What are the symptoms of a worn-out rear axle bushing?
2 Answers
When the rear axle bushing is worn out, it loses its ability to absorb shocks, leading to vibrations and unusual noises from the chassis. Severe vibrations can affect the vehicle's driving stability and comfort. The rear axle refers to the component of the rear drive shaft that transmits power in a vehicle. It consists of two half-axles, allowing for differential movement. Additionally, it supports the wheels and connects the rear wheels. In front-wheel-drive vehicles, the rear axle is merely a trailing axle, serving only a load-bearing function. More details are as follows: 1. If the front axle is not the drive axle, then the rear axle serves as the drive axle. In this case, besides bearing the load, it also functions in driving, deceleration, and differential action. For four-wheel-drive vehicles, a transfer case is usually installed in front of the rear axle. Rear axles are categorized into solid axles and semi-axles. Solid axles are paired with non-independent suspensions, such as leaf spring suspensions, while semi-axles are paired with independent suspensions, like MacPherson strut suspensions. 2. The front and rear axles refer to the wheel axle sections. The front axle includes components like shock absorbers, steering gears, and balance shafts, while the rear axle also includes the drive shaft and transmission gears. Multi-axle trucks may have both driven rear axles and non-driven rear axles at the rear. Non-driven rear axles lack a drive shaft connection and are not part of the driving wheels, typically found in heavy-duty trucks and tractor heads with three or more axles. 3. The large bulge at the center of the rear axle is present only when the rear axle is a drive axle, as it houses the deceleration gears and differential mechanism. Trailing rear axles generally do not have this bulge.
I've encountered this issue before while driving. When the rear axle bushings fail, the car starts creaking underneath, especially when going over speed bumps or rough roads—the metallic scraping sound is particularly grating. The handling changes noticeably; the steering feels light and floaty, and the rear end wobbles when turning, like it's drunk. There's also uneven tire wear, with one side wearing out faster than the other, and after parking, the whole body still shakes slightly. Safety-wise, it's quite dangerous—the car becomes unstable at high speeds and prone to skidding. My advice is to get it checked at a professional shop as soon as you notice these signs. Don’t skip suspension inspections during regular maintenance—it can prevent a lot of trouble.
