Saturday, I decided to have a look at why my '95 was acting all squirrely when I drove it over a bump. I was thinking maybe I had blown out a shock or broke a shock mount or...something. After a cursory visual inspection, I laid out some wrenches and started checking fasteners for tightness. Got to the rear trailing arms' connections to the frame. Wait a minute, missing an entire bushing on the passenger side, the rear one. Just gone. That'll do it.

Dealer? Nope. NAPA? Nope. Auto Zone, no. O'Reilly...had it for me in two hours. Put it back together and everything's back to normal. This is a mount point that I have smacked in the past, and even though I've tried to straighten it back out, it's such a hefty piece that it remains less than perfect and it must have sawn through the bushing and caused it to eventually just fall out. For the $11 it cost, I may just want to keep a spare on hand for the future. It's a quick and easy fix, too, and I was able to verify that my new rear pressed-in bushings at the axle end were holding up nicely as well.

Pretty surprising how such a little part makes such a big difference.

Going to try to remember to contact RyanY after work today to pick up his set of unmolestetered skid-em plates so I can start over with a straight set and treat them to new bolts and threads since the old bolt holes don't seem to work to hold bolts in them anymore...

I ran another trail to Tip Top Mine with an old friend and his group yesterday north west of town off Table Mesa Road. There's nice territory out that way. Mud in spots, a river crossing, great scenery and decent trails. Only my second time out that direction, but I'd like to explore them some more.

John B.