Replacing 2015 M-2 Front End Bushings

[rgolding]

We have a little over 62,000 miles on our 2015 Seneca 37FS. Driving home from Florida to Southern Illinois via West Grove, Pa. and coming out of a campground in Ohio making a hard right turn, heard a hollow thunk going over a bump. Took it in for service to a Freightliner Dealer upon returning home and was told steering arm bushings needed replacing, at least, that is how I understood it. Is this strange for 62,000 miles?

Usually have it serviced locally, but over 50,000 miles and with the hollow thunking noise, thought I better go to the big shop and pay for a "PM".

Thoughts?

[Robbbyr]

Originally Posted by rgolding

We have a little over 62,000 miles on our 2015 Seneca 37FS. Driving home from Florida to Southern Illinois via West Grove, Pa. and coming out of a campground in Ohio making a hard right turn, heard a hollow thunk going over a bump. Took it in for service to a Freightliner Dealer upon returning home and was told steering arm bushings needed replacing, at least, that is how I understood it. Is this strange for 62,000 miles?

Usually have it serviced locally, but over 50,000 miles and with the hollow thunking noise, thought I better go to the big shop and pay for a "PM".

Thoughts?

Any chance they identified bad sway bar end links, a known problem on our units? Or are they suspecting tie rod ends or the drag link?

Hopefully not the kingpins, with proper greasing they should last much longer than 62,000 miles!

[rgolding]

The diagnosed problem - "found that the Rubber Grommets on the vertical stabilizer are worn or missing." Replaced.

$23.48 for 4 Bushing-Bayonet, Polyurethane
$237.50 Labor

All is well, do you think this will be a replacement every 60,000 or is the fix better than the original equipment? Rode much better coming home.

[Robbbyr]

Originally Posted by rgolding

The diagnosed problem - "found that the Rubber Grommets on the vertical stabilizer are worn or missing." Replaced.

$23.48 for 4 Bushing-Bayonet, Polyurethane
$237.50 Labor

All is well, do you think this will be a replacement every 60,000 or is the fix better than the original equipment? Rode much better coming home.

Yep, the sway bar end link bushings. Some owners have had theirs fail way sooner than that, consider yourself lucky!

Freightliner has a revised end link replacement that reportedly solves the issue but the parts alone are around $1,000! I have poly bushings in my rig ready to install when mine go out. I have 30K miles and mine are still intact.

[Clayduster71]

I have one there and one missing. I cant tell anything is wrong while driving.

[Les7h]

We had Freightliner replace ours ( 20,000 miles ) we were given a $1000+ estimate and I told them that I would go with aftermarket upgrade if it was at my expense ( better quality and lower cost ) they decided that warranty would pay - the new end links are a much better design - the OEM are at an angle that causes premature wear on the bushings - some Seneca owners have found a similar bushing for a much lower price but I haven’t read any follow up on the longevity Les

[rgolding]

So Robby, you said - "I have poly bushings in my rig ready to install when mine go out."

My resolution workorder says - "The diagnosed problem - "found that the Rubber Grommets on the vertical stabilizer are worn or missing." Replaced. $23.48 for 4 Bushing-Bayonet, Polyurethane"

The techs wording says "Rubber Grommets worn or missing" The parts that were used, uses the word Polyurethane"

Do you think this was just a wording discrepancy or was the Polyurethane an upgrade?

[Robbbyr]

Originally Posted by rgolding

So Robby, you said - "I have poly bushings in my rig ready to install when mine go out."

My resolution workorder says - "The diagnosed problem - "found that the Rubber Grommets on the vertical stabilizer are worn or missing." Replaced. $23.48 for 4 Bushing-Bayonet, Polyurethane"

The techs wording says "Rubber Grommets worn or missing" The parts that were used, uses the word Polyurethane"

Do you think this was just a wording discrepancy or was the Polyurethane an upgrade?

Not sure what Freightliner is using as replacement bushings when they are replacing the original style without upgrading to the expensive clevis-style links. Hopefully they did use polyurethane ones to (hopefully) give you longer life.

