$800 Quote for installing a lateral control rod bushing and Sway Bar bushings.

[clx16]

I like that people post the quotes as it just keeps justifying my tool purchases. You can get some super nice tools for what people are getting quoted and still come out cheaper.

 

[MyLoCoLife]

Way back when I used to work in an 8 bay tire shop, we installed hundreds of bushings using either a vise or a hammer because the shop was too cheap to get a press. It works but not as fast as a press.

The same bastids used coat hangers as filler wire to OA weld muffler tube. As far as I know none of them fell off.

I am pretty good at the hammer/vice/any way you can methods. If you watch what is happening as it is going in it's fine. I have seen too many guys just keep hammering away and jamming s*** in. I kinda want to do as much as I can by the book on this truck. I am bringing this truck back to life from an old abusive owner. As much work as it needs I would rather be driving it more than banging away in the garage on a Saturday.

 

[MyLoCoLife]

You can order a complete:
48740-60040 Rod Assy, Rear Lateral Control for about $195 on McGeorge Toyota
48740-60050 Rod Assy, Front Lateral Control for about $215 on McGeorge Toyota
(not saying it will really happen, but it shows on their site.....)

Figure another $30 per control rod for new bolts and nuts (or re-use the old ones)

Time to R/R is about 30 minutes each to just remove and swap. The bushings are about $22 each and will take a couple hours to do both.

The 20 Ton HF press is $149 right now.

$100 in bushings
$50 hardware
$160 press
$190 Complete Wit's End Tool set of press-out bushings
4 hours of your labor at $100/hour (even if you're slow) I think it actually took me 30 minutes each for the Rod Assy's.

$900, but then you have the tools left over to do the rest of the suspension bushings on your truck for the cost of your labor and parts.
You also get to be the cool guy that owns all those tools for later.
You could sell those tools to others here to offset your costs.
You can forever hold the badge that says: "I DID IT MYSELF! I'M A BIG BOY NOW!"

So I did see the complete stock rod around the internet for about $240 delivered to the house. I was wondering if I go this route, would now be the time to get an adjustable rod. I do have the OME 2.5 medium-duty lift.

 

[LINUS]

So I did see the complete stock rod around the internet for about $240 delivered to the house. I was wondering if I go this route, would now be the time to get an adjustable rod. I do have the OME 2.5 medium-duty lift.

Short answer : yes.

Longer answer - if you weld or have a friend like myself who has held weld certs in my state, he’d gladly take a 12-pack of good cervesas for doing the ‘weld in adjusters’ somewhere down the line if you don’t care to spend the full $$ for adj panhards right this minute.

Slee sells seashells down by the Slee store (sorry, had to ) - but you get my idea.

weld-in units make for a an excellent ‘pay as you go’ -option to re-center the axles.

I initally welded my RR one because the poor 1FZ had to tow my boat, but the arguement for the FR one is clear too for steering/restoration of neutrality under braking.

Even the 2.5” lift when I was still there I want to say the axles moved 3/8” ea in opposite directions - I have no clue how bad it would be under my 4” Slee HVY FR/ PROG HVY RR - but I also have a solid 4” of lift that I’ll “Pepsi Challenge” against a stock height 80 after all the parts between myself & @landtank took my lift to.

I had my Interco’s under it awhile too - the limiting factor for highway speed/quality of ride was the tires on their own at that point.

HTH.

 

[Corbet]

The HF press is worth it. You can press them all out with the right sockets as press tools or Wits’ End press tool kit works awesome. I’ve done them both ways. I’m a very satisfied press tool kit owner.

 

[1973Guppie]

the wits end press kit works really well, I just did an 80 and replaced every single bushing. Rides amazing now. The only thing on that quote that looks off is the sway bar links, is that toyota retail pricing? At that price I would give the customer an aftermarket option. Many times the aftermarket part is made very well, rockauto has some options for cheaper aftermarket links that are actually good quality.