Lower Control Arm Seized?

When I learned of this issue yesterday I was trying to think about how to do this with the least amount of new parts, but I've got a wheeling roadtrip in 2 weeks and need this done right the first time. After reading for a few hours last night I've decided if I'm going to be cutting out all of the LCA bolts with a diablo blade on a reciprocating saw and replacing the bushings with Whiteline W53312. Also going with the 333 Cam Eliminator instead of stock parts in the hopes of preserving my alignment.

I'm going to do my best to remove the old bushings myself with either a LBJ rental from Autozone or burning them out and hammering the sleeve out (a la the video in my last post). I'm hoping I can press the new ones in with a bench vice, LBJ kit or maybe have shop do it quickly. I was quoted $250 for removing and replacing the bushings before parts, so I'm trying to avoid that.

All of that said.. I don't want to have to do this again. So I need to coat the sleeve outside the bushing (that contacts the LCA eye) with anti-seize and the bolt that goes through the bushing (metal on metal with the bushing inner sleeve) and I should be good?

 

This thread should help get you on the right track: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cam-bolt-question-now-with-answers-and-writeup.502084/

 

@reyj96 I have a 20-ton press and could not figure out how to use it to press out the bushings. Pressing them in, easy peasy, but not removing them. The bushings slide outward and a cup does not fit on the outside because of the lip on the bushing used to press them in. I used a 3/4" dia bolt (I think it's 9" long) to push out the bushings, but only after using a propane torch to heat the LCA to break the rust holding the bushings in place. I posted pics in one of these links, but some other method may be more convenient for you:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/redneck-lower-control-arm-lca-bushing-press.134846/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-lca-bushing-replacement-2005-tacoma-4x4.176250/

Note, I also tried using my BJ C-clamp to press them in the bushings, and even though I have an extra kit of tubes to press in wheel bearings and BJ's, I could not get the clamp to work properly. Maybe, cause I could see how much easier it would be to use the 20-ton press.

 

How I got my old sleeves out was to take a hack saw apart and place it inside the tube after I drilled out the bushing and cut the outer sleeve being careful not to cut the actual LCA housing for the bushing. A C clamp will work to press the new ones in but a shop press is a quicker setup.

 

7” cutoff wheel between the LCA and the the tab. Replace entire LCA and hardware with new OEM. Anything else is a waste of time and money.

 

^^^ 100% this. I changed mine out last week in less than 30 minutes.

 

Well looks like a sawzall is a good investment

 

Alright, so I tackled this in the last few days. I figured I'd provide an update since it was a hell of a dirty job and I relied heavily on guidance from this and other threads. I've seen a lot of people say they wouldn't do it twice and would just buy new LCAs. While I don't completely agree, it was one of those where the first bushing took me 3 hours, and the second took 20 min, etc. Would 100% attempt this a second time with my new found knowledge of how to make it work in my garage. I used a combination of a bunch of different methods I've seen here and on Youtube.

Sawzall with a Diablo 6" blade was the perfect size to work around the frame and took care of both LCAs with just one blade. After unbolting the lower shock mount and the LBJ from the knuckle, I used a ratchet strap under the truck to pull the LCAs down further and to a better angle. I was able to get the forward bolt out, but had to cut through the cam sleeve and the bolt in the back on both sides. I made 4 cuts on each LCA, in around 10 minutes per side.

My bushings were in good shape, but the truck spent 4 years in VT and the outer sleeves were seized badly. If you're lucky enough to get the rubber bushings to pop out with the outer sleeve, you'll save a lot of time, but that wasn't the case for me. I used a MAP gas torch to heat up the LCA eyelet while applying pressure through various methods and it ended up pushing the rubber out and leaving the outer sleeves orphaned on all 4 bushings.

I used a rented basic ball joint press from Autozone, my stock bottle jack, then later a rented 23 piece ball joint press from Advance (which did the trick). The ball joint presses are the most controlled, but the flared end of the outer bushing sleeve prevents you from being able to get the press aligned on the LCA eyelet, so you'd be pushing the sleeve into itself.

For the smaller bushings, on the inboard side, I was able to collapse the sleeve inward to create something for my bottle jack to press against. I did this by making 8 small cuts in the sleeve and bending these small sections of the sleeve inward one at a time with heat, a chisel and hammer. I then put the bottle jack between two ends of the LCA and pushed the sleeve out. Continue to apply lots of heat as you expand the jack.

For the larger bushing sleeves, no dice with the above method. They were locked in there. Again, I used my sawzall to carefully create small cuts in the outer lip/flange of the bushing sleeve (it will end up looking sort of like a gear) and then used hand-held vice grips/heat to bend them inward, exposing the hidden outter edge of the LCA eyelet. With this new real estate, I was able to align a ring from the ball joint press directly on the eyelet, and push the sleeve into it using a TON of heat and a big pipe wrench on the press.

Here's what I was up against:


I then wire wheeled the inside of the eyelets, filed the edges where I had roughed them up and sprayed the LCAs with rust reformer after cleaning rust and grease off.

Today I'm planning on pressing in

$168 Whiteline W53312 Front Control Arm Bushing, Black

Whiteline W53312 bushings ($80 open box on Amazon - screaming deal) using the 23 piece ball joint press. Then using a cam eliminator kit (I've heard good things about the 333 kit, only $100) to reinstall. Lastly I'll see about having a buddy lay down a bead on the cam tabs for some reinforcement. Should enough for my purposes.

 

Well, this seems to have happened to me now on my 2013 Went for an alignment after getting new tires and they said my drivers side bolts are seized.

My caster was high enought that I have never rubbed the inner mud guard with 265/70/17s (i've got a 2.5' baja lift) but after the shop said they can't adjust my alignment, I'm now rubbing so somehow they made it worse while trying to make it better...

I'm probably going to bite the bullet and just buy these LCAs after doing some research on the "premium" CK Moog (rather than the regular RK): https://www.drivparts.com/part-details.html?brand_code=BCCH&part_number=CK623262&part_name=Control Arm and Ball Joint Assembly

Question: Is there a way that I can increase caster myself just enough so I don't rub until I can get it to a proper alignment shop to have LCAs installed and alignment done?

Thanks!

 

I've got an appointment booked for next week to get everything fixed but still wondering if there is a way that I can increase caster myself so I can stop the rubbing of my inner mud guard?