GL Class (X164) 2007-2012: GL320CDI, GL420CDI, GL450, GL550

Trying to find rear sway bar bushings

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Old Feb 19, 2024 | 09:48 AM
  #26  
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2011 GL450 VIN: 4JGBF7BE8BA706134
Originally Posted by eric_in_sd
Get under there with a stethoscope. The clunk could be the swaybar shifting within the rotted bushing and impacting the bracket. This should only happen when the vehicle is rocking, such as when your helper pushes on the roof rails.

In my opinion you are devoting too much energy to diagnosis when the part is just $35 and can be replaced without a huge amount of labor.

What's all that orange goo dripping down the shock?

Most people just install Bilstein shocks. Are those Arnott shocks made by Bilstein?
I don't know what that orange stuff is. I assumed it was 'leaking' from the shock. I can reach out to Arnott about it. I don't want to buy the $35 part if it's not the bushing, that is why I was just doing more research and trial/error. I'll spray some of that silicone spray (I get that it's thinner than grease) into the bushing gaps, etc.. just to see if there is any change in noise. I was intending to do that last night when I noticed the orange goo and it set me on a trial/error kick.
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Old Feb 19, 2024 | 12:11 PM
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From: Emmett, ID, USA
2007 GL450
A word of advice: You are dealing with an old vehicle. At this point, many parts are flirting with the end of their useful life. You can spend hours determining whether a part truly needs to be replaced, or you can shotgun blast. Something is squeaking and something is clanking; just go in and replace the parts that could be squeaking or clanking. It is not like parts have as-new value until they fail; any one part's useful life is steadily consumed. Say you have an alternator that has 150k miles on it; you might have another 50k miles, but that means the alternator only has 25% of its value remaining.

However, if you are simply enjoying the troubleshooting process, then by all means.
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Old Feb 19, 2024 | 12:16 PM
  #28  
majorchamp's Avatar
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2011 GL450 VIN: 4JGBF7BE8BA706134
Originally Posted by eric_in_sd
A word of advice: You are dealing with an old vehicle. At this point, many parts are flirting with the end of their useful life. You can spend hours determining whether a part truly needs to be replaced, or you can shotgun blast. Something is squeaking and something is clanking; just go in and replace the parts that could be squeaking or clanking. It is not like parts have as-new value until they fail; any one part's useful life is steadily consumed. Say you have an alternator that has 150k miles on it; you might have another 50k miles, but that means the alternator only has 25% of its value remaining.

However, if you are simply enjoying the troubleshooting process, then by all means.
That is fair.

Unfortunately I'm not rolling in money so I can't just go replacing parts all the time, especially with 2 other vehicles that also need some fixes. I do enjoy the troubleshooting process...but I more do it to make sure I'm fixing/replacing only what I need to. That said, yea, there are times where you know you will be in x-area of the vehicle and so you can try to knock out several things at once. So if I want to go the step bit drill route to carve out those old bushings and replace them I may do that. I 'may' be getting a replacement part from Arnott based on my email exchange...RockAuto has a 2 year limited warranty unfortunately, and Arnott said the yellow stuff is shock fluid that has been exposed to weather conditions overtime.
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Old Feb 19, 2024 | 10:45 PM
  #29  
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2011 GL450 VIN: 4JGBF7BE8BA706134
Originally Posted by eric_in_sd
A word of advice: You are dealing with an old vehicle. At this point, many parts are flirting with the end of their useful life. You can spend hours determining whether a part truly needs to be replaced, or you can shotgun blast. Something is squeaking and something is clanking; just go in and replace the parts that could be squeaking or clanking. It is not like parts have as-new value until they fail; any one part's useful life is steadily consumed. Say you have an alternator that has 150k miles on it; you might have another 50k miles, but that means the alternator only has 25% of its value remaining.

However, if you are simply enjoying the troubleshooting process, then by all means.
Update. My ORIGINAL theory when I first started hearing the 'knock' when driving was I wondered if bolts that hold the strut to the body of the vehicle could be lose and what I was hearing was a less than flush strut banging into the body. Well tonight, I more or less confirmed that. I got into that third row armrest, and found I was able to turn the nuts on both the rods of the strut by hand. So I loosened them a bit, I jacked the knuckle of the control arm up a bit to put upward pressure, and re-tightened them. There is still a noise/knock coming from the shock and/or swaybar (again haven't figured that one out yet, but I do think the shock is done and I need to replace it, it just sounds dry...but I went driving and the obvious 'knock' over every bump was gone. Now the rest of the noises I think are just dampened by the insulation and overall road noise.
I did spray the bushings in the area with some silicone spray but not sure it made much of a difference
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