Radiator Support Bushing

My truck has been making lots of racket in the front end for quite some time. Squeaks, clanks, knocks, you name it. I got an alignment and new tires today so leading up to it, I was set on addressing all of this. It’s been on my nerves, but this past week the squeaking has gotten worse and constant, where before it was faint and just periodically but often.

I’d read about the radiator support bushing issue before and for no more than $25, I figured I’d tackle that as well. I greased the crap outta everything down to the sway bar bushings, WD40 what I couldn’t and replaced the radiator bushing.

Leading up to all of this, I always thought it was extremely weird it was only the drivers side having issues. I have a background in automotive manufacturing so I’m about certain that the left and right side bushings are the exact same so how is one side always prone to failing and the other side you don’t hear about?

After removing the old bushing, looks obvious to me that it’s an assembly issue. Looks like it was shoved in place and pinched. The bushing doesn’t look bad at all to me and certainly not bad for being 8 years old. Idk what I’m looking to get outta this post, just felt compelled to tell my findings. I always thought it was odd outta all the bushings on the truck, this is the one that goes bad and the rest are just business as usual… but with it being such an issue and to look like it’s an assembly issue, hard to believe Toyota isn’t standing behind it. Unless they are and I’m not aware of it? Anyways, here ya go.

 

id be willing to bet most tacomas on the road have this bushing gone. this mount is out of alignment from factory. its also a different setup than the passenger side and the bare edge of sheet metal is allowed to cut into the bushing. mine was cut through completely right from the factory on my 2023.

 

I think it’s an assembly issue, maybe a body design issue. I had to really drank on the front fender with a crow bar to get the holes aligned so I cooked install the new mount. And installing the new mount did nothing, it cut immediately too.

That said, I don’t think these bushings ever make any noise.

 

the bushing itself doesn't make noise. its the sharp edge of body rubbing up against the inner sleeve that does.

 

I have yet to have any noise from the body mount area and I know the bushing I installed there over a year ago was already cut up by the misalignment of the body to frame in that corner.