Signs of Torque Rod Wear

Torque rods, although you don't usually check these before each trip, are one of the most severe CSA violations you can receive that is accompanied by a seven-point penalty. That is why it is critical to watch for the signs that your torque rod is worn or broken.

• Unstable steering, shaking or swaying during lane changes
• Wandering when traveling in a straight line
• Thumping sounds when deceleration or driving around curves
• Unusual tire wear, feathering, cupping or odd tread patterns
• Cracks in brackets or the frame due to degraded shock dampening performance
• Rattling sounds or increased road noise
• A loss of ride height

All of the above can be signs that your torque rods are cracked/broken or worn bushings and need to be checked/replaced immediately. If you don't experience any of the above symptoms, it is still critical to visually inspect torque rods and bushings every six months or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. If you have a severe-duty vehicle, it really needs to be inspected more frequently, as they carry massive loads and that will speed up the torque rod deterioration and misaligned suspension. Also, vehicles that run light or empty a large percentage of the time need to be inspected more frequently, as the bouncing can cause critical damage.

When shopping for suspension parts, it is beneficial to choose quality parts. Even though a lot of aftermarket torque rods offer rubber bushings, rods with polyurethane bushings offer a better choice as they are impenetrable to oil, grease, rock salt, hydraulic and diesel fuels, and cleaning solvents. Polyurethane is also twice as strong as rubber and last two to five times longer than rubber bushings.

You can also always choose torque rods that offer free-rotation bushings, or even a two-piece design that is weldable.

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