What to do for seized alignment cams?

I went to install some Bilstein 5100 struts in my truck today using the “no spring compressor” method where you loosen the lower control arm and let it drop to take off spring pressure. I couldn’t figure out why my LCA didn’t want to drop low enough, but then I realized the front most cams were stuck tight and they weren’t letting the LCA drop far enough. I can do the struts with a spring compressor I guess, but I would like to get the cams fixed. Truck is a 2010 with 130,000 miles. How does one fixed seized cams?

 

Start here with most likely some new parts, and grease the fuck out of them. And then I believe there is a thread on here somewhere that show you how to remove them without changing the alignment.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...part-numbers-and-bushing-part-numbers.403162/

 

That's a great thread, and it's much appreciated, but I wish a mod would do some housekeeping and delete a bunch of the replys that have the incorrect part numbers.

 

Which shall we choose to do it?

 

FWIW, when doing this on my 1st gen, even with the LCA swung all the way down, it still required a really long pry bar with a heavy friend leaning on the end of it to get the uncompressed spring in to place under the shock tower.

 

I dunno. Use the shotgun approach?

 

You can try un-seizing them with heat and penetration oil, then use a smaller bolt that goes through the cam sleeze (I believe I used a 3/8 grade 8 bolt) to push it out using a socket or BJ cup. None of this worked for me. I had to cut through the cam sleeve; you may have to also. I used a Freud Diablo DS0908CF 9" carbide saw blade (for reciprocating saw). It should cut through the cam in less than two minutes, depending on the type of saw you use. Luckily, I only had one sezied cam, the passenger side front cam, but I replaced both front cams, with Febest # 0132-005. When installing the cams, grease the outside really well to prevent this from happening again. Then, every two-three years, remove them for inspection. As long as you are on flat surface the LCA will not move, preserving the alignment.

 

I say @chris4x4 , he doesn't do much work around here

 

After you cut the cam sleeve does it come out? Seems like it would still be stuck but now cut in half?

 

@TheDevilYouLove
The outside portion should slide right out unless you have some high spots from the saw - use a screwdrive or pry bar to pull out the outside part of the cam. The other cut portion will be seized to the inside of the bushing. You will have to replace that bushing. Do not use Moog bushings. Mevotech bushings have been used sucessfully. Others, like me, got aftermarket LCAs. I went with Dorman's form Rockauto; others have gone with Moog or Mevotech. I still have my OEM LCA's and plan on refurbishing them.

Obviously, try un-seizing them first to avoid replacing the LCA or bushings. Maybe, you'll get lucky.

 

Ah, I got you.

 

The cam sleeve is bonded to the rubber bushing part as one part. If you need the sleeve alone it can be removed by burning the rubber. Its messy and smokes a lot. I believe a few have cut the rubber from the bushing.

I have done a lot of bushing replacements. At 130k mi. honestly I would just go get a pack of the Lenox Gold blades from Home Depot and cut them off and just replace the all the stuff. For the mileage they have served you well.

 

And if you do redo the bushings there is only one way to go Whiteline Bushings W53312, don't waste your money on OEM, MOOG.

$146 Whiteline W53312 Front Control Arm Bushing, Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070I9I12

 

Not quite, the OEM bushing has an inside metal sleeve. The cam rusts and seizes to this sleeve.

I dug out my old bushings:

 

Chuy, we may be talking different parts. In your pic the large piece on the end of the cam sleeve, the part with the "alligator teeth" is mechanically fixed to the sleeve. The sleeve in turn passes through the rubber bushing but the rubber is bonded to the sleeve -- it has to be bonded because the articulation of the control arm occurs solely because of the flexing within the rubber part. All of that is then bonded in a can that is pressed into the eyelet of the control arm.

 

Gotcha, I think we're jumping ahead a bit too much for the OP.

 

you may be better off just buying new lower control arms and source out the replacement labor if you cannot RR the cam bolts, just went thru something very similar recently after I replaced the struts with Bilstein 4600 and trying to get a alignment, luckily the Stealership was able to get the align numbers with specs that will work, but also they had to bend the alignment cam tabs on the front cams in order to get proper camber, didn't leave me feeling all warm and fuzzy after this ordeal

 

Agreed I lucked out and just found 2 basically new OEM LCA's with under 10k on them for 200.00 shipped. Going to put the Whiteline Bushings in them and do all new alignment cams.

 

im looking to get some new Michelin tires soon and really want those alignment numbers good(perfect) or theres no sense dropping a ton of money on the Michelins if they wont wear to perfection, ill just get some used Doneflops or Firestone LE2 tires im not dropping a ton of paper$ to replace the LCAs on a 4-5 year old truck with over 100k miles, although I love the truck