Worth replacing control A arms when doing ball joints?

Is it worth the extra cost and time to replace the control / A arms when I replace the ball joints? 132,293 miles standard cab 4x4 factory suspension/ height no mods. Rarely driven off road and typically put only 2000-3000 miles per year.

I have all the tools to do the ball joints, but I am not sure if it is worth the extra time, effort and cost to also replace the A-arms if they typically don’t wear out.

Either way I do it I won’t be buying Toyota parts, would get the “daily driver” not the lower cost “economy” parts from RockAuto. Thanks in advance.

 

If the arms aren't crusty with rust I wouldn't.


I would, however, replace the control arm bushings .. I believe the service interval is 85k-100k. Best bang for the buck on LCA bushings are whiteline. Regretfully they don't make UCA bushings. However poly Energy Suspension are good or you can find rubber ones from rockauto that'll work better than ones that are worn out

 

My control arms and bushings are at 250,000 miles even in the liquid brine belt.

I installed New Lower Ball Joints about 125,000 miles.

One of those things if you feel the control arms need replaced go for it.

Control arm Bushings the first attempt took a very long weekend to do one side.

Best bet what I do now is get used Control Arms rebuild those bushings with all new Cam Bolt hardware and just swap.

New control arms is the go to by many shops because replacing the bushings can be so labor intensive new ones can be cheaper.

Best of luck!

 

Since the balljoints aren't pressed in to the arm on 1st gen Taco, only tough replacement on those arms are the bushings. If the arms are in good condition, then replace the bushings with a high quality replacement. Energy suspension bushings are good, but are a PITA to do because you have to burn all the old rubber out and reuse all the metal parts. Whiteline and Siberian bushings are easier to install because they come with their own casings. Or you can replace with aftermarket rubber, but what fun is that.

 

Not sure if the OP is referring to both upper and lower or which end, but balljoints are pressed into the knuckle for the upper. Bushings are always a PITA regardless of UCA or LCA, or Gen Tacoma for that matter.

 

If it isn't broke don't fix it.

 

If toyota replaced your frame, then they also replaced your lower control arms at the same time, although if the truck has always been in NC, this probably isn't the case. In any event, if you wish to replace LCAs, then chances are you will need to replace some or all of your cam adjusters (2 per side), as the sleeves tend to seize to the LCA bushings the moment it's driven off the dealership lot. To replace cam adjusters with all new OEM parts can add another $200+ to the job. Many on tacomaworld have found aftermarket cam adjusters to be unsatisfactory, as they don't hold alignment very well.

The only serious issue you may encounter with replacing LBJs is if the bolts break off in the knuckle during removal. Pre-soak with penetrating oil and use an impact wrench.

Lastly, you mentioned Rockauto parts for the LCAs, but just to be certain, it is strongly recommended that you use OEM ball joints and replace the bolts with OEM. @Kwikvette has the Toyota part numbers in his signature, so go look for one of his posts.

 

Absolutely not.

Unless your arms are bent, broken or rusted, there is no reason to replace them. This is primarily true for the lowers. The only reason people "need" to replace the uppers is to correct for geometry after a lift.

The only reason shops tell people they "need new control arms" is because the bushings are bad and they don't want to press them out/in, they tell you that you need to buy new LCAs that have new bushings already installed. Easier/faster for them, and they pass the extra cost for the parts on to you. They're hardly saving any shop time, it takes like 5 minutes to use a hydraulic press.

Bushings aren't "hard" (usually) to replace. If you have a press or know someone with a press, it's easy. Hell, go buy a harbor freight press for about the same amount in labor a shop would charge, lol... Or you can take the control arms and new bushings to a shop with a six pack of beer and they'll do it for you for a minimal charge. Alternatively, you can replace the bushings with Energy Suspension poly bushings which is a DIY (no press needed) install. You actually burn out the old rubber and re-use the original metal sleeve - no press needed (for the front bushings). For the rear, you still need a press. I took my leaf packs off and went to a shop, and had them press out the orig rubber bushings for like $20. So much cheaper when the shop doesn't need to use an entire bay and the lift and all that for the work.

