Control Arm Bushings

[marcfj60]

Looking for some recommendations from the collective wisdom of the group. While changing the oil on my '05 4R, I noticed one of the bushings on a lower control arm is cracked and falling apart. That may explain the crunching noise I hear when the suspension flexes. Can you just replace bushings? Does it make more sense on a 16-year old vehicle with 220K miles to just install new LCA and UCAs with new bushings and ball joints? This is Danise and the kids' daily. It's not for off-roading. So I would be replacing with stock parts.

 

[lurch]

Yes, you can just the bushings, and both times I've done it it was a PITA! You're looking at about $230 for all 4 bushings on the lower front, I just order them today for my 2011 4R from American. It was going to be over $700 to order loaded Stock LCAs and at that price, you might as well look at aftermarket to see if that makes more sense and get an upgrade along with it. Also depending on how rusted your adjustment cams are, you may need those and new bolts as well.

The hard part about just changing the bushing is pressing the old part out. It's an awkward shape and hard to line up on the press. The last time I did it I torched the inner part out, burned out the rubber, and then carefully sawed the outer metal sleeve (the part that's pressed into the LCA) so I could collapse it enough to pull it out. After that just clean it up, lube it, and press the new one in.

So that said, you should go with an extended travel suspension kit

 

[marcfj60]

So that said, you should go with an extended travel suspension kit

And 6" of lift too?

Pricey suckers. I'm normally a buy OEM snob but at those prices, I'm looking at over $2K for new lowers and uppers, both sides.

 

[lurch]

And 6" of lift too?

Pricey suckers. I'm normally a buy OEM snob but at those prices, I'm looking at over $2K for new lowers and uppers, both sides.

Well, it's easier and more fun, right? You just need a good gig to bring in some fast money.
You know...I bet a good old fashioned speakeasy would bring in good money under the current conditions. You should look for a basement to rent

 

[FJCTom]

A buddy did it like Steve outlined. Really stinky and a PITA.

On my Tacoma, I just bought new TGP LCAs and swapped them out. The same buddy, mentioned above, very much liked my solution and didn't care it was a little harder on my wallet. The plus side was an extra set of LCAs to be re-bushinged at his leisure.

The 1st Gen Taco LCAs were considerably cheaper than what you're looking at. Only $300 an arm.

 

[alia176]

YouTube has good videos of folks using a simple bottle jack to push out the bushings on the front LCAs and that's the process I used on the 4runner, along with some heat from a MAP gas torch. Due to the odd shape of the LCAs/ UCAs, they don't fit well in a typical press. Still, this is a PITA process.

The rear UCAs/LCAs fit in a hyd press rather easily. I don't know if you can push them out using a vice since they've been in their home position for so long, a vice not provide enough oomph.

 

[marcfj60]

Rock Auto has MOOG units for about $150 each with bushings and ball joints. So about $600 to replace uppers and lowers, both sides. Any opinions on MOOG products?

I found a pair of new OEM LCAs on Ebay for about $750. I need to call American/LHM too see what my special price would be.

 

[alia176]

also, try amaya for OEM arms loaded with bushings and BJs. Might be cost effective, even with the shipping.

I have Moog bushings and BJs on my front LCAs. One side started squawking after two years so I went back to another set of used arms with OEM parts until I decide what to do.

If you're gonna keep the Hundy for a long time, maybe worth springing for a loaded OEM arms from out of country OEM parts resellers. If you wanna know what your price would be at LHM Toyota, just go to Partznet and look up their prices. It'll be a close match to what we get at LHM.

 

[Mauser]

It really isn't hard to change the bushings. It just takes a little work and a flame wrench helps. The ball joints are a pain if you don't have a tool. Easy as pie if you do.

 

[Montijo505]

Rock Auto has MOOG units for about $150 each with bushings and ball joints. So about $600 to replace uppers and lowers, both sides. Any opinions on MOOG products?

I found a pair of new OEM LCAs on Ebay for about $750. I need to call American/LHM too see what my special price would be.

I pressed out the old with a torch and the stock bottle jack, then pressed in whiteline bushings. Great upgrade even for a daily driver. Used moog lower ball joints.

 

[marcfj60]

If you're gonna keep the Hundy for a long time, maybe worth springing for a loaded OEM arms from out of country OEM parts resellers. If you wanna know what your price would be at LHM Toyota, just go to Partznet and look up their prices. It'll be a close match to what we get at LHM.

These are on the '05 4Runner. I don't have the same love for it that I do for the LC. I'm trying to find a balance between effort and cost to do the work. Maybe getting some help from @Mauser flame wrench would be the right direction. Of course if I buy the MOOG assemblies, I will keep the OEM units and can always revert back to OEM bushings at a later date if the MOOG units turn out to be a disappointment.

 

[Montijo505]

These are on the '05 4Runner. I don't have the same love for it that I do for the LC. I'm trying to find a balance between effort and cost to do the work. Maybe getting some help from @Mauser flame wrench would be the right direction. Of course if I buy the MOOG assemblies, I will keep the OEM units and can always revert back to OEM bushings at a later date if the MOOG units turn out to be a disappointment.

Just swapping the arms isn't that bad of a job, it's the bushings that are a pain. Unless the alignment cams are seized, then prepare for a swazall and a long day. Thankfully I didn't have that problem.

 

[Mauser]

 

[alia176]

Those of us who buy replacement control arms thinking they're going to swap the bushings into their spare arms, they're being delusional. You aren't going to muster up the cajones to do this job years down the road because you're "bored", so either do it now, or don't do it at all.

 

[Mauser]

If you freeze the bushings and heat the control arm it makes pushing the bushings in easier.

 

[ramangain]

If you freeze the bushings and heat the control arm it makes pushing the bushings in easier.

This fantastic tidbit of advice also makes putting the wheel bearing races in hubs so much easier (freezing the race before installation)

 

[pappy]

If you freeze the bushings and heat the control arm it makes pushing the bushings in easier.

This fantastic tidbit of advice also makes putting the wheel bearing races in hubs so much easier (freezing the race before installation)

I've heard that. I've tried it. Never works for me.

 

[Mauser]

I've heard that. I've tried it. Never works for me.

Gotta be quick man. I use this method a lot. Only way to press an Ak-47 barrel into the front trunnion.

 

[marcfj60]

Those of us who buy replacement control arms thinking they're going to swap the bushings into their spare arms, they're being delusional. You aren't going to muster up the cajones to do this job years down the road because you're "bored", so either do it now, or don't do it at all.

How else am I supposed to justify to my wife the giant pile of 'spare' parts taking up space in my garage that I can't possibly get rid of? I already have a spare wheel and lower control arms for the Land Cruiser. I need some spare suspension parts for the 4Runner too.

 

[lurch]

I just got mine swapped out...McBrides will change the bushings in the LCAs for $105 after tax (1-hour labour). I pulled the arms and dropped them off with the new bushings. So for ~$300 bucks and a 3-4 of hours of my time I got them changed out. I also have the lifetime alignment @ Firestone so that wasn't factored into the cost.