Whiteline LCA bushings

Coulda Woulda Shoulda.
Maybe I'll do the same when I have to pull them to regrease. Simple enough process that should garner amenable results. Better than pressing them out and pressing new ones in.

I drew up a blueprint back in my machine shop days to modify the cam pins with a zerk on the end and grease channels inside. I'll try to dig it up.

They would be like these rear pins from Dobinsons,

https://www.dobinsonsdirect.com/pro...oyota~md_tacoma~yr_2005-2015-suspension-parts

 

I do like the the servicibility of grease points on the alignment HW, since my last set seized itself in there. Moog offers a set for the front, but I heard too many horror stories about them, that I went OEM. zerks on the alignment HW for the cam bolt to inner bushing sleeve, and zerk on the LCA for bushing to inner sleeve would have everything nice and greasy.

 

I don't think you really want grease in between the cams and the sleeves. Too much and you'll have a hard time holding an alignment. A nice, light coat of anti seize does the trick.

Grease is only really needed between the bushing and sleeve IMO.

 

Thats true, wouldn't want to be pumping a whole lot there between cam and sleeve. But in/after the winter when everything is all salty or after a particularly wet time/deep water off road, I think I would like a pump of grease in there as a precaution.

 

Yeah the washers on the MOOG set tend to round out from what I heard. @Squeaky Penguin has a point about too much grease making it hard to hold the alignment. I can see where that would be true.

I'm curious to see if I could modify the sleeve though, like what I said for the rear bush sleeves below.

Yes, agreed. My original idea was based on a split bush, like on the rear leaf springs. So the grease would get into the area around the bush and sleeve. Obviously that doesn't work properly for our bushes, I had thought there were split design options available at the time.

I put those greasable pins from dobinsons in the rear but the sleeve is solid so grease doesn't actually get to the bush, just between the pin and sleeve. My intention with that was to eventually modify the sleeve, we'll see if that ever pans out.

 

Just put a zerk in that too.



I was hesitant to drill a hole in my new leafs, but will probably get there when it starts squeaking. Plus I'm not keen on critical suspension hardware with holes drilled through them, so one little hole with a zerk seems preferable.

 

Those zerks are the way to go. The Dobinsom bolts are dumb IMO. They are wayyy weaker than a solid bolt and they don’t get the grease where you want it.

btw, drilling spring steel is not fun. I did it to my Dakars to put isolators in between the leaves to avoid squeaks. Worth it but what a chore! I have a drill press now, wish I would have had it then haha

 

I did get new shackles from 4xinnovations that came with a zerk already fitted. My rear suspension has been pretty quiet so far. I assume I just failed to grease the front areas enough when I installed everything.

I agree, out of everything I replaced on the truck the dobinsons bolts were the most unnecessary thing. I kept the originals so I can always swap them back in when I regrease (and possibly put a zerk on the leaf spring eye) down the road.

 

You will absolutely need to loosen the alignment bolts to get fresh grease in and push out the old grime. What’s your plan for the replacement here though when the time eventually comes? Might get tricky to line up the new holes... that’s why companies like Total Chaos use 2-piece bushings with no press-in outer sleeve (still need to loosen bolts when greasing).

by the way, nice job with the added reinforcements you welded in and the double shear limit strap tabs!!

 

I know this thread is about Whiteline but does anyone know of available Delrin bushings instead?

 

Whew. For the cost and headache of trying to rebuild LCAs with sketchy aftermarket LBJ and poly bushings (and the garbage aftermarket hardware) I can’t help but be thankful I just bought a new OEM LCA.

$265 shipped and I got OEM like-new performance with zero hassle or having to second guess longevity and applicability.

 

Seems like a young truck to replace LCAs. The Whiteline bushings are great, everybody is just overcomplicating it.. add a grease zerk if you like, I did not and they are doing fine. Research "garbage hardware" before buying and you'll realize it doesn't put grease on the moving part. I put OEM LCA bushings in after some Moog ones, and I was able to "press" them in by hand. OEM doesn't always mean quality. Glad you they work for you.

 

RE loosening the cams: I will be installing with Bison cams and SPC uppers, so I'm not worried about loosening them without messing up my alignment. And I do my own alignments anyways.

Replacement plan A: shit can the LCAs and replace with Dirt Kings Which is probably what I should've done this time.

Replacement plan B: remove zerk, press in new bushing, drill a corresponding hole in the new bushing to the existing hole in the LCA, reinstall zerk.

 

You ain’t kidding. Only 10 years and My LBJ was toast. The OEM LCA was a complete unit with ball joint and bushings installed. A light coat of marine grease inside the bushings and between the OEM bolt and sleeve and I was golden. Easy button.

 

Not sure what uppers have to do with this or what Bison cams are... anyway, I like replacement plan A. It’s only money lol! And for plan b, isn’t your LCA threaded now and you’ll mess that up when drilling the new hole...

 

Option C go TTB lol

 

Just saying I'm comfortable loosening the cams way up without messing up my alignment.

Yes LCA is threaded. I assume I can drill a hole in the bushing without messing it up. Worst case I'll weld the hole shut and drill and re-tap.

 

Can you post any details or pics of how you drilled the bushings? I am mid way through this project and installing bushings is next, I would REALLY like to add zerks everywhere I can to prevent squeaks.

 

I just drilled a small hole (3/16" maybe) through the LCA, sleeve and bushing. Then tapped for a zerk. If you wanted to get fancy you could cut some very shallow slots in the bushing material to better distribute the grease along the length of the bushing, but I didn't bother.

 

Best way would be with a drill press so you can set the depth just just. You don’t wanna drill into the inner sleeve.