any experience with aftermarket lower control arms?

[DaveInDenver]

I wonder if the boot kits would cross.

The spindles and thus ball joints are very slightly different between Tacoma/Hilux and Prado/4Runner/GX/FJC so you can't mix and match. Supposedly you can do a total conversion swapping everything though.

So the boots surely gotta be about the same dang thing.

 

[lazyLfarm]

Watching this. Just got my daughter a 2006 gx470 and learning a ton. It rides amazing and has been well maintained but the balljoints were a question I had (3rd gen experience)

I even stupidly lucked into a non-nav/non-kdss version…and I didn’t know that was good

 

[nakman]

Ok well my squeaking has gotten worse, and I can see some separation in the bushings now. I have decided to get some new OEM lower control arms... pretty sure the part numbers I need are 48068-60010 Right and 48069-60010 Left.

Anyone know of a dealer sale going on right about now? I'm seeing around $380-$390 per side from most of the on line shops...

 

[Johnny Utah]

Tim, check your part numbers again. Should be 48068 (right) and 48069 (left).

I found them for $342. Not much better but a little cheaper.

2003-2009 Toyota Suspension Control Arm (Right, Front, Lower) 48068-60010 | Toyota Parts Center

Save Big On This OEM Toyota Suspension Control Arm (Right, Front, Lower), Part #48068-60010 for 2003-2009 Toyota. Wholesale Prices, Fast Shipping. Order Online or Call 866-596-1970.

parts.olathetoyota.com

 

[lazyLfarm]

So I was just looking through the maintenance records on the GX we just bought and lucky us, both control arms were just replaced 12,000 miles in ago at Lexus in 2022.
$977 per side. Parts $635.25 per side.

Peep that secondary air injection repair above it the whole bill was $6900 for other work.

Not to brag, but we didn’t pay hardly much more for the vehicle last week. With other upgrades. I think I’m stealing it from my daughter.

 

[Squishy!]

Ok well my squeaking has gotten worse, and I can see some separation in the bushings now. I have decided to get some new OEM lower control arms... pretty sure the part numbers I need are 48068-60010 Right and 48069-60010 Left.

Anyone know of a dealer sale going on right about now? I'm seeing around $380-$390 per side from most of the on line shops...

I just did uppers, lowers, and power steering an our 4th gen for $1400 plus alignment. All parts through groove with the RS discount except for the uppers which were used 5th gen SPC uppers I put new ball joints in. Shes a beut now Clark.

 

[nakman]

well this is mildly interesting... about to dive into swapping these, and took some "before" shots of the castor and camber adjustment bolts. I would have thought they would be more symmetrical.

Passenger side...

driver side...

The fronts look about the same, but on the back the thingamabob is pointing straight up on the DS, but way out to the side on the PS... so I guess the question is should I set the new ones up the same way? or set them the same? alignment is on Monday, 1.5miles away... not worried about the drive over, but mainly interested in how to predisposition them prior to the alignment. or does it even matter

 

[nakman]

Well 3 sawzall blades later I essentially answered my own question... my front tires were pointed outwards (major toe out) so I just twisted the bolts to make them look a little straighter... it still drives kind of odd, but it'll make it to Big O.

I also realized the replacement bolt kit from Parks Geek is total trash... https://www.partsgeek.com/72fvqsk-l...Q4ZNlFVim418EYjPBEmzQ11Qlex4XSixoC3sYQAvD_BwE

The bolts are all the same diameter, but the larger of the 2 washer sizes have larger D-shaped openings in them... so the bolts can just spin freely inside those and don't actually engage with the washer. Silly me thinking I could save $50 for once... I have the truck bolted up but it's a total frankenbolt situation right now, I'm going to cancel my alignment appointment and do that again when I swap over the parts I ordered from CruiserTeq. https://cruiserteq.com/cam-bolt-kit...unner-fj-cruiser-gx470-applications-sus25435/

at least the creeks are gone when I back out of the driveway...

 

[nakman]

ok crossing this one off the list. Swapped adjustment bolts, got it aligned. Here are the after pics.

Driver Side..

passenger side..

And they didn't move it much... I put the big sides of the washers pretty close to straight up for the drive over, and they are still pretty much there. Running out of stuff to replace up front here... gonna change the oil then ignore it again for a while.