Rubber rides quieter and absorbs more vibration; polyurethane is firmer, lasts longer, and holds alignment better under load and articulation. Poly transmits more noise and needs occasional greasing, but it resists the tearing and sag that kill rubber on a wheeled truck. Daily-driven and comfort-focused rigs lean rubber; hard-flexing, loaded, or high-mileage off-road builds usually favor poly at the high-stress joints.

Listen for clunks over bumps and watch for wandering steering and uneven tire wear. Cracked, split, or oil-soaked rubber is a visual giveaway, and a pry bar will show play in a worn control-arm or sway-bar bushing. Worn bushings also let alignment drift, so if the truck won't hold a spec after adjustment, tired bushings are a common culprit.

Yes — a lift or new control arms is the right time to refresh bushings, since the parts are already apart. New control arms usually arrive with fresh bushings, but factory arms you're reusing often have originals well past their prime. Doing bushings, ball joints, and alignment together saves labor and keeps the whole front end tight rather than chasing one worn part at a time.