Lower Control Arms -- Rebush or Replace? (1 Viewer)

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Check out this solution to press out bushings, wonder if it can be used to press them in? (why is it so hard for a mechanic to do?)
these guys used a bottle jack....hmm....? (image bottom off comment #1)
imag1365_zpschchqial_8a6e039979db708550d13e39645766c1eaded497-jpg.1761575


All these suspension threads are interesting to me right now. I need more info about an air bag inside the rear springs.
1. Does it connect to the stock air lines?
2. Controlled the same way with height control button?
also in this or another thread I just saw the rear shocks are electronically controlled, I used to think it was only the front.
As is stands now I have a leak in one spring, and will likely replace with OEM style rear air springs then trick them to ride an inch higher. I won't be "crawling" or doing major off roading while wife is still transporting kids to school in this, but any extra height would be nice.
 
Stock front/rear shocks dampening are electronically controlled.

Airbags in rear coil springs are considered helper airbags and most people do not have them tied to the stock air lines. it's probably possible but more complicated then it needs to be. For helper airbags you just add or remove air from them via the line as needed when you have different payloads.
 
that's very strange! hard to believe that toyota parts ship like that...

teejnut said:
One downside is at least for me they shipped without boxes! They just cover the LBJ and slap a tag on the LCA. It came with minor scratches. I complained to the seller and they said the Toyota parts ship them like that for LCA. I did get an additional discount from the seller because of it.
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big thanks! kept the parts in my ebay shopping cart... ebay 10% off coupon popped up today, so i pulled the trigger. $580 shipped. not a SMOKING deal, but not bad...

teejnut said:
Wait for eBay to have their 10-20% sales and get it from there. Just got my set the other day for $527 shipped after a 15% coupon.
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I’m at 180,000 miles with a 2” lift and 285s. Over the last 10,000 I had some mild vibration through the steering wheel and it was getting slightly vague at higher speeds. I replaced TRE’s which helped a bit but I’m starting to get more vibration/shaking through the steering wheel on high speed bumps or pot holes. I think it’s more likely bushings than a steering rack.

Other that control arms and alignment cams/bolts, is there anything else needed for this job?

Axle shafts were replaced about 50,000 miles ago.
 
Is it really going to be bolt-on? Your link is for a weld-on product. Granted if they come as pre-made pieces it's less welding than TC
 
captainva said:
Does anyone have experience with the Mevotech adjustable upper control arms?

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HomersCanyonero said:
I went on the FJ Cruiser and T4R forums and they use the same lower control arms in the front as the GX470.

Regardless if you are re-building or replacing, there's a potential that the bolts/hardware is seized/rusted. I'm hoping that a So Cal rig doesn't have this problem at all, but we'll see. The hardware should be Toyota OEM.

If you rebuild, the Toyota OEM bushings are expensive. Just the 4 bushings for the LCAs are like $160 or something like that on ebay. This doesn't include the ball joints which should be replaced as well. There's other options for cheaper bushings and ball joints, but OEM is spendy.

If you replace, there are various degrees of prices on the new LCAs. It's just the quality is unknown on some of the lowered priced units. People on the aforementioned boards claim the really inexpensive ones from 1AAuto are okay and one guy has had them for 15k miles.

Quick summary on prices (not extensive research -- updated prices on 3/12/2018 from what others have commented):
1. $140/pair, TRQ LCAs, from 1A-Auto at Amazon (no tax, free shipping with prime)
2. $200/pair, MAC Auto
3. $270/pair, Mevotech
4. $330/pair, Moog
6. $528/pair, Toyota OEM, online stores
7. $1800/pair, Total Chaos

I'm still not sure which path to take, but I'm getting a better idea on what needs to be done on each path.
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Anyone have experience with the TRQ LCAs?
 
Been down this road….

Replace the entire LCA with OEM Toyota. $600 or so and way less headache. Use SPC camber bolts.

New Toyota bushings will set you back a couple hundred dollars minimum. Balljoints are not available OEM, only aftermarket and even the “555”s everyone thinks are OEM are actually trash from China.

Getting bushings / trash balljoints installed will be another couple hundred bucks.

