2001 Taco Lower Control Arm Bushing Kit

Hi All,

My 2001 Tacoma is approaching 154K and its time to replace the lower control arm bushings. I owned my Taco since 2008 and I promptly installed Bilstein 5100s. Last year I replaced the Upper, Lower Ball Joints and had previously replaced the Upper Control Arms with OEM parts. Last year I also replaced the Steering Bushings with Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings.

Can you guys recommend a Lower Control Arm Bushing replacement kit for the 2001 Tacoma TRD 4x4? I am all ears

TIA
Steve

 

Well as someone that just did this days ago. Some advice for you. Energy Suspension does make polyurethane bushings as a kit for both upper and lower control arms with that being said its just to replace the rubber. My 2002 Tacoma has 161k on it and it was a mess. Two of the alignment cam lobes that go through the lower control arms were seized and rusted in place. The way I went and the way id advice you to do the same is to go to a Toyota dealer and just buy all for lower control arm bushings and 4 alignment cams lobes. However doing it this way means you have to press the entire bushings, out outer metal sleeve and all, then press the new ones back in. So someone with air chisel and/or a press will be a big help. But in the end its worth it. Your truck will thank you by driving much better.

 

I do know Toyota sells the control arms as an assembly with the bushings installed because I replaced the upper control arms (fairly easy to do). I thought Toyota did not sell the bushings separately. Did you replace yours with Energy Suspension or buy the bushings from Toyota? I have read members have used a torch to cut the old bushings out.

This is a job I am also not equipped to tackle. I planned on buying the Energy Suspension bushings or other and hand them over to a shop for the reasons you listed.

Thanks for the reply & more information & experience the better

 

Toyota does indeed sell the lower control arm bushing separately and that is the path I took. They are the whole unit and its press out press in thing. Taking that to a shop and they'd probably thank you.

 

Here's a link to a step-thru for both the upper and lower bushings.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1s...replace-upper-lower-control-arm-bushings.html

Also, Toyota does sell the bushings separate. Part Nos. are 4806135040, 4806135050 and sell for about $40 ea. Will need two of each.

 

When I did mine (2001 Prerunner) this past weekend, I used the following bushings: http://www.partsgeek.com/pdqpzt3-to...fp=pp&utm_term=Toyota+Control+Arm+Bushing+Kit

I also used a new (unmentioned) technique for removing the bushings from the lower control arm.

1. Spray penetrating oil in and around bushings
2. Use bottle jack (normal jack works too) and correctly sized wrench socket to apply outward force on bushings (see image)
3. Bang on the control arm with small sledge hammer to release bushing from LCA.
4. Repeat for opposite side of LCA.

 

/\ - brilliant!

 

^ I agree. My only other comment would be that, if the rubber is vulcanized, you can heat the metal around the bushings. Once the metal is hot enough, you'll see the rubber separate and the bushings will be pretty easy to press out. Just be sure to heat the metal, not the bushing itself. (as the rubber will melt, get messy and won't separate correctly)

 

Awesome thread, I was hoping to find the part numbers to OE Toyota rubber bushings. Though ES poly bushings would be cheaper and easier to install, IMO for wheeling, I want the compliance of OE rubber-- though maybe a moot advantage as my Camburg UCAs do not have nearly as much compliance... None the less, I want less teeth chattering when wheeling.

 

this method will get the rubber and inner sleeve out, but there is an outer metal sleeve that is part of the bushing that needs to come out if replacing with oe type bushings. This metal sleeve fuses to the control arm and is the hardest part to get out. When I did my driverside I replaced just the bushings and had to cut out both alignment cams to get the control arm out of the truck then I burned the rubber out of the bushing so that only the outer sleeve was left. Then I took a sawzall and cut a slit in this outer sleeve, carefull not to cut the control arm, then took a hammer and chisel to it and rolled the sleeve over on itself freeing it from the arm. I decided to say F that on the passenger side and bought a whole new arm with bushings in place. Luckily the alignment cams came right out on that side and it took probably less than a half hour to just swap the hole arm out.