Frozen alignment cam bolt

[RydeFast08]

LCA camber adjuster

Took me all of 2 mins with a reciprocating saw and 2 blades (first one was already kinda worn). Cutting that LCA off was like catching a trophy fish too after an hour of trying to hammer the bolt out. If my neighbors were watching me they probably thought I was crazy with how happy I was to get that thing off the truck!

15 hours?! I hope they were kidding.

Hey, I'd like to know how easy was to remove once you sawzall the camber adjuster? I am going to be replacing the entire lower control arm. Does it drop out? Thank you ahead of time.

 

[midevilgargoyle]

Metals

Is this an issue with 2 different types of metals being used ? This happened to my father in law's 2003 Tacoma. If that's the case, why haven't they changed the metal's ? Magnesium will lock up on steel, possibly the case here ?

 

[cajone5]

Is this an issue with 2 different types of metals being used ? This happened to my father in law's 2003 Tacoma. If that's the case, why haven't they changed the metal's ? Magnesium will lock up on steel, possibly the case here ?

Like a cathodic/galvanic corrosion issue? That would be pretty silly on the part of the engineers at toyota but you never know. Interesting idea.

:flock:

 

[sr3tlaw]

Like a cathodic/galvanic corrosion issue? That would be pretty silly on the part of the engineers at toyota but you never know. Interesting idea.

:flock:

Have seized cam bolts also and trying to figure out which route to go. Will replacing the bushings fix the cam bolts since that's where they fit into? If I were to keep my stock LCA, should I use Toyota OEM bushings or the MOOG greasable?

 

[stir_fry_boy]

Have seized cam bolts also and trying to figure out which route to go. Will replacing the bushings fix the cam bolts since that's where they fit into? If I were to keep my stock LCA, should I use Toyota OEM bushings or the MOOG greasable?

I would use Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings. Grease them really good with supplied grease only.

For anyone wanting to undertake the job of replacing front upper and/or lower control arm bushings, IT AIN'T EASY. If your cam bolts are seized, the cam adjuster is usually rusted inside the bushing. The bolt comes out, and the cam adjuster doesn't. Just take a sawzall to it, and take out the control arm, replace the bushing (hardest part) and put it back together. The secret to getting the old bushings out is lots of heat, a press, and an impact.

Plan on towing the truck, it will be pretty much undriveable.

 

[vachss]

The secret to getting the old bushings out is lots of heat, a press, and an impact.

So a press alone isn't enough? Those Harbor Freight 20 ton presses (often on sale for $150) can put down a a fair bit of force. Is a bigger capacity shop press usually needed for the LCA bushings?

 

[stir_fry_boy]

So a press alone isn't enough? Those Harbor Freight 20 ton presses (often on sale for $150) can put down a a fair bit of force. Is a bigger capacity shop press usually needed for the LCA bushings?

Heat releases the rubber from the bushing sleeve, which for the energy suspension bushings is required to reuse. Heat also expands the LCA where the sleeve is most likely rusted in. Trust me, heat is your friend and will make it much, much easier.

 

[sr3tlaw]

I would use Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings. Grease them really good with supplied grease only.

For anyone wanting to undertake the job of replacing front upper and/or lower control arm bushings, IT AIN'T EASY. If your cam bolts are seized, the cam adjuster is usually rusted inside the bushing. The bolt comes out, and the cam adjuster doesn't. Just take a sawzall to it, and take out the control arm, replace the bushing (hardest part) and put it back together. The secret to getting the old bushings out is lots of heat, a press, and an impact.

Plan on towing the truck, it will be pretty much undriveable.

Thank-you for the explanation, and honesty! As someone else mentioned, if you don't have the skill or means of replacing the bushing yourself, the labor to pay someone else to do it (and correctly do it) starts to even out.

Tell me what you think about this idea. Replacing with Toyota OEM LCA - but grease the stock bushings or even replace them with aftermarkets like Energy?

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[stir_fry_boy]

Thank-you for the explanation, and honesty! As someone else mentioned, if you don't have the skill or means of replacing the bushing yourself, the labor to pay someone else to do it (and correctly do it) starts to even out.

Tell me what you think about this idea. Replacing with Toyota OEM LCA - but grease the stock bushings or even replace them with aftermarkets like Energy?

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

It's a lot more expensive to replace the entire control arm. A set of energy suspension bushings for the lower and upper control arms is about $40 total. A control arm is about $200 each. You just need to grease the cam adjusters that go through the bushings. New OEM control arms should have new bushings in them. I love the Honda Super High Temp Urea Grease. It will still be there when/if you do them again.

