The Lower Control Arm Removal and Replacement (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Sep 9, 2016
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Location
Odessa/Midland TX
This is for Demonstration Purposes Only:
LandCruiser Year 2000 100 series

LCA Left: 4864060010: Right 4862060010
Number -2 Bushing 4865560010 (Needs two)

Before lifting the vehicle, measure the distance between (1) center of the grease cap to marked location of fender arch (I had 50 cm) and (2) upper shock mount to lower shock mount on LCA (I had 40.3 mm, Picture-1)

Lift the vehicle and place solid supports under the frame, also place the removed wheel under the vehicle as an added proctection

Remove sway bar link from the LCA as well as from the sway bar (14 mm, 38 ft-lb for link to LCA)
Remove lower shock mount (19 mm, 118 ft-lb): Remove the BOLT FIRST.
Loosen the Ball joint nut and break loose the ball joint from knuckle
Make sure the LCA is NOT on any load (remove jack if lifted by jacking the LCA)
Mark the approximate location of anchor arm adjusting bolt to anchor arm adjusting seat (Picture-2)
Release the tension on torsion bar by loosening and removing the anchor arm adjusting bolt (30 mm)
Loosen the torque arm nuts (22 mm, 166 ft-lb, Picture-3: Note the longer bolt has been removed)
With a hammer, move the torsion bar anchor arm towards the back of the vehicle to expose the BOLT of the LCA (Do NOT attempt to remove the nut; it will NOT come loose because the nut has 4 indentations that bites into the LCA and will not rotate)
Remove the BOLT (24 mm, 170 ft-lb): Do NOT attempt to remove the nut.
Remove the LCA!!!!
Mount the bushing puller tool as shown in the Picture-4 to remove the #2 bush (this is Pass side: I had to lift the diff extension tube to place the receiver cup on driver side by removing the extension housing mount bushing bolt to the cross bar)

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Note the orientation of tabs on #2 bushing (horizontal) (Picture-1)
New bushing (picture-2)
Old washer and New bushing (There was only 1 washer, picture-3)
Washer/bush getting ready to install: NOTE the white mark placed at 12'O clock (Picture-4)
Bushing inside the frame (White mark at top and two tabs horizontal, Picture-5)

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Clean the frame inner sleeve and spray some paint to feel good for a job well done!
The images are on Pass side (Started on driver side but forgot to take pictures)
Bushing is driven into the frame (Picture-1)
Bushing mounted!! (Picture-2)
Bushing cap mounted (slides right on: Note the orientation, will lock into the two horizontal tabs Picture-3)

IMPORTANT: Place the Shorter bolt of Torque arm into the LCA BEFORE you mount it to the frame!!!! (Picture-4)
Mount the LCA ball joint to knuckle and frame mounts: Thread the ball joint nut until fully seated.
Now lift the LCA until it comes to the initial gaps (1) and (2) recorded at the very beginning (Picture-5)

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Install both bolts and tighten to the specified torque (170 ft-lb): AGAIN, torque the BOLT, NOT the nut (Picture-1 and 2)
Remove the support placed under the LCA (no load on LCA)
Use a hammer to move the torque arm towards the LCA forward.
Install the second bolt (longer) through the LCA to mount the torque arm to LCA.
Tighten both torque arm bolts to 166 ft-lb
Reposition the Anchor arm into it's groves on cross member
Mount the Anchor arm adjusting bolt (FIRST mount by hand to prevent any cross threading)
Turn the Anchor Arm Adjusting Bolt until it matches your Initial marks on the bolt and Adjusting Seat (2nd picture of post-1)
Mount the Sway bar link to away bar and LCA
Mount the Shock (tighten only the bolt 118 ft-lb
Tighten the Ball joint nut to 117 ft-lb and install a new cotter pin
Do an Alignment
I also did the Upper Control Arms, and it was a piece of cake: Took 40 minutes per side.
Random pictures
Control arm removed (Picture-3)
Orientation of old #2 bushing (Picture-4)
Longer bolt of Torque arm (Picture-5, driver side)

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I think you cover it but the bolts need to be torqued on the LCA’s once the full weight of the vehicle is resting on them - correct? This way they’re not bound up all the time from tightening them down on an unloaded suspension.
 
He's measured the position of LCA, while it's bushings were laden (weight on tires, vehicle level on ground). Then set LCA back to those measurements, for final torque. This "close enough method", is preferred by "some". Since getting swing with long arm of torque wrench, so difficult while laden.