Here are the ones I purchased, they did need to be drilled out slightly but it was an easy modification. https://www.energysuspensionparts.com/9.8103

[rgolding]

Robby, Thanks for the input and thoughts.

[SloPoke]

We had ours done about two years ago... FL said there was a TSB that covered the repair and they used different parts than what came from the factory... for our 2015.

Sorry I can't provide more details, but we are 2k miles and two months away from home... so I can't check the parts / warranty information until we get back in late May.

[Robbbyr]

Here is another tread about the sway bar issue:
https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ure-50121.html

[McGintys924]

Someone gave me a service bulletin (I believe CrossingOver) and I emailed Freightliner about it and a newer heavier front sway bar was installed. By little bushings had disintegrated before we even got home from the dealer.

I still look like BA driving the A Team Van and have that on my list of concerns while at Jayco service.

[Sam]

In November 2015 Freight-liner replaced my deteriorated bushings and replaced the front stabilizer bar under warranty. The replacement stabilizer bar is obviously a heaver bar. The TSB for this is 32-47 Date 2010-09-01. there was an update of 5/6/11 according to the info I received from Freight-liner. My Seneca was about one year old with approx. 9,000 miles at the time and the bushing were completely shot. As I indicated, this is a warranty item, however, it may be covered after the warranty expires since Freightliner has know about this for a long time. Sam

[Robbbyr]

Well at almost 35,000 miles my sway bar end link bushings finally failed. Unfortunately my unit is long out of its Freightliner warranty, and the upgraded clevis-style sway bar system is still more than $1,000.00 just for the parts. So I used the polyurethane bushings I have had in reserve to replace the shot originals.

One new problem cropped up in my project, one of the upper nuts was so frozen to the link that it took the threads off the end when I removed the nut. So a quick trip to Freightliner and $100.00 later I had a new link. 30 minutes later it was all back together.

This was one time I wished something would have failed earlier on my unit, a warranty upgrade would have been nice!

[McGintys924]

Rob, you definitely made it longer than I did; mine was gone before I even got it home. With there being a service bulletin on this, would they cover it anyway?

[Robbbyr]

Originally Posted by McGintys924

Rob, you definitely made it longer than I did; mine was gone before I even got it home. With there being a service bulletin on this, would they cover it anyway?

When I had my unit at Freightliner to repair the leaking rear differential I asked them about the sway bar upgrade. They inspected mine and said (at that time) "yours are fine" and they only would do the upgrade to units under warranty with bushing showing "excessive" wear.

I'm okay with it, they lasted this long and I hope the new poly bushings last at least that long. Thinking about going ahead and ordering another set of the poly bushings just in case!

[javamon]

Originally Posted by Robbbyr

When I had my unit at Freightliner to repair the leaking rear differential I asked them about the sway bar upgrade. They inspected mine and said (at that time) "yours are fine" and they only would do the upgrade to units under warranty with bushing showing "excessive" wear.

I'm okay with it, they lasted this long and I hope the new poly bushings last at least that long. Thinking about going ahead and ordering another set of the poly bushings just in case!

Hi Rob,


That's the same response I got from my Freightliner servicer. I just got back from a trip out west and I'm right at 29k miles and mine are still fine. I went out of warranty in April so I think I will go ahead and order the poly bushings you purchased. I think I will occasionally squirt some penetrating oil on the nuts you had difficulty with and hopefully avoid the situation you encountered when the time comes for replacement. Did you have to use any jacks to replace the bushings?


Thanks for the update,


Dave

[Robbbyr]

Originally Posted by javamon

Hi Rob,

Did you have to use any jacks to replace the bushings?


Thanks for the update,


Dave

No, even with my big belly I was able to just lay underneath and access everthing. The actual sway bar stayed right there when I unbolted the links, a very easy fix except for my issue with that one nut!

[Robbbyr]

I did forget to mention that the new Energy Suspension bushings need to have the center hole enlarged. They come with a 7/16" hole but we need a 1/2" hole for our links. An easy fix with a drill bit.