When replacing ball joints, the lowers are super easy and is a ~20 minute job per side (1st time will likely take longer). Only "special" tool you need is a $15 pitman arm puller (got mine from harbor freight). For the uppers, either rent (for free) or buy the proper ball joint press tool (the C-clamp looking one). The hard part is usually separating the upper control arm from the ball joint. I've never had luck with tapping (or beating) it with a hammer method, so I've resorted to a 3-arm puller with bailing wire cinched around the arms to keep them from popping off. The last time I did the uppers I just cut the BJ off right below the upper arm. If you're keeping the UCA, you can take it over to a vice to help take out the remaining ball joint spindle, but when I did that I was replacing the UCA with new hottness (uniballs) anyway. You still need the BJ press to remove the body of the BJ from the spindle.

 

If you're referring to the lower ball joints in your "rock auto" purchases: Don't. Spend a few extra bucks at least for the 555 brand. If there's one thing to know about the lower balljoits, it's that you don't cheap out.

I had Moogs on my truck for several years, but honestly knowing what I know now about balljoint failures, I'm not likely to do it again. Did they kill me? No. But if you have a few extra bucks (like $20 a side), just go for the higher end ones (555 or OEM). I have more of a diatribe on my build page (link in my sig, post #11) if you care to see a more detailed look into the whole ball joint topic.

 

Thank you everyone - lots to think about. Here is the full backstory:

I missed my last tire rotation by a couple thousand miles. Additionally, when I moved from NC to SC during that period I drove probably 600 miles in total with an overloaded trailer and full bed. Both front tires are worn on the insides which I am sure is mostly from the overweight situation. When I checked it out last night the front shocks (original) appear to be worn out as it continues rocking after bouncing the front bumper; this is more noticeable on the drivers side (possibly the full tank of fuel contributing to the extra bounce). I then jacked up the front end there was no noticeable play in any driver side components. The passenger side looked like there might be a small amount of play in the upper ball joint when I applied pressure with a large crowbar. Ball joint seals look trashed on both sides so I’m sure they are worn. Upper and lower arms did not show any obvious play or damage; there is a small amount of rust near the arm bolt areas and every bolt head on the suspension has a heavy coat of rust from the first four years living in upstate central NY.

In my head I think If I pull those control arms to replace bushings that don’t appear sloppy I’m asking for trouble. I’m tempted to just replace the ball joints and pre-assembled front strut & springs, but I’m also thinking I’ll be just a few more bolts and not much more money from having all new front end components.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmaZNBp1gZM

There's a part 2 as well. I did this and it was sooooo easy. I bought Toyota bushings only because they lasted 120k miles and honestly looked not too bad when I replaced them just because.

 

I believe this is the general concensus you're going to find from this particular group. I know it's exactly how I feel.

You're driving a 20+ year old truck, even if the miles are low there's a good chance it's original rubber. So that's 20+ year old rubber,
... im grasping at straws for an analogy but asphalt roofs have an only 20-22 yr life expectancy, and rubber wears out way faster than asphalt.

The "asking for trouble" part could absolutely be the DIY removal of old, possibly frozen in, bushings.
Can you be without your truck for awhile?

My advice would be; only buy the replacement bushings at first, and only if I screwed the arms up with one of the various DIY methods (usings a bottle jack for a press, cutting it free with a Sawzall, burning em loose) would I then buy complete replacement arms. I would then tell myself the cost of the replacement bushings was a learning experience and ultimately be cheaper than paying someone else to do the work.

 

I was worried about the DIY aspect of doing it this way. I will say that when you get the bottle jack set up and the bushings under a bit of preload, you will know when the bushings are hot enough to start adding a bit more pressure from the jack. Slowly add pressure while adding heat, you will see the bushing start to move a bit. Keep going until...pop. It will break free and you can quit with the torch and slowly just push the smoking bushing out. I'd only apply heat to the a arm surrounding the bushing and not the bushing itself, and do so evenly. I was a bit worried about bending the a arm but I don't think I got even close to doing so.