Polyurethane Radiator Support Mounts (Cab Also)

Just installed the

$34 9.4101G UNIVERSAL MOUNT

9.4101G kit, very easy and fits nice and snug. Only thing is that I used White Lithium Grease, and they squeak like crazy. Any ideas on what I should do...? Should I have not used any Grease...? Here are some pictures, I installed the larger bushing up top and no washer as recommended.

 

Do not grease the bushings. I confirmed this with both ES, and Prothane. Same goes for the body mounts.

 

How many miles you have on your truck now?

 

I'm estimating 130-140,000ish. Actual milage is off due to tire size. Plus add aditional wear and tear since I haven't been too easy with it over the years ...

 

Are you going to swap yours out with the poly ones?

These upgraded bushings are the shit. It's amazing to me how a $27 pair of poly bushings can make such a big difference in how the front end behaves.

I wheeled with @GHOST SHIP and others this weekend. He put a GoPro on his front bumper and later we reviewed the footage. He has the factory rubber bushings. Maybe he'll post the video... the amount of movement between frame and core support was stunning. Would love to do the same test on a rig with the upgraded bushings to compare.

 

@Blkvoodoo

 

Video inbound. I want to repeat the video footage on the same trail. I'll probably hit a local trail over the course of a weekend and make sure to hit the same trail at the same speed. Once on rubber bushings and a second time on the upgraded poly bushings. I'm getting under the truck this weekend to address a few things, might as well do the poly bushing upgrade while I'm there.

 

Hopefully they were ordered last night. I'm also ordering the polyurethane carrier bearing today from the Group Buy. Can't wait!

 

@Crom Ok, got you thanks my friend. What do you suggest, removed them and clean them with what...?

 

Call ES support tech line at 949.361.3935 (7am-5pm PST Monday-Friday). and ask them what to clean them off with.

Hard for me to remember what I did with mine, I originally used super lube synthetic grease. I know I took them out wiped them down real good with paper towels and maybe just put them back in. Don't remember using any chemicals.

 

@Crom Got you, thanks..!! I'll get on this A.S.A.P.

 

what group buy?

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...uy-iedls-polyurethane-carrier-bearing.421410/

 

cool, thx

 

Movement from stock bushings will allow fender to bumper movement of about .5-1" entirely while wheeling.

Just in case anyone was curious. These poly ones will close the gap ten fold and just about eliminate all said movement.

You are about 3 to 4 weeks late Jay. Hahaha.

 

Note: I have yet to read the preceding 566 posts but I will.

Call me a dummy but my thoughts are that the cheap ass frame of our trucks twists like a pretzel when you go off road. For you folks with an aftermaket bumper, set your front tire on a cider block or something at least 8 inches high (with the other 3 flat on ground) and see if the front bumper moves with respect to the fender. Anyone that wanted that tight gap between the fender and an under designed bumper like a Shockworks or those bolt together All Pro bumpers, will see that they will end up popping off flares or popping off headlight fillers.

Next, if tou think about how a body of a car is like a shell of an egg - it does not respond well to frame flexing. This is the reason why the 4runners frame is fully boxed and if you cut the front frame section open, you would find additional stamped panels welded to the inside os the frame.

This makes me concerned with stiffening the interface between the radiator support and the frame.

I recently (this morning) had a discussion with a rather famously knowledgeable race truck builder who knows our trucks very well. He suggested to use poly on the body mounts with a 1/4 aluminum spacer to raise the cab and then use factory or equivalent core support bushings to ensure that the body does not try to keep the frame straight - allow the frame to flex and attempt to allow the body to stay as ridged as it can be.

If you want to limit the cracking of the radiator support, don't drive these gardening equipment movers off road at any speed above 20 and relocate the battery to somewhere other than the engine compartment.

I personally have stitch welded my radiator support and crumple zones (they started to crack). Making the radiator support hard pinned to the frame, IMO, will just move the stress to the crumple zones.

 

Something to think aboit. My core support on the drivers side is cracked in several places, the passenger side is ready..I can see it.

I have marks on the back of my cab from where the corner of the bed has touched the cab from flexing while on the trail. Pretty sure that happened at calico while trying to do the bonus crawler line...

Edit: for got to mention the stress cracks on the corners of my cab at the upper corners of both passenger doors...goes to show how much frame twisting is actually going on...

 

I have those C pillar cracks too.

 

Did you ever get cracks in the transmission x-member like I did or do you have the revised x-member?

 

Cracks? Damn thing should have fallen off by now! On one inspection I found cracks that damn near cracked the whole deal. The next day we were going to Moab. Thank God Z had given me a welder for my birthday. I contemplate doing a flat belly mod like Kevin did to his blue truck.