I've had a set of Hotchkis LCA's in for about 4.5 years now. They're starting to clunk, and they won't hold grease thru the fittings it just squirts back out.

I thought of this on my way home from work.. How long of a life can we expect from aftermarket suspension components? Not necessarily Sway bars, just springs, LCA's etc etc...

This is on a DD that sees an occasional beating.

 

Theres really no guarantee with aftermarket parts. I've had Koni SA shocks on my camaro for 2 years and maybe 15k total miles. The left front adjustment is jammed and the left rear adjustment started leaking oil last time I adjusted it. These parts have a lifetime warranty supposedly, I just have to figure out when Ill have the time to take them off.

 

It sounds like the grease fittings need to be replaced. That doesn't mean the arms are shot. The bushings are replaceable too.

 

How often should the zerk fittingd be greased on aftermarket LCA's, PHB, etc..? Is it a once a year type thing?

 

It will depend on the grease you decide to use. We have found that the Energy suspension lube is the best for all poly bushings. We have had such great success with it we decided to remove the grease fittings from our suspension parts so customers would not put anything else in contact with the poly bushings. To answer the first question, they should last forever if they are assembled correctly with the proper supplied lube and the correct formulation of polyurethane. This is why we provide a lifetime warranty on all of our suspension parts.

 

I learned this from my Jeep Wrangler.

If you have poly bushings with the steel sleeve you must keep them lubed all the time. If they run dry they will squeak and the steel sleeve will rust and the entire joint becomes stiff. If you are real unlucky the bolt will freeze inside the sleeve then you have to sawzall the joint off. If poly bushings are frequenty lubed they will last forever and work well.

If grease is squirting back out the fitting then the bolt may be froze (clogging the grease hole) as described above.

 

I have found that regreasing is necessary, contrary to Brian's comments. I do it twice a year on a daily driver. I got a big tube of silicone grease from Spohn for about $15 and it should last a lifetime.