One could ague. Sag in old bushing, may skew measurements. Also that above method, does not fully compensate for compression of new bushing, their metal to metal contact points or bolts position. As fully laden & with T-bar set, would! Ergo the "Close enough method".

I'll add: It is important to life of links, shocks and OEM UCA bushings. That their bushing bolts, be torque at proper neutral position. With shock bolts, the measurement method, may void warranty.
Additional: It is always best to torque nut when there is one, just not always practical.
 
This is an awesome thread. I am in the middle of this job now and wish I found this thread sooner. I did not take approximate measurements to do the "close enough" method of jacking up the LCA into its original position.

@2001LC what are my options here in terms of torquing while reinstalling?
 
This is an awesome thread. I am in the middle of this job now and wish I found this thread sooner. I did not take approximate measurements to do the "close enough" method of jacking up the LCA into its original position.

@2001LC what are my options here in terms of torquing while reinstalling?
Either measure as OP and you've done, and or torque after all done and laden.

Alignment afterwards, is good idea. Which you can then have nuts/bolts re-torqued, once on rack (drive on rack). To that end, I've circles nuts/bolts and written torque on parts. Then had alignment tech torque.

You can also drive onto your own ramps.

The hardest method, is torque LCA bushing nuts, while on the ground. With the very high torque needed. I like a 3/4" torque wrench, at minimum a 1/2" is needed. They have very long handles, making swing more than i click at a time impossible. Takes forever.
 
Great write up. I am getting ready to do this job and this helps a lot.

What tool did you use to press the frame mounted bushing?
 
I used the following bushing puller set bought off of eBay (Picture-1) (eBay was way cheaper than Amazon)

For the lower ball joint I used the ball joint separator tool shown in picture-2, Again, I bought an entire kit from ebay (Picture-3):

The typical and favorite ball joint separator tool shown on left of the top row in the kit (as pictured in image-3) does not fit into the knuckle due to the dust shield, and may need to remove CV, caliper, rotor etc., With the tool I have shown in picture-2, I did NOT remove any of those. Hint: Lift the grease boot for the leg of the tool to grab a good bite of the knuckle.

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Either measure as OP and you've done, and or torque after all done and laden.

Alignment afterwards, is good idea. Which you can then have nuts/bolts re-torqued, once on rack (drive on rack). To that end, I've circles nuts/bolts and written torque on parts. Then had alignment tech torque.

You can also drive onto your own ramps.

The hardest method, is torque LCA bushing nuts, while on the ground. With the very high torque needed. I like a 3/4" torque wrench, at minimum a 1/2" is needed. They have very long handles, making swing more than i click at a time impossible. Takes forever.
How can I torque the bolts behind the torsion bar brackets when the truck is on the ground? I thought you couldn't lower the truck onto its own weight with those removed?
 
How can I torque the bolts behind the torsion bar brackets when the truck is on the ground? I thought you couldn't lower the truck onto its own weight with those removed?
That is why I took the initial measurements (1) and (2) in the first post and reset the same distances before torquing both forward and rear bolts in the LCA. Yes, without the torsion bar, the whole truck will fall on to the bump stops
 
That is why I took the initial measurements (1) and (2) in the first post and reset the same distances before torquing both forward and rear bolts in the LCA. Yes, without the torsion bar, the whole truck will fall on to the bump stops
Yep, like I said, wish I found this thread a few days earlier. Measuring prior is a great approach.

What would you do in my situation?
 
Yep, like I said, wish I found this thread a few days earlier. Measuring prior is a great approach.

W
Do you have the torsion bar installed? And wheel on the ground with the load on LCA? If you do, then Id collect some distances of hub center on grease cap to the plastic tab holding the inner splash shield located right above the wheel from several 100s and set the LCA without the load and torque it while the torsion bar is off.
 
Do you have the torsion bar installed? And wheel on the ground with the load on LCA? If you do, then Id collect some distances of hub center on grease cap to the plastic tab holding the inner splash shield located right above the wheel from several 100s and set the LCA without the load and torque it while the torsion bar is off.
It’s up on jacks with everything disassembled. Hub is off, etc. next step is to break the torsion bar brackets and LCA bolts.
 
First off, thanks for this write-up. There are others on here, but the detail is good with lots of pictures. I did the uppers and lowers just over a year ago and it was a big effing job. Never want to do that again.

