One old timer at the alignment rack changed how I check bushings

Tbh this 70 year old guy watched me write off a clunk as a ball joint without even lifting the car. He just said 'check the rear lower control arm bushing, kid, it's always that' and sure enough it was torn, saved me a comeback on a 2012 Civic. Has anyone else had a stranger cut through their diagnostic noise with one basic tip?

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sarah_hart12d ago

Is it really that always, though, or just that one time on that one car? I've had too many clunks on older Focuses and Fusions trace back to a strut mount or a sway bar link that looked fine until you put a pry bar on it. Bushings can be torn and still not make noise, and a ball joint can be loose without any visible play until the weight is off the wheel. That old timer probably saved you time, sure, but I'd rather spend five extra minutes lifting the car and checking everything than chase a pattern that might not hold up on the next car that rolls in. Every car has its common failure points, but they're starting points, not answers.