 

[aha2988]

I went for replacing the whole lower control arm in my situation. Wanted to replace the ball joints and the bushings. Didnt want to deal with the press work headache. Plus it worked out I had to cut the old lower control arms off

My cam tab assembly was seized as well. I tried to purchase the rock auto cam tab bolts but these are a no go for sure! way to loose of a tolerance, caused a lot of poping sounds off-road an would click here an there in turns on the road.

Had to go to the dealer for the right stuff. An way more expensive than it should be but definitely worth the extra cost when it came down to performance. Just figured I'd share my story.

I got the control arms from rock auto 150.00 a piece, included ball joint and bushings. work great.

 

[sr3tlaw]

I went for replacing the whole lower control arm in my situation. Wanted to replace the ball joints and the bushings. Didnt want to deal with the press work headache. Plus it worked out I had to cut the old lower control arms off

My cam tab assembly was seized as well. I tried to purchase the rock auto cam tab bolts but these are a no go for sure! way to loose of a tolerance, caused a lot of poping sounds off-road an would click here an there in turns on the road.

Had to go to the dealer for the right stuff. An way more expensive than it should be but definitely worth the extra cost when it came down to performance. Just figured I'd share my story.

I got the control arms from rock auto 150.00 a piece, included ball joint and bushings. work great.

Thank-you! Sounds like you went with Raybestos. Do you happen to have pictures of where you cut it? What did you grease them with.

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[aha2988]

Thank-you! Sounds like you went with Raybestos. Do you happen to have pictures of where you cut it? What did you grease them with.

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So the opposite joint from each side was frozen for me. I had to cut the control arm where you can see to get it out of the way for me to make the cuts on the bushing and alignment bolt tab parts that were seized inside the mounting brackets. Marked up the picture a little to try an clarify.

this was the only photo I took that day apparently. hope it gives you an idea.

 

[sr3tlaw]

Absolutely does. To keep my LCA now and just replace bushing, rather than cutting the arm - I would just drill through the cam bolt to free it?

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[luckyluke]

Absolutely does. To keep my LCA now and just replace bushing, rather than cutting the arm - I would just drill through the cam bolt to free it?

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Check out my post (http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/219531-low-caster-angles-after-lift-2.html#post2369578). I recently did it. First you need to cut off the seized bolts to release LCAs. Then no drilling just torch the rubber, get rid of inner sleeve and saw the outer flange, knock it out. After decent cleaning I used the copper grease that works great as an anti-seize.

 

[stir_fry_boy]

Check out my post (http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/219531-low-caster-angles-after-lift-2.html#post2369578). I recently did it. First you need to cut off the seized bolts to release LCAs. Then no drilling just torch the rubber, get rid of inner sleeve and saw the outer flange, knock it out. After decent cleaning I used the copper grease that works great as an anti-seize.

Torching the rubber makes a stinky mess. Just put the control arm in a vise, heat up AROUND the bushing, use a ball joint press and an impact to get the bushing out.

 

[paraordnance]

I was just replacing my LCA and UCA tonight with ones from rockauto. The UCA went easy but LCA has the sleeve seized. I'm going to cut it. All my bolts came out just fine. If I cut seized sleeve what part number should I be ordering from Toyota to replace it? Or should I be cutting old LCA instead as shown on pictures? But still need new sleeve

 

[zeitlerk]

Oh the hell this is. Driver side slid out like butter. Passenger side absolute hell. Got the bolt out with some banging. The camber plate and tubes are rusted to the LCA bushings. Tried every chemical known to man to lube it up. No joy. Currently sawing through the camber tube. During cutting the front and back camber plates fell off. Those tubes are not easy to saw through.

The yellow powder is from the blades.

Will update as I get them off.



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[zeitlerk]

Those sob's are finally out!

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[sr3tlaw]

Update

Got both LCA (OEM Toyota), and camber and caster bolts (Also Toyota OEM)


Most importantly - I had mechanic put ANTI SEIZE

Order all my OEM Toyota parts from Boch Toyota South - BEST PRICE'S you'll find for Toyota OEM anything

Cheers


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[wmflyfisher]

Just did this a few weeks ago. You can cut through them like butter with the diablo carbide tipped metal sawzall blades. I had to cut 3 of the 4 bushings on both sides. Used 2 blades total.