Hey folks,

This afternoon I noticed a puddle under my right front lower control arm, so I popped off the tire to tak a closer look. Here is what I found:



Closer:


Apparantly the upper stablizer link bolt has decided to part ways with the rest of the link & bushing assembly, as to when and where it happened I have no idea. The stablizer bar link fix looks pretty straightforward, and I'm really more concerend about the oily mess that is all over the control arm, tire rod and shock absorber. Obviously there was some added strain on one or more of the other components.

So, any opinions on what caused the oily mess, and what the best course of action would be to remedy it? Shock Absorber maybe? Or should I be concerned about a bad CV joint or halfshaft?

 

Sorry to hear about that Rockledge. By the way the oil is sprayed forwards onto the A arm and rearward on the frame rail, as well as being all over the boot, I would say it came off a rotating part. Other than that I can't say, not a 4x4 guy as you know.

 

Ken, the oil was actually thrown all over the splash guard, too.

 

I don't think you would get a spray patern unless the shock dripped right on the drivetrain.

 

I think I may have found the source of the fluid leak, but it does not really seem connected to the stablizer link problem.

Closer inspection leads me to believe that my brake line is leaking at the fitting where the hard line gets converted to the flexible line. My thinking is that the fluid is leaking down onto the halfshaft assembly and onto the other suspension components, and getting flung around by the spinning shaft and the wind effect from the spinning tire. What do you guys think?



Closer shot of fitting:


Here's another shot showing the "spray pattern" of the leaking fluid, taken from the front of the truck looking toward the rear:


So what's the verdict? Think I'm on the right track with this? My brake fluid reservoir was a little low, and the "oily mess" fluid does have the consistency of brake fluid. Trouble is, it's hard to tell for sure because of the way the mess is more of a thin film than a thick oily substance. Even the small puddle that was left on the garage floor wasn't conclusive.

And another question lingering in my mind: if it is indeed the brake line fitting, then how would this in any way be connected to the stablizer link bolt problem?

Looking for some feedback on this. Don't be shy folks.

 

I think it's a good place to start, I bet its the source. To bad your not closer, I could run it through some of my lab equipement and compare it to brake fluid, it a great way to identify an unknown fluid.