Lower control arm bushings help!

Hello I need to replace the bushings on my lower control arms both sides. You can see the bushing how's it's already worn plus my truck is making noise while I drive it. My question is, isn't it easier just to change the whole control arm, instead of just changing the bushings? Thanks in advance for the advice. Also any info on how's it's done. Thanks

 

Lower control arm bushings are WAY more cost effective. To replace the LCA with aftermarket, you are looking at basically a long travel kit.

Not really that hard, Jack the front end up. Put a jack under the lca. Disconnect the sway bar link, outer tie rod, upper ball joint (might as well do the upper bushings or aftermarket UCA at this point), take the three bolts out of the coil spring top hat and loosen the lower strut mount, disconnect Lower ball joint, loosen the 2 lca mounting bolts (mark alignment points before you do this). after all that, just lower everything down with the jack and remove the strut. support the cv axle and remove the lca. press out old bushings, press in new ones and reconnect everything in reverse order.

Edit remove and support the brake caliper before lowering everything down.

 

Heres a great thread on the bushings. Specifically watch the vid with the bottle jack method. Pretty easy. Hardest part is removing everything just to get the lca out.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lca-bushings-oem-energy-suspension-whiteline.394935/

Edit: oh and btw, I used moog lca bushings. They come with the whole sleeve and everything. Just press out and press in. If you go the poly route, I believe that's where things get more complicated. As in having to leave the sleeve in and melt the old rubber out... No thanks. Oem rubber type bushings work just fine. It may be worth it if you do a lot of offroading that leads to quicker wear on oem types though.

 

I did the entire front end bushing kit from MOOG. Wow what a difference but what a job it took to get some of the old ones out

 

More than likely, you will have frozen cam bolts. I've never been able to remove a lower control arm on any of my Tacoma's' without at least 1 out of the 4 being frozen. The bolts have to be cut out. I use a thin disk on an angle grinder.

Just buy new lower control arms. Rock auto has them for around $100 each.

 

I rebuilt my LCA's with some traditional rubber bushings, only to have them tear apart within a year. Give it up for cheap ass parts. The second time around I bought a set of the Whiteline bushings http://www.whiteline.com.au/product_detail4.php?part_number=W53377A, and installed them. They are fantastic, just a little tricky to get everything lined up when putting the arms back in. You just have to press the old bushings out and install the new. The metal sleeve in the middle (where the alignment bolt passes through) is very thick compared to any traditional rubber bushing. I would absolutely recommend the Whiteline set.

 

Id personally go with new lca's then mess with them damn bushings. I guess it comes down to how much you value your own time? Like koditten mentioned they arent really too expensive and come with the bushings already in there.

 

It's really not that hard if you're replacing oem rubber types. Granted you have a bottle jack, and a correct sized socket or sleeve to press them out. Which I can't remember what socket I used but i wanna say 1 and 1/16, or 1 and 11/16, Idk.. And one of those c clamp/ball joint tools to press the new ones in. Took an extra 30 minutes each side for me. Well the first did, sencond was like 15 minutes and done.

Even if you have a shop press out/in the bushungs, it's still gonna be like half price of not cheaper than getting two arms after shipping.. But then again if you don't have the tools or time to take the arms to a shop, then your only option would be to get new ones. But seems a waste as there's nothing wrong with the arm itself, just the bushings.

If you're doing the polys, then yeah that looks like a total pita, melting the rubber out and whatnot, and I won't be attempting THAT. Ha.

 

Yeah i certainly wouldn't mess with the polys on my own...but i suppose you're right on the rubbers, not too bad of a procedure with the right tools and time...

 

I totally agree, its not a bad job if...the cam bolts are not frozen up. I think the decision will be made for you.
If the bolts loosen up just fine, swap out the bushings. If they have to be cut out, you will probably want to be done with the job ASAP. It sucks cutting the bolts out.

 

Ha Well I certainly understand your situation being in Michigan.. I would assume it won't be the case for the op in Cali. Fingers crossed for him anyways.

Also regarding cam bolts.. Did you have to remove the steering rack? I did. Because the bolt wouldn't come out unless the rack was moved iirc. Unless I did it just to give me more room for easier access. Can't remember. But that may be extra work involved if so. And might as well replace those bushings with poly while you're at it. If the op ever replies back regarding his mechanical inclination..

 

Never have, but I could see how that would make it easier to use an impact wrench.

 

Aha. Forgot I took some pics. 1 3/8 socket!

 

A hole saw makes short work of the old rubber bushings

 

I put new whiteline bushings in mine using the bottle jack method to get the old ones out. It was pretty easy to do actually and none of my cam bolts were frozen, though my truck had been a cali truck all its life until recently. Hardest part was getting the bottle jack to push the old bushings out. It took quite a bit of pressure and I didn't have a vise to hold the upper control arm. Just have to keep pumping the jack until it pushes them out.

 

Shoulda gave it a good WHACK with a hammer. Same happened to me. Was like what the hell, I'm gonna bend the arm! Hmm, let me grab a hammer... Smacked it and the Damn thing literally shot out, and the bottle jack fell to the floor. Lucky my toes weren't under it.

 

I used a drill once. Just drilled a bunch of holes til I could collapse it.