Suspension Bush Lubrication

Recently experienced some truly agricultural groaning from the suspension of my Gen 4. Turns out it was a bent suspension arm that would occasionally get jammed and lead to some horrendous noise.

Just before the problem was diagnosed and rectified, a neighbor insisted on spraying my suspension with automatic transmission fluid. Guys down here swear by the stuff but I was a bit skeptical but let him do it anyway.

Research suggests it was a bad call and that ATF can swell and ultimately deteriorate bushes. The interesting observation was improved ride quality.

Oh my goodness! I didn’t think my ride quality had deteriorated much since Dec. but suddenly I was rolling on marshmallows. Even my daughter noticed it from the passenger’s seat. The effect was almost unsettling I was even considering increasing my tyre pressure!

Anyways ... I love the ride so ....

Will this one time application lead to problems?
Can I duplicate this effect with a rubber safe lubricant - Silicon?
Are poly bushes an alternative, do they make them as soft as OEM?

Really want to keep the ride like it is now, any suggestions welcome.

Welcome to the forum. I have used silicone grease on polyurethane bushes on scoobies in the past as they can creak quite a bit. I would however be very dubious about having ATF on rubber as like you're experiencing it will degrade the polymer over time. It's a bodge used to make seals and o rings supposedly last a little longer by making them swell into their seats. I would be looking at getting the contaminated bushes replaced as you run the risk of one or several failing and leading to unpredictable handling and potentially a collision.

I can't really see how any lubricant can affect the ride, as the pivot bushes are fixed and twist up as the suspension moves. Are you sure it isn't just that the suspension is working now that the bent component has been replaced?

The only place that lubricant could work is the anti-roll bar where it turns in two rubber blocks.

I'd be inclined to just spray the bushes with degreaser and wash it off quickly, and then keep an eye on them for signs of swelling and softening.

I have a vague recollection of adding ATF to something to swell up seals and stop a leak, or it could have been adding something common to ATF in power steering to stop a leak, it must have been many years ago.