped the spiral cable hmmm.

Anyone ever crawl under the truck as you jack the body up and take a look at the brakes lines that come down the firewall then jump to the frame under the drivers door area...that's sketchy too.

 

No worries. I don't think anybody is doubting you. A careful look at the linked instructions shows what appears to be a revision date of April 6, 2015, by B.R.H. Entirely possible that they revised the instructions.

 

I appreciate you doing this. How confident are you about measuring the old stock bushing heights after being worn? Mine are in a landfill right now, or I'd attempt to confirm your measurements. Not doubting your work, but it's always nice to have confirmation for these kinds of things. What about measuring the brand new ES radiator bushings that come in the full kit and comparing that with the "puck" bushing height?

Thank you. I agree. I wasn't sure at first, so I went back and looked at photos of my bumper to fender clearance pre and post ES bushing install and clearance appears to be the same.

 

I left the smaller bushing on top and added a washer to get the exact height, from frame to support, that it was new. I measured my buddy's new 2015 truck. The larger bushing would have been a little high on my truck. The measurement from his truck was about 9/16" and 1/2".

Edit: I'll be ordering the complete kit soon and swapping bushings to see what the difference between the two is.

 

All this talk about the steering shaft got me thinking about the zip tie mod as described in this thread:

Changing out these bushings seems to have coincidentally cured the play in my steering that others have solved using a zip tie. Does that even make sense?
Roberto - Will this bushing upgrade do anything for male pattern baldness?

 

I don't have splash guards in the front anymore so I am good to go.

Page 1, post 1 my friend.

 

My bushings were warped, they were not collapsed. So measurements were correct as they should be from stock. I'm very confident on the measurements I took, building my truck has been nothing but measuring stuff. Lol.

I think the movement in the steering shaft could potentially be a possible solution since the shaft does mount essentially to the cab and you are eliminating cab slop and movement up front.

As far as your male pattern baldness is concerned, I can confirm that it will cure receding hairlines due to decreased stress levels from the slop being created by the stock bushings no longer being present.

 

One thing.

I wouldn't recommend going with the radiator support bushings out of the master kit, as those are using softer polyurethane and do not provide the increased overall surface area which will inhibit frame to radiator support movement like the 9.4xxx kit does.