mitsubishi mighty max Idler arm question

Edited: 5/29/2010 8:35:25 PM by HOOSIERSTYLE

just bought a new idler arm  today, and it had 2 soft neoprene kinda round bushings on it, one is where it bolts to the bracket at the pivot point and the other is between the arm and the center link bolting point. Ive never seen anything like this, do they stay on or were they just shipping bushings??? Auto zone didn't know what to tell me. Here is a pic of the one at the pivot point to the bracket after i tightened it up.
 

wife said they are best described to be  sponge like donuts...lol

if im thinking about the same arm mine had two bushings but they were way stiff almost like plastic probably becuase these bushings are always shot. but in that pic there should be one bushing ontop like you have it and another on the bottom and i think the bolt has a big washer to hold in that lower bushing. ill go look at mine right now.

they are not hard plastic, they are like a dense sponge material, you can see it smashed down as i tightned it up, the other is between the center link and the idler arm shaft. they are where the normal rubber boot would be on any other tie rod or pitman or idler arm, but these are soft black sponge like rings. i removed them then installed and there was a gap then, so im thinking they stay on, i might just take it back and get another from somewhere else,  

huh mine didnt have those so i dont know. heres a pic of mine. nevermind i dont know how to post a pic.  

here is a pic of it where the arm bolts to the center link 

i think those foam things are sorta like a rubber boot. just there to keep the crap out and the grease in. i think you max is newer then mine if you notice mine dont even have zerc fittings. the one end on the center link had grease in it and the other end on the frame came with a 2 piece bushing and i added grease to it. hope that helps.

you have the one im replacing. and i believe your correct on it being there to keep crap out, well see how long it lasts...lol, but it is serving its purpose for now... thanks alot for the extra mile you went to help!!!