I did want to clarify/check with some of you though specifically regarding the torquing of bolts vs. nuts. Paul mentioned that you should always torque the nut when you can, but nissanH said to torque the bolt, not the nut.

I read through all the 80 and 100 posts regarding these nuts with the serrations on them and how you should always torque the bolt. This way the nut "digs in" to the metal and won't come loose. I couldn't figure out how that was possible given where they put the bolt on the rear part of the LCA without this measuring method which was not called out in the FSM. Simply, installation is reverse of removal, which I guess covers it technically. But I would think if it was such a big deal they would have specifically called it out.

Regardless, I just torqued the nut and put a bunch of match marks on it and in over a year, 10,000 miles and some light off-roading where the front end definitely lifted off the ground I have yet to see any of those match marks move which tells me these bolts haven't budged.
 
Quite frankly, I'd not considered serrations on nuts/bolt. We have few nuts in the 100 series with serration (I don't recall if control arms have them.) One example would be fan clutch to fan brackets' 4 nuts have a directional serration. We can only torque nut.

Long Bolts Are Being Used – When torque is applied to the head of a very long bolt, you may see the effects of torsional wind-up. Applying torque to the nut in this situation will help to avoid that issue. Also a Torques bolt head, may loose some torque as opposed to at nut. In that in the shaft of the bolt may flex or stretch at lower torque than target spec. In case of head bolts we torque bolt head, but it's a stretch to spec.

Also consider in torque, is if any extension is used between wrench & nut/bolt. A 3/8" long extension will flex a lot. You loose torque, at target (nut/bolt head) point.

Also keep in mind. In some cases it's just not practical to get to the nut or bolt head (whichever FSM direct), without costly SST tools. For DIY, the cost for one time use is not warranted for most.

Let the FSM be your guide, wherein you'll see dash line to torque point. Note the link, it's the bolt, which is all we can do and it's easy to access. The shock it's the nut. But shock nut is hard to get to. So I grease the bolts head contact point or add ~10% torque.

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Bottom line:
  1. If a bushings rubber is loaded (locked in position) at rest, which happens if torqued in while component hanging down loosely. It will reduce it's life.
  2. To have all rubber of bushing in the neutral stance when vehicle at rest on the ground. Either be measuring before disassembly, so one can place in that position for assembly (same position it would be vehicle on the ground), or by assembling and then torque all after vehicle on the ground..
  3. If a bushing not torque to spec (or a bit more), it may shift or come loose. The point is to be as near spec as one can, and not miss any nuts or bolt.
 
Yep, like I said, wish I found this thread a few days earlier. Measuring prior is a great approach.

What would you do in my situation?
Just torque, after assembly once on all 4 tires back the ground.

Again @nissanh is giving the pre disassembly measuring method, to set bushing in neutral stance. Which is to avoid the PITA of torquing once back on ground.

The goal is to have rubber of bushing in neutral (no rotational pressure on rubber core, while on ground). Either methods work just fine. For those with aftermarket uppers control arm. The ones I've seen. Their bushing rubber centers, are not fixed. So it makes no difference, when torque. But do get them torque -in.

The 2 biggest PITA of this job:
1) If bushing is frozen in, getting it out. Not all are frozen in. DIY can use the cut bushing method. Some have found an off the shelf socket or press tool that works well. I had a drift tool made, to press out the most stubborn. @flintknapper pointed-out a little heat on frame, (outside casing of bushing) can really make a difference.
2) Torquing the bolts. PITA!



More than one way to skin this cat.

Here's a too I'velooking at to get swing room for torque wrench. Some just drive up on ramps or wooden blocks.
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Even if you don't mark or measure the T-bar, which you should. Look close, you'll see they have marks and or teeth, to help orient. Personally, I like to mark bars and threads or count of it's adjuster bolt. I then get back as near post position on assembly, while on jack-stands. I just find easier! But they still need adjusting, after driving.

Sorry @nissanh, I don't mean to high jack your thread. But I'm getting PM (DM), which ares better answered here for all to see.
 
How can I torque the bolts behind the torsion bar brackets when the truck is on the ground? I thought you couldn't lower the truck onto its own weight with those removed?

You can torque these with the bracket in place. I had to shave down a harbor freight 22mm (if I recall correctly) standard wrench and then it fit in the top of the bracket, no problem. You just need to hold the nut, torque the bolt head.
 

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