Lower control arm replacement causing alignment issues? (2wd)

Hi, I have a 1998 2wd with the 2.4L.

Today I replaced the lower control arm on the driver's side due to them being worn out (creaking at slow speeds, movement when breaking). I completed the driver side, going to do passenger in the coming days as I didn't have time, but after the replacement today I went for a drive and the alignment felt horrible, lighter steering to the left side of the wheel, essentially no return to center after turning. So my question is can the lower control arm really affect the alignment that much? I only wonder because, on this model of the Tacoma, the lower control arm has no alignment adjustments (hard bolted as seen in pics), so should pulling the old out and dropping the new in really create that much of a difference? To add I didn't touch any of the other components, literally pulled the old out and put the new in. Thanks in advance for any ideas.

 

@O'Silver_Taco - Any input on a 5-lug alignment?

 

Curious why the upper control arm also looks new...

 

looks like newer tie rods too, I have a 97 and needs the front end rebuilt so I will pay attention to this thread. What brand of parts did you use.

 

Yeah on a 5 lug you only get two adjustments.

Obviously the tie ends.....and the other is the shims on the upper arms.....

so only camber and toe.

When I replaced the lowers on mine nothing changed.....napa lowers..

however every brand of tie rod end is slightly off....and with you not knowing whats already on there you can see the dilemma.


So as a rule if you keep using the same tie end.....napa, oem, or whatever, shouldnt have to realign....


If you change that or possibly the alignment was off from previous worn out bushings.....

 

Also keep in mind fresh sway bar bushings make all the difference in the world.....
really can clean up sloppy steering....

Energy Suspension Sway Bar Bracket Bushing 8.5123G (autozone.com)


As you can see there are a lot of different bushings in play including the steering rack ones......
I spent the better part of a year getting them all.

The lower control arm bushings are almost impossible to replace......
cause you have to build a custom cradle to hold and chain down the arm in place while its seated in a 20 ton press.....
or use the 'Beat The Hell Out of it Method'.....

So I just did the total replacement from Napa.

 

If its aligned correctly....there's a slight toe at rest.....and zero toe at highway speed when the bushings seat from the push of the road......

After any alignment or changes its a good ideal to watch tire edge wear like a hawk.....regardless of who does it.



5 lug is so simple....its easy to make quick slight adjustments....

do em less than 5 min each with one of these.....

 

Basically, the truck has ~280k on it so the rubber parts are essentially just worn out, replaced the uppers last year as the ball joints and bushings were bad and creaking. Took it for an alignment and the tech recommended replacing the lower control arms before aligning as the bushings had play in them when breaking. So I have since replaced the uppers and lowers (including ball joints on both), and the steering rack as the tie rod bushings were leaking heavily and cant really be replaced on this truck.

 

I used Moog for the upper and lower control arms. Ball joints honestly cant remember they were in the mid-range price-wise as I don't do any crazy driving or off-roading. Also tie rod ends came with a new steering rack replacement.

 

Thats what I was reading, originally just bought bushings, but decided it was going to be too much work so I sent them back and spent a little more and just bought the new arms.

 

I had an alignment done somewhat recently after I replaced the steering rack (knew I was going to replace the control arms eventually but didn't think it would have a major impact on that alignment), and he shimmed it to correct the camber, but now even with those shims still in place the camber is now crazy positive, so would they have to add even more shims in place to suck the top back in? As there isn't any adjustment on the lower?

 

I am also beginning to wonder if the moog arms, although sold as an OEM replacement, are slightly shorter than OEM. That is the only thing I can think of that would cause this drastic change in the camber, especially on a non-adjustable part. Has anybody else replaced with them? the part numbers are: RK642948, RK642949

 

This might sound novice does anyone have a link to a video for rwd/2wd lower control arm removal? Will the spring stay in place?? Seems like the old joke where the monkey tried to put the cork back in the elephants ass! lol. also if anyone has knowledge of polyurethane bushing option /opinion or knowledge thanks. I keep getting a thump on pot holes. I just replaced strut arm bushings with Prothane poly using grease and teflon method(from a youtube video) that really helped a crunchy/clunky slow turns issue and really want to continue with poly bushings. This forum has been very helpful especially for my 5 lug.

 

I don't have a video but I did remove mine (multiple times unfortunately), the spring does not stay in, once you disconnect the torsion arm, sway linkage, and lower control arm the spring will fully decompress if you allow it. To get around this I did the risky yet effective method of putting a floor jack under the lower ball joint knuckle, jacking it up until it had tension, unbolting everything, then SLOWLY lowering the jack and the control arm will sort of just fall out. Be careful while doing this tho as you are dealing with a compressed spring, managed to let it slip one time and it popped and sandwiched my hand against the concrete, leaving a nice useless hand for a few days. As for reinstalling I basically did it backward very slowly and carefully, jacking a few pumps and then realigning the various holes that needed to be lined up.

 

I'm actually about to begin a similar project on the same taco
1998 base 2wd.
I slid in the rain yesterday and hit the driver front wheel against a curb. Broke the LBJ and bent the lower control arm.
Bought a new LBJ and the control arm is coming in this afternoon. Both parts from O'Reilly's. Starting to wonder if I need to get other bolts and parts too.
I have to fix the truck in the side of the road and don't want to start if I'm missing something......
And then the drive to a alignment shop.

 

Thanks for the reply and information I have been meaning to buy a new jack. This is as good excuse as any.

 

Just to update this thread, I have figured out the issue. It was the parts, they were no good, and it was hard to buy the correct ones for this specific truck. I went through two sets that ended up being just ever so slightly longer than OEM, to the point it wasn't fixable in the alignment. All in all dont buy Moog parts RK642949 or RK642948. They will not fit and will cause excessive camber. Buy Napa parts, after going through two different brands they are the only ones I found to fit for this specific truck. Still, though, the napa parts gave me an issue with the knuckle the lower ball joint drops into, one was too small and would not fit no matter which brand of ball joint I ended up trying, had to end up replacing the brand new knuckle with the one from the OEM arm I replaced.

 

Did your parts end up working?

 

Yep, everything came out great, even my alignment was pretty close. Still took it to a shop for fine tuning.
Although I did get the new lower control arm, I unbolted the "knuckle" part and attached it to the existing control arm. Kinda rigged it, but I didn't have to unbolt the shocks.