How-To: Lower Control Arm Bushing Replacement on a 1st Gen Tacoma

Over time, rubber bushings wear out and need to be replaced. This happened for me recently when I Replaced All the Bushings on my Tacoma, and I figured that others could benefit from a quick little guide that shows the entire process and lists all the necessary parts.

Before getting started, I should note that when replacing the Lower Control Arm (LCA) bushings, one must remove the steering rack from its mounts. As such, this is also a good time to refresh the bushings that secure it as well, which is not a difficult process: Step-by-Step Steering Rack Bushing Replacement on a 1st Gen Tacoma (or 3rd Gen 4Runner).
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When replacing the LCA bushings, there are a few ways to go about it:

• Completely new LCAs. This is how Toyota wants you to do it, since they don't sell replacement bushings, and replacing the entire LCA means you don't need any special tools to press out the old bushings. But dang, OEM Toyota LCAs are expensive (L: 48069-35120 | R: 48068-35120), if all you need are bushings. Of course, you can always get aftermarket LCAs, which people seem to have reasonably good luck with and are much less expensive (Moog L: Left | R: Right) (Mevotech L: Left | R: Right)..
• Whiteline LCA bushings. Lots of folks go this route, and the Whitelines install very similarly to the OEM bushings - rubber inside of a metal sleeve that presses into the LCA. These work well, but have the possible drawback of the metal sleeve rusting into the LCA just like the OEM sleeves do.
• Strongflex Polyurethane LCA bushings. These are made of a higher performing polyurethane rather than rubber, but the real reason to go this route is because the poly bushings insert directly into the LCAs, with no pressing in of a metal sleeve. This should - in theory anyway - make future replacement a piece of cake.

All three of these options are covered in this step-by-step guide, and I call out below which steps can be skipped if you're going one route or another.

Parts

Parts for this job are pretty straight forward. Obviously, you need bushings, but it's also highly recommended to get new cam sleeve, nuts, and bolts since it is common that the existing ones will be rusted into the bushings and need to be cut out.

• Bushings. One of the following, which I recommend in this order, though any will work:
  • Strongflex Polyurethane LCA bushings. Best performance, easiest maintenance.
  • Whiteline LCA bushings. Great choice. Often easier to purchase and less expensive than Strongflex. Best choice prior to development of Strongflex bushings.
  • New LCAs - OEM: (L: 48069-35120 | R: 48068-35120) or aftermarket: (Left | Right). A good option if you don't have the tools to press out the old bushings.
• 4 of Toyota OEM Alignment Cam Sleeve (48409-35050)
• 4 of Toyota OEM Alignment Cam Nut (48452-35020)
• 4 of Toyota OEM Alignment Cam Bolt (90080-11283)

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Tools

While this job isn't difficult with the right tools, there are several "specialty" tools necessary in order to get the job done easily. These tools are generally useful for working on the front end of a Tacoma, so don't worry that you'll need them for this job only; you'll use them over and over again.

• from Harbor Freight - used for pressing out the old LCA bushings.
• Press/Pull Sleeve Kit - used to capture the LCA (and other) bushings as they are pressed out.
• OTC 6295 Front End Service Kit - contains pitman arm puller, used to separate the LCA from the lower ball joint (LBJ).
• OTC 4518 Stinger 5-ton Bar-Type Puller/Bearing Separator Set - used when pressing out the old bushings.
• Floor jack.
• (2) 6 ton jack stands.
• (2) 3 ton jack stands.
• Misc sockets (I recommend this set from Williams, a Snap-On brand)
  • 12mm socket - steering rack, sway bar removal.
  • 14mm socket - sway bar end link removal.
  • 19mm socket - lower shock mount, steering rack.
  • 21mm socket - to remove lug nuts.
  • 22mm socket - to remove steering rack, OTRE castle nut.
  • 24mm socket - LBJ castle nut removal.
  • Ratchet, Extensions, as necessary.
• Breaker Bar.
• Torque Wrench.
• Cold Chisel and Hammer.
• A Propane (good) or MAPP gas (better) torch - to apply heat when pressing out bushings.
• A reciprocating saw and carbide tipped blades - if necessary to cut out the alignment cam components.
• An impact wrench for lug nuts and various other tasks.

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With the parts and tools in hand, the job is reasonably straight forward. For the step-by-step process (with pics), keep going at

Step-by-Step Lower Control Arm Bushing Replacement on a 1st Gen Tacoma (or 3rd Gen 4Runner) – ADVENTURETACO

 

Bravo bravo.

 

Are the MOOG LCAs the best aftermarket? Im thinking of replacing them on my 02 4WD. TIA!