By the time you buy all the inferior parts and get them installed, time…money… energy… the new Toyota LCA’s seem like a f’m bargain.
 
I'm running Moog LCA's. They were around $160 each on Rock Auto. I have around 5K on them so far. They are totally fine and appear to be a exact replica of the OEM LCA's, other than the LBJ having a grease zerk (note that Moog zerk is straight and does not allow for greasing post-install as it interferes with the CV axle - I had to put a 45 degree zerk on).

Time will tell how they hold up. I installed them as a temporary stopgap when I lifted my GX and kept my OEM LCAs for a future rebuild once I get a 20T shop press. I'll probably do that rebuild and swap them out prior to out next trip out West in a couple of years. I didn't want to drop $900 on complete OEM LCA or spend a day messing with a rebuild, so the Moogs served their purpose.
 
Rednexus said:
I'm running Moog LCA's. They were around $160 each on Rock Auto. I have around 5K on them so far. They are totally fine and appear to be a exact replica of the OEM LCA's, other than the LBJ having a grease zerk (note that Moog zerk is straight and does not allow for greasing post-install as it interferes with the CV axle - I had to put a 45 degree zerk on).

Time will tell how they hold up. I installed them as a temporary stopgap when I lifted my GX and kept my OEM LCAs for a future rebuild once I get a 20T shop press. I'll probably do that rebuild and swap them out prior to out next trip out West in a couple of years. I didn't want to drop $900 on complete OEM LCA or spend a day messing with a rebuild, so the Moogs served their purpose.
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How have the moog lower control arms held up and what is your current mileage on them?
 
Broken4door said:
How have the moog lower control arms held up and what is your current mileage on them?
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They are still doing great. They have ~20K miles on them so far. The GX is off-roaded quite a bit (moderate, not heavy) and no issues with the bushings, alignment, ball joints, etc. I grease the ball joints at every OCI and they generally don't lose much grease between. Overall I am happy with them, but probably would have spent an extra $300 to go with OEM Toyota to just not have to worry about them again.
 
I would presume they are the same Chinese LCAs sold by Moog and others, but am not totally sure, and a side-by-side comparison would be required to confirm. They are priced a bit more than the Moogs (which are $148/ea now on Rock Auto), but the Moogs have a greaseable ball joint. My personal preference for aftermarket ball joints is to have them greaseable (OEM is non-greaseable but doubtlessly a better ball joint than most Chinese aftermarket joints).
 
Rednexus said:
I would presume they are the same Chinese LCAs sold by Moog and others, but am not totally sure, and a side-by-side comparison would be required to confirm. They are priced a bit more than the Moogs (which are $148/ea now on Rock Auto), but the Moogs have a greaseable ball joint. My personal preference for aftermarket ball joints is to have them greaseable (OEM is non-greaseable but doubtlessly a better ball joint than most Chinese aftermarket joints).
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Thanks for the thoughts. I will be passing on these and have been looking into the superpro LCA’s. The 4runner/FJC guys have had great experiences with them and customer service I hear is really good to. Here is the thread I was reading if anyone else here is interested.

Toyota-4Runner.org

The Largest 4Runner Community in the World
www.toyota-4runner.org www.toyota-4runner.org
 
Buy new from Toyota.

I rebuilt mine (555 ball joints and OEM bushings). Had to buy a junkyard control arm and pay a shop to press it all in, after mangling a lower control arm using the bottle jack/torch method (didnt work).

Ended up costing more than just getting new ones and was a huge pain in the ass.
 
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masturv8 said:
Buy new from Toyota.

I rebuilt mine (555 ball joints and OEM bushings). Had to buy a junkyard control arm and pay a shop to press it all in, after mangling a lower control arm using the bottle jack/torch method (didnt work).

Ended up costing more than just getting new ones and was a huge pain in the ass.
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Good story to remind some of us weekend one-🍌 mechanics 🧰 that sometimes it’s cheaper to replace the part with a new ome one than DIY rebuild the part!

As the song goes…
You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away, know when to run.
 
Probably going to have to rebuild mine since I have KDSS. Sounds like 460 arms require making the shock hole bigger? Was tempted to do Moog.

Already pressed 555s in to the factory arms but the stock bushings are smoked.
 
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