Parts for your 2009 Isuzu D-max-Strut mounts

2009 Isuzu D‑Max strut-mounts: what’s actually on this ute?

Short answer: strut-mounts aren’t used on the 2009 Isuzu D‑Max, so that part isn’t relevant for this model. Technical sources including the Isuzu D‑Max 2008–2012 Workshop Manual (Front Suspension), the Holden Colorado RC/Isuzu D‑Max service information used in AU/NZ workshops, and major suspension catalogues (e.g., KYB and Monroe listings for 2008–2012 D‑Max) all specify an independent double wishbone front end with torsion bars and separate shock absorbers, not a MacPherson strut assembly. Because there’s no strut, there’s no strut top bearing or “strut-mount” to replace.

Here’s why that matters: a MacPherson strut uses the upper mount (the “strut-mount”) as a structural and rotational support that carries vehicle weight and turns with the steering. The 2009 D‑Max instead runs upper and lower control arms, a torsion bar for springing, and a standalone shock absorber. The shock bolts to brackets and uses rubber bushes at its mounts, but it doesn’t locate the wheel like a strut does, and there’s no strut tower with a bearing plate on top.

If there’s front-end clunking, wandering, or tyre chop on a 2009 D‑Max, the usual culprits to inspect and service are:

• Front shock absorber bushes and the shocks themselves
• Upper and lower control arm bushes
• Upper and lower ball joints
• Sway-bar (stabiliser) links and D-bushes
• Torsion bar anchors/adjusters and front ride height

Practical servicing tips (AU/NZ workshop practice): replace tired shocks and bushes in pairs across an axle, torque fasteners with the vehicle at normal ride height so bushes sit neutral, and book a wheel alignment after any front-end work or ride-height adjustment. If the ute has seen outback corrugations or heavy towing, keep an eye on shock fade, split bushes, and ball joint play around the 80–120,000 km mark, earlier if it’s worked hard.

Aftermarket lift kits on this generation typically retain the torsion-bar IFS layout, they don’t convert the front to a MacPherson strut, so a strut-mount still isn’t part of the setup. For parts searches, look for front shock absorbers and bush kits rather than “strut-mounts”.

FAQs

Does a 2009 Isuzu D‑Max have strut-mounts?
No. The 2009 D‑Max uses double wishbones, torsion bars, and separate shocks, not MacPherson struts. That design means there’s no strut top bearing or strut-mount to replace.

What should be serviced instead of strut-mounts on a 2009 D‑Max?
Focus on front shocks and their bushes, control arm bushes, sway-bar links and bushes, and ball joints. After work on these, get a proper wheel alignment and check front ride height.

Can strut-mounts be added with aftermarket suspension?
No. Common lift kits for this model keep the torsion-bar IFS. You’ll upgrade shocks, torsion bars, and bushes, but you won’t add strut-mounts because the vehicle isn’t built around a strut tower.