LCA Replacement??
 

Hey team...

After searching this thread, I am in need of a bit more advice/opinions about lower control arm replacing and product choice.

My 2011 has seen better days when it comes to rust (like many of us on here) and the cam bolts on the controls arms have become part of the vehicle - there's no moving them; torched them and all..

With that being said, I want to replace them and put either new bushings OR lower control arm assemblies (both sides).

However, I'm kinda leaning towards replacing the whole assembly My thought is there's less labor due to having to clean out the bushing housings and not f*ck them up..

I've found a couple different options as far as arms, but, the brand names are throwing me off..

Here's the links:
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Amazon.com: Dorman 526-653 Front Driver Side Lower Suspension Control Arm and Ball Joint Assembly for Select Toyota Models: Automotive

Side note: I do medium-type overlanding and need something of quality..

I guess what I'm looking for from you is your honest opinion on what route you'd take. Whole arms? Just bushings? Best cam bolts? Beer?

Regards.

Most "brands" are just that. Brands = labels/stickers on a box. Very few manufacturers make their own stuff.
Order parts from somewhere, slap their label on the box, then sell at a markup.

Go on RockAuto.
Take some part numbers, all of them, and enter them on the net and see all the different brands that pop up for that part number.


See how there are multiple part numbers for the same part?
2011 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4.0L V6 Control Arm | RockAuto

Now, if there is a 10 digit/letter part number, put a dash ( - ) in between the first five and last five as well.
Interesting how that all works.
But the dashed number is how Toyota does it.

I would replace the entire LCA assembly with OEM stuff. That’s what I did. They tend to rust to shit, and yours is just old enough to experience those symptoms.

Don’t know if this helps you or not.

Total Chaos makes a replacement LCA for Toyota 4Runners. I think they also make an extended travel, longer LCA that widens the front track. It's a more involved process to widen the track and involves other handling issues, according to posts I've read here by others who have done it.
TOTAL CHAOS FABRICATION
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I recently replaced my LCAs because one of the bushings broke. OEM arms are just over $300 each and lasted me over 250k miles, so I went OEM.

Have seen several posts on this forum of people that got aftermarket arms, bushings, or ball joints that ended up not fitting because mfgs assumed that the LCAs were the same from 4th to 5th gen. Perhaps those have been worked out by now

What about the cam bolts?

I noticed moog ones (I believe) come greaseable...

Amazon.com: Moog K100129 Caster/Camber Adjusting Kit: Automotive

or even these from Metal Tech:
Toyota Alignment Cam Bolts | Camber Bolt Kit | Metal Tech 4x4

That's fair..

My lower BJs were shot and so were the bushings.

I replaced them with Dirt Kings and couldn't be happier. I got them for a good deal otherwise I would have just stuck with OEM.

If its really rusted and bad, just cut off the cam bolts to free arms for removal. Then get new cam bolts and use anti-seize.

I don't think greasable bolt gains you much, other than the cheaper purchase price versus OEM. I pulled my OEM bolts a few months after purchase and coated them with brake grease, still had to cut the arms out with a sawzall, and I live in the desert. The bushings seize to the mounting tabs on the frame.

Mine has 80k on it and the ball joints are fine. But the factory bushings are mush even when new. And you can find Sankei 555 ball joints (OE supplier) on ebay if you look hard enough. I put Whiteline polyurethane LCA bushings in mine. I'm a classic car restoration tech by trade and I will say the job sucked. Took me 7 hours WITH the truck on a lift and a full shop of tools. It's very difficult to get the old bushings out because they press in from the outside and you have to press them out from the inside. Of all the tools and equipment I had on hand the stock jack was what I wound up using to push out the bushing cores. Then lots of careful air chisel use to get the sleeves out without messing up the arms. But it was well worth it. The front end feels SO much better. more precise steering, no more jiggling steering wheel on washboard roads... It is definitely transmitting more road feel into the vehicle which I don't mind.

I'll also say those greasable MOOG cam bolts... Don't bother. They aren't the correct size. I bought those and it was a complete waste of money. I had to cut out one of the factory bolts and had no choice but to use one of those to get the truck off the lift but wound up getting a dealer replacement the following monday. So I couldn't return them as one is used.

From the research I did a lot of the aftermarket replacement arms listed don't actually fit 5th gens either. And Whiteline doesn't list the bushings I bought for a 4Runner. But after some research I discovered that the second generation of FJ Cruiser from I think 09 uses the same arms as a 5th gen and that's what I bought the bushings for. They fit perfect.

Do the Whiteline bushings squeak, or have a provision to grease them?

Not a peep yet and it's been about 1k miles. They come with grease to lube the centers where the inner sleeves go through and you can lube the ends too which I did. And there are formed washers to cap the ends of the sleeves. I feel there's very little chance they will squeak. Of course I put urethane sway bar bushings in the truck front and rear over 40k miles ago and haven't heard a peep from those either. It would be nice if the LCA's had fittings like my JBA uppers but I doubt it'll be an issue. I used a generous amount of anti-seize on all the adjustment bolts too.

I discovered if you cut the flange off the outside bushing sleeve you can press out the bushings easier... now that your done ...not much help.

That was actually my plan. Tried it on the first one and after fighting it for over 2 hours I pushed them out the correct way. Which turned out to be much quicker. For me at least. I'm sure if my truck was from a no-salt use area it would have taken much less time overall.

If you are looking for Aftermarket LCA's, Dirt King has been
the most popular for us over the last year.

Part #DK-814704

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/24...g?v=1604944518
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/24...g?v=1604944518

Features:

- CAD designed
- Slanted front plate to deflect objects
- Internally ribbed with extrusions for weight reduction
- Preassembled for fast installation
- Grease fitting ports for easy servicing
- Zinc plated components for corrosion resistance
- Bump stop plating
- Limit strap tabbing
- Professionally MIG welded
- Proudly made in the USA

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