 

Great post and link.

 

Quite a handful of Moog items that are actually suggested to stay away from; not sure about LCA's but unless you bent or broke one, there's no need to replace them.

 

For those of us in the rust belt, or just those who don't want to dick around with pressing bushings out and back in, it can be a heck of a lot easier to just replace the whole assembly. There's another brand on rockauto, mevotech or something, that seems to get favorable reviews for daily driver replacements.

 

I just don’t want to spend $450 on more specialty tools.

Well I do but I can’t

 

Thanks both!

@Madjik_Man - the bottle jack method is also doable if you're careful. I've got a photo and the steps how to do it in the actual writeup. (Which you may have found since I see you edited your question .) Just search for "Using a Bottle Jack"

The Moogs are a pretty reasonable (cost effective) part for LCAs, partly because there are no moving parts. I get that folks (esp. here) have reservations about Moog though, so I went ahead and noted the Mevotechs as well. More alternatives are generally better!

 

Yeah I should have been sleeping when I posted last night. lol

Of course I went on to read the full walk through…then the steering rack walk through…

And I’ve watched Timmy’s video with the bottle jack method. The press looks so much easier.

 

I was surprised how easy the press was. I did the bottle jack on Mike's truck and it was stressful - not just tightening the jack, but also hoping the LCA would fit when we reinstalled it. The press... was none of that.

I will say, the press has come in handy for so many things (I originally got it for replacing my rear axle seals and bearings) since I got it that it is a GREAT investment in a semi-specialty tool. For this job, the "problem" tools are the bearing splitter and receiver cups. I bought them because I have TAS (tool acquisition syndrome), but I think that if you could borrow them from a parts store (O'Reillys has both, I think), that would be the way I'd recommend going.

 

There's the shop in Denver where you rent a bay with all needed tools...

 

That was my thought. They’re just steel and rubber. I already purchased them from scamazon as I’ve used MOOG parts before on other vehicles. After reading some threadswarning against anything other than OEM I was going to return them and get something else if they are really not that good.

 

Can you provide a thread or source for what to stay away from? Thanks!

 

There is no specific thread stating what items to avoid and what ones to buy; it's just stuff you run across as you venture through the forum.

For instance, I hear nothing but bad things about the bends or the assembly on Moog's sway bar end links. End up being more trouble than they're worth.

 

I did read that write up and avoided buying them. I did purchase ball joints, upper and lower, so now I’m curious if there’s an issue with quality or just ease of use.

 

lol

My tiny 9x19’ garage kept my TAS in check. However, once this godforsaken addition is completed, my new 23x29’ garage is going to trigger my TAS.

Good heads up on the auto parts loaner tools. And thanks for the press advice. I think I back off on a lot of projects simply because I don’t have the proper tools.

 

toyotapartsdeal.com save about 50 ish dollars on these parts!

 

For those without a press, I Magyveretted this today - The prep work is the same as the original post. I loanered the two kits I posted plus the bearing separator from a local auto parts store.


A zeroed in pic


I used the bolt from this coil compressor kit. Since I needed a nut to thread onto it, just so happens that the ones from the 4 1/4 bearing separator were the same size, so I swapped out a nut for the piece threaded on to the compressor. You can see it front center in the above pics. Did the trick just fine.


The adapter sleeve & top are form a ball joint kit -


For the bottom I used a sleeve from the new set sandwiched by a couple of washers I had kickin' around to protect it from getting marred.


Then used an impact wrench & all but one came out easily. The dif on that one was I had not made enough of an opening to get the separator in place....

 

I know it’s an old thread but looking for a little help. Went to install my senora steel bushings as your step by step sold me on them. Upon booting them back in I feel there is a fitment issue. I’m used to it being a tight fit to get the arms back in the frame mounting brackets where the cam bolts go. The senoras have a ton of slop front to back. I feel just tightening down the cam bolts will just bend in the brackets in a bad way as obviously they won’t apply even pressure. Should I attempt to add washers as spacers (won’t be able to do it even on both sides which will move the arm forward/back some or just try a different brand. Here’s some pics to maybe better explain. The red bushing is 2 pics showing front and back space. The yellow has a mocked up spacer washer on the back side.

 

I definitely didn't have that slop in there; makes me wonder if your LCA tabs were already bent outward from "original" In the last photo, the inner metal sleeve seems to stick out past the end of the bushing; is that "real" - as in, when the LCA is off the truck, is the metal sleeve wider than the bushing+LCA sandwich?

Personally, I don't think the spacer would do any harm (seems totally fine), and I'm not sure that snugging up the tabs would do any harm either... But like you, seems surprising that they wouldn't fit.