Lower Control Arm (LCA) + Bushings and Replacement Options for Both (Rubber)

Thanks, I'll take a look tomorrow morning!

 

Timmah! to the rescue. I did EXACTLY what he did in his video with $50 OEM bushings from Toyota Dallas. It was oh so easy, it took me all of 15 minutes to press out the bushings with a bottle jack and a blow torch to heat up the arm. Just go slow. Put the arm in a vise, position the jack and pump it until it stays on its own. Apply heat and a few pumps and the bushing will start to move, then pump a few more times and it will slide out.

$200 is nothing when it comes to other options. My OEM bushings lasted 14 years.

 

Fyi, definitely go with OEM or Whiteline but not some of the other generic crap bushings. My bushings were bad so replaced them with new arms (came cheap with bushings) like 1.5 years ago, now the LCA bushings are bad already (also from offroading most likely) so going to put in whitelines like in Timmy's video. There's a lot more stress on the LCA bushings as the suspension cycle's, and it's the source of a clunking sound I hear/feel when braking hard or slowly turning.

 

OEM for sure. If the OEM lasted a LONG time just go with those.

Reminder to torque the bolts with the truck on the ground, suspension loaded. Not doing so will fast track your bushings for the trash heap. Although, the alignment shop will loosen the cam bolts during alignment which you should also get immediately after. But still, put the truck on the ground with bolts pretty loose and then torque.

 

How do the OEM handle offroading though, that's why I thought the whitelines are better people say

 

Been to Moab 3 times before I switched to new bushings. When I took them out they looked decent for 13 year old bushings. I replaced simply because of age. I’m sure there are people who are harder on theirs than me. But they should last a long time.

 

Good to know. I think it has something to do with how the bushings operate with rotation of the control arm. Don't the oem ones have it so the rubber is flexing, so when you have more control arm movement they may tear, where as whiteline and energy ones are designed to rotate freely with a sleeve...?

 

Toyota’s have sleeves. Most bushings do.

 

Which super lube did you use?

$16 Super Lube 92003 Silicone Lubricating Grease with PTFE, 3 oz Tube, Translucent White

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0081JE0OO/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 or

$18 Super Lube 41160 Synthetic Grease (NLGI 2), 14.1 oz Canister, Translucent White

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083R1FME/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1? Was reading somewhere on TW when doing the rack and pinion bushings that it is best to use silicone grease on poly because it does not have chemicals that will dry out the bushings.

When lubricating the bushings, did you only apply it to the outside of the metal sleeve that goes into the poly bushing? Or did you also coat the inside of the sleeve that the cam bolt will go through?

TIA! looking to finish a full front end suspension refresh with LCA bushings (

$88 Whiteline W53377A Control Arm Bushing, Black

https://www.amazon.com/Whiteline-W5...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=73WCQNW16J6F7GKAANVX), inner/outer tie rods (Moog), and LBJs (OEM). Considering that the LCA bushings will be the most labor intensive, I want to get it as good gets the first time around.

 

I used that squeezable tube, and used a ton on the bushing, inside the bushing where the sleeve goes, etc.

I had used the stuff that came with the bushings themselves and found that to not last as long especially after several wheeling trips.

 

How have the bushings been holding up since up on your rig?

 

7 months after that last post of a 3-4 month update, everything is still good