LCA bushing replacement

[DaveInDenver]

Yea you can buy the bushings, control arms, and ball joints as separate pieces

I may have derailed here.

I'm talking about on my 2008 Tacoma. Toyota doesn't sell ball joints for 2003+ 4Runner or 2005+ Tacoma as individual items. You can only buy a whole control arm for these trucks. So as a result whether or not I could potentially get control arm bushings alone from Toyota I can't say because to replace my BJs I had to buy control arm assemblies anyway.

Aftermarket sells all the pieces and parts, so it's always an option if one decides not to stick with factory parts, of course.

For your truck Toyota does sell BJs alone so you wouldn't replace everything all at once. I'm not suggesting you should do arms or BJs necessarily in your case.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[C.Gerdo]

Definitely check (and probably replace) the lower ball joints at the same time. They are know to break and when they do, they cause lots of damage. Use Toyota lower ball joints. They are the only ones the last. Also, bad steering rack bushings can cause a clunk.
Ploy bushings are great because they don’t bind but they will wear out more often.

 

[mike759]

Definitely check (and probably replace) the lower ball joints at the same time. They are know to break and when they do, they cause lots of damage. Use Toyota lower ball joints. They are the only ones the last. Also, bad steering rack bushings can cause a clunk.
Ploy bushings are great because they don’t bind but they will wear out more often.

I had a shop give it a shakedown when I attempted to get an alignment a few weeks and they claim the ball joints are good, so I'm hoping that's true. I swapped steering rack bushings for energy suspensions poly ones like two years ago so I'm hoping they're still good too. I'm pretty confident sway bar bushings are bad but just never bothered with them because they're negligible, so I'm praying that maybe its that and not actually lca but I'm usually not that lucky haha

 

[On the RX]

I recently went down this road and ended up with new lca bushings, steering rack bushings, then steering rack, lbjs, then shocks. It was a domino effect. It just developed a krink noise and I am thinking it might be time for new upper uniballs which will turn into getting new ucas with ball joints because I am done replacing those uniballs every 18 to 24 months.

 

[mike759]

I recently went down this road and ended up with new lca bushings, steering rack bushings, then steering rack, lbjs, then shocks. It was a domino effect. It just developed a krink noise and I am thinking it might be time for new upper uniballs which will turn into getting new ucas with ball joints because I am done replacing those uniballs every 18 to 24 months.

And you still have the noise? What do you have as upper ball joints? I've had JBA upper control arms, which I think have uniballs, for about two years now and have not had an issue (with them at least)

 

[On the RX]

The noise is recent. I have Camburg uppers with the uniball. The arms are 13 years old but I was replacing the balls about once a year in Ohio and around every two out here in Colorado. They were on my daily 4runner in Ohio and I was putting massive miles on that truck. My 4runner here second truck the ucas have been on) is a weekend warrior and gets 1/10 the miles put on it.
I still plan to figure out where the noise is coming from before I toss these, but last time I changed the uniballs, I swore I would not do it again and just get something less exposed to the elements since the technology has come a long way since 2011.

 

[DaveInDenver]

And you still have the noise? What do you have as upper ball joints? I've had JBA upper control arms, which I think have uniballs, for about two years now and have not had an issue (with them at least)

Doesn't JBA use GM ball joints?

 

[mike759]

Doesn't JBA use GM ball joints?

claim to be made in-house and my bad they are "ball joints'

 

[DaveInDenver]

View attachment 129112
claim to be made in-house and my bad they are "ball joints'

Those are kind of cool. Rebuildable ball joints are the best of both worlds. I like my BJ Camburgs but honestly now seeing these if I had it to do over this is way I'd go.

Camburg used OEM BJs so I have to use aftermarket. That or buy $400 arms just to press out the BJs. They came up with their own BJ that's similar to a factory. At $300 a pair. Less than $800 for Toyota but more than $100/pair Delco junk.

 

[WestwardCruiser]

I had a shop give it a shakedown when I attempted to get an alignment a few weeks and they claim the ball joints are good, so I'm hoping that's true. I swapped steering rack bushings for energy suspensions poly ones like two years ago so I'm hoping they're still good too. I'm pretty confident sway bar bushings are bad but just never bothered with them because they're negligible, so I'm praying that maybe its that and not actually lca but I'm usually not that lucky haha

Might just want to pull your sway bar completely - very simple to do and when it's out, if the noise is gone - there's your issue.

 

[mike759]

Sway bar came out last night and the clunk has gone away... so far...

 

[rushthezeppelin]

Sway bar came out last night and the clunk has gone away... so far...

I had the same end link clunk.

 

[mike759]

I had the same end link clunk.

It wasn't even that I don't think. I noticed the bar itself was making contact and rubbing on the frame.

 

[rushthezeppelin]

It wasn't even that I don't think. I noticed the bar itself was making contact and rubbing on the frame.

Well that's certainly odd.....is it bent?

 

[mike759]

Well that's certainly odd.....is it bent?

I guess so. I'll take a pic

 

[mike759]

This is where it was making contact with frame, if you can see where it rubbed.
Also I guess that only solved one of the clunks, so the lca is definitely acting up. Anyone ever try silicone spray as a temporary solution?

 

[C.Gerdo]

Can you slide the Swaybar and center it on the frame?
Are your Swaybar frame mount bushings in good condition?
I have a new pair of poly frame mount bushings. I’ll have them at the swap meet on Saturday.

Edit, the bushings I have are for a 3rd gen 4runner (96-2002). They may work on your truck.

 

[mike759]

Can you slide the Swaybar and center it on the frame?
Are your Swaybar frame mount bushings in good condition?
I have a new pair of poly frame mount bushings. I’ll have them at the swap meet on Saturday

Everything sway bar related was shot so I just ripped it out, thanks though and looking forward to the swap meet. I actually like the way it drives far better now. Next is pressing poly bushings in the lcas, the only remaining rubber bushings lol.

 

[On the RX]

Come find me at the meet tomorrow and I can give you some pointers on the removal process. Just look for this face!

 

[rushthezeppelin]

Come find me at the meet tomorrow and I can give you some pointers on the removal process. Just look for this face!View attachment 130221

Yeah it's not fun...