Concerns After Front Suspension Rebuilt

[MStudt]

On Thursday I started working on rebuilding the entire front end of my 01. It all started with a busted CV, and I jut went ahead with everything else. I replaced the the LCA's with OEM LCA's and Whiteline bushings. I also replace the the UCA's with OEM's and OEM bushings. The spindles were also replaced with OEM's. Ball joints were replaced as well, and those were also OEM's.

I didn't bother looking or measuring the ride height prior to ripping everything everything apart, and now I can't stop thinking about it. I keep thinking that this is a lot higher now than it was before this project. The ball joints look like they're in a pretty steep angle, and the CV's too. Part of me thinks that everything is OK, and the other parts is thinking something is off. I looked at the old LBJ's, and they seemed to have the same angle on them as the current. Maybe because everything is so new things just need to settle down, but I don't know.

Plus I'm sure that after an alignment things will look a better.

Passenger

Driver

What do you guys think?

 

[St Runner]

How bad were the lower control arm bushings that you replaced? New firmer bushings will make the lower control arm sit higher on the frame and have more angle

 

[MStudt]

How bad were the lower control arm bushings that you replaced? New firmer bushings will make the lower control arm sit higher on the frame and have more angle

They were shot. Pretty much every bushing on the front was toast. They were all dry rotted, and had quite a bit of play in them. I'm sure with an alignment, and some miles on them things will settle some.

 

[St Runner]

I just finished doing the same to my 99 Tacoma, I replaced the ball joints and steering rack a year ago and just replaced the upper control arm with SPC and put poly bushing in the lower control arms. My bushing were toast too. Literally flopping around. Your alignment is probably so far off. You might want to adjust it yourself just to get to an alignment shop. You are going to be thrilled with the result though.

 

[MStudt]

I just finished doing the same to my 99 Tacoma, I replaced the ball joints and steering rack a year ago and just replaced the upper control arm with SPC and put poly bushing in the lower control arms. My bushing were toast too. Literally flopping around. Your alignment is probably so far off. You might want to adjust it yourself just to get to an alignment shop. You are going to be thrilled with the result though.

I had it towed to the shop last night for an alignment today. I tried messing with IT some, but after working on this for the last 4 days I decided to let someone else mess with it.

I think I'll see a big difference after the alignment, and after things settle back down some.

 

[SnowLizard]

def post pics after the alignment... I've been having the same theory/dread when I start replacing lower bushings and such.

 

[MStudt]

def post pics after the alignment... I've been having the same theory/dread when I start replacing lower bushings and such.

I will for sure.

 

[1985taylor1925]

The main thing I see is the way your caster bolts are set. The alignment shop should turn them to where the marks are pointed up and slightly in. Doing so will push the inside of the control arms down and further out, which will decrease the overall angle of the control arms. I'm sure you'll see the difference when you get it back from the shop

 

[MStudt]

The main thing I see is the way your caster bolts are set. The alignment shop should turn them to where the marks are pointed up and slightly in. Doing so will push the inside of the control arms down and further out, which will decrease the overall angle of the control arms. I'm sure you'll see the difference when you get it back from the shop

I'm sure this is the big problem as well. If I had more time I sure I could have gotten it close. I'll post up the results when she comes home tonight.

 

[Dezert4Runner]

I had my hub to fender settle 1" after alignment on my now sold '96 when I threw on some c/o's. I think the alignment will work wonders on your ride height. Those LBJ's look unhappy! What is your current hub to fender measurement?

 

[MStudt]

I had my hub to fender settle 1" after alignment on my now sold '96 when I threw on some c/o's. I think the alignment will work wonders on your ride height. Those LBJ's look unhappy! What is your current hub to fender measurement?

I don't have the vehicle, and didn't pull measurements last night. I called the shop, and they said the front end was all jacked up when they saw it. That's pretty understandable considering all the work that I did to it. I'll get some measurements tonight when I pick it up though.

After doing some reading on other threads, and from the responses here. I'm pretty confident that the alignment will do wonders for me.

 

[Andy in Pa]

When I replaced my UCA's with some SPC's it made quite a ride difference and a bit of a height difference too. My upper bushings were shot, and the SPC's had poly bushings which stiffened things up quite a bit.

It looks about like what mine did before I put on the UCA's. I didn't like how maxed out the upper ball joints were. The SPC's take care of this problem and also allow adjustment of the alignment too.

This may be a dumb question, but did you put it at ride height before tightening the hardware on the LCA's/UCA's?

 

[Dezert4Runner]

I loosened the LCA when installing the c/o's, and I didn't mark where my cam tabs were before hand, and I think that's what caused it changing the ride height so much by the time I got it back from alignment. Probably the same scenario as yours I'd imagine.

 

[JayRolla]

I don't have the vehicle, and didn't pull measurements last night. I called the shop, and they said the front end was all jacked up when they saw it. That's pretty understandable considering all the work that I did to it. I'll get some measurements tonight when I pick it up though.

After doing some reading on other threads, and from the responses here. I'm pretty confident that the alignment will do wonders for me.

I usually use a little level i made for camber. Then use the wire trick to line the toe with the rear tires. The push caster as far forward to help the tire clear the firewall a little better. The bring her in for alignment and tell them to keep as much caster as possible.

After you did all the work if you just dropped it down without a test drive thats why it looked so much higher. Quick drive would settle it back down.

 

[amalik]

somewhat off-topic... i'm confused about LCA/UCA bushings. Some people go OEM, most people go poly. Is the rubber OEM simply better? [MENTION=50342]JayRolla[/MENTION]

 

[kindred4x]

I could be seeing things, but those spindles look different than the factory spindles i have on my 02. Did Toyota re design them? I noticed you said you replaced with oem, but they look longer and the way the upper ball joint attaches to the spindle looks way different.

 

[MStudt]

somewhat off-topic... i'm confused about LCA/UCA bushings. Some people go OEM, most people go poly. Is the rubber OEM simply better? [MENTION=50342]JayRolla[/MENTION]

It's a never ending bickering match between the two. It's just like the Chevy vs Ford argument. I personally won't use anything beside Whiteline's for the LCA bushings. Going with OEM for the UCA's was a simple choice since I found new bushings for dirt cheap.

 

[MStudt]

I could be seeing things, but those spindles look different than the factory spindles i have on my 02. Did Toyota re design them? I noticed you said you replaced with oem, but they look longer and the way the upper ball joint attaches to the spindle looks way different.

No difference between any of them. Te only difference it that I welded gussets on them. The UBJ goes in the same as the one I took off. I have the old ones if you want me to post a picture?

 

[kindred4x]

No difference between any of them. Te only difference it that I welded gussets on them. The UBJ goes in the same as the one I took off. I have the old ones if you want me to post a picture?

Gotcha, I see it clearly now when you said gussets. Looks really good

 

[MStudt]

So I'll have to wait another day to get it back. I called this afternoon, and talked to them. Have a few things going on with it. First off I "had" some TRD valve stem caps that were apparently seized on the valve stems. I'll be getting all new valve stems, and a tire balance in addition to the alignment.

I was told they had been working on the alignment for about 2 hours, and had made some progress. They told me the front end so very jacked up, and it was just going to take a bit longer than they had time for today.Told me not to worry about that the tech knew he could get it squared away in the morning.