Rusty compliance bushings - sign of loose parts?

[mclasser]

My 2013 Pilot's front end clunks over bumpy roads. I jacked up the front end and pulled & tugged on the suspension but couldn't find anything obviously loose. It's quick clunks rather than deep ones so my mind went to sway bar end links.... but those are tight.

I did, however, see rust on both compliance (a.k.a. rear LCA) bushings. I had these replaced by Honda a few years back under extended warranty. When they fail, they leak goo but remain black. I haven't seen the rubber get rust dust like this.

The through bolt attaches the bushing to the actual LCA assembly. The LCA articulates while attached to that bushing.

Is the rust dust a sign of something in the assembly being loose?

 

[Nukeman7]

My 2013 Pilot's front end clunks over bumpy roads. I jacked up the front end and pulled & tugged on the suspension but couldn't find anything obviously loose. It's quick clunks rather than deep ones so my mind went to sway bar end links.... but those are tight.

I did, however, see rust on both compliance (a.k.a. rear LCA) bushings. I had these replaced by Honda a few years back under extended warranty. When they fail, they leak goo but remain black. I haven't seen the rubber get rust dust like this.

The through bolt attaches the bushing to the actual LCA assembly. The LCA articulates while attached to that bushing.

Is the rust dust a sign of something in the assembly being loose?

The compliance bushings are fine as long as the rubber is not torn. The rust on the rubber part appears to be stains migrating from rainwater laden with rust particulates originating from the inner bushing ring.

If you checked the sway bar end links under load, it may not exhibit looseness or play, even if worn out. You need to disconnect one end (or carefully unload the sway bar link by jacking up the LCA to partially compress the strut) to check the sway bar end link for play. It might also be the rubber mounting bushings that secure the sway bar to the chassis, but the sound is more like a deep "knock" instead of a "clunk".