Lower Control Arm Service Time

[chester4Run]

My LCAs are making noise and ball joint boots are cracked/torn on both sides, so I'm going to replace the bushings and ball joints. I've seen the advice about replacing the LCAs as a unit, but since I need to remove them to do the bushings anyway I plan to use my press and hopefully they'll come out without too much cursing. My truck has 140K on it now and I can't produce any play in the LBJs using the shovel pry method -- so they've held up really well.

I went with the Energy 83139 bushing kit and the Moog K500417 ball joints. Are there any other parts you'd advise having ready before diving in? Regarding the Moog BJs, they have a grease fitting I'm unfamiliar with -- it's flat, or slightly concave, with a center ball (like a zerk). I'm guessing I need an adapter for my grease gun -- advice is welcome on what might work well.

Thanks, advice and insights are appreciated!

 

[Jetboy]

I would plan on buying all new cam bolts and associated hardware. I would also plan on having to cut out the existing cam bolts as they are almost guaranteed to be seized in place. I think they basically all are after just a few years in service.

So I guess my suggestion would be to have all of that hardware ready to replace. And be prepared to be a little bit surprised as how expensive it is for the hardware set. And I would make sure you have a sawzall And a few blades on hand. And you may need to add some heat to get the bushings out so if you have or can borrow a oxy/acetylene torch with something like a rose bud tip for heating them up that can go a long way to helping you press out the bushings.

 

[chester4Run]

Thanks, I ordered the moog greaseable cam bolt kit: k100129.

 

[Forgetful]

I don't know if it's the same with 5th gens vs my 3rd gen but a simple map/propane torch to cook/melt the bushings and out they came after persuasion. Took a wire brush to clean up the residual. Post your results, every one seems to just replace but dang the bushings are so much cheaper ...

 

[Zhehan]

I recently replaced my LBJs and LCA bushings. I installed Whiteline LCA bushings and Sankei 555 LBJs. The LBJs are greaseable and made in Japan.

I used the method shown in this video to remove the LCA bushings:

Replace Toyota Lower control arm bushings-SPC Alignment - YouTube

I used a large vice with 4WD adapter cups from Ball Joint Press to press in the new bushings. The vice w/ cups worked better than the BJ press.

Hope this helps.

 

[Jeremy556]

I've never experienced any suspensions noise that actually came from the front LCAs, even when the bushing completely tore through and the arm was flopping around freely. I would not allow any moog product near any of my vehicles ever again. I used to be a huge fan, but for the past 10-12 years at least they are complete garbage.

OEM LCAs were about $360 when I replaced mine at 270k miles or so and include the bushings and ball joints. OEM rubber bushings are far superior to poly for the real world, and I don't trust non-oem ball joints any more.

I had to sawzall out my bolts/adjusters and had replacements on hand, even living in the desert.

 

[chester4Run]

I don't know if it's the same with 5th gens vs my 3rd gen but a simple map/propane torch to cook/melt the bushings and out they came after persuasion. Took a wire brush to clean up the residual. Post your results, every one seems to just replace but dang the bushings are so much cheaper ...

I'll report back how it goes. I plan to tackle it next weekend after the new cam bolts come in.

 

[chester4Run]

I recently replaced my LBJs and LCA bushings. I installed Whiteline LCA bushings and Sankei 555 LBJs. The LBJs are greaseable and made in Japan.

I used the method shown in this video to remove the LCA bushings:

Replace Toyota Lower control arm bushings-SPC Alignment - YouTube

I used a large vice with 4WD adapter cups from Ball Joint Press to press in the new bushings. The vice w/ cups worked better than the BJ press.

Hope this helps.

I have a bushing kit similar to what is shown in the video, and I have a small bottle jack that might fit between the LCA articulating mounts (I saw another video where this was used with a torch to pop them out). One way or another... I'm more concerned about getting the new ones in without damaging them. Watching videos they appear to go in pretty tight.

 

[CutthroatSlam]

I've never experienced any suspensions noise that actually came from the front LCAs, even when the bushing completely tore through and the arm was flopping around freely. I would not allow any moog product near any of my vehicles ever again. I used to be a huge fan, but for the past 10-12 years at least they are complete garbage.

OEM LCAs were about $360 when I replaced mine at 270k miles or so and include the bushings and ball joints. OEM rubber bushings are far superior to poly for the real world, and I don't trust non-oem ball joints any more.

I had to sawzall out my bolts/adjusters and had replacements on hand, even living in the desert.

Best price I could find on OEM LCAs was $573. They want $210 just for lower bushings.

MOOG ball joints are still the same and made in ‘merica. Just make sure you’re not getting Chinese Knock Offs.

Some good stuff in this thread. Saving it for when I do this on our 2014. My next work is replacing the stamped steel LCAs on my son’s ‘94 K2500 diesel Suburban with a set of forged LCA from a ‘99. Challenge will be getting the existing LCAs off the torsion bars as they are rusted on. Previous attempts with a a torch and a BFH failed, even after soaking them in ATF for days. This time it will be a grinder with a cutting wheel.

 

[mrblah]

just go with lower uniballs in place of LBJ and be done with it :behindsofa:

 

[chester4Run]

I got this done, and spent about 8 hours total on it. I didn’t use the moog greasable alignment pins and cams because the oem ones came out fine and I like them better. I cleaned them up and reassembled with antiseize.

The ball joints came out ok with a 20 ton press, but it seemed to take all 20 tons of it. They both popped loose with a bang and then slide out easily from there. I had no trouble getting the replacements installed. Side note, I still think the factory ball joints were fine. They seemed smooth with no play in and out (140k). Boots were cracked, but there was still plenty of grease in them.

Now — those energy bushings — holy crap. They are not bushings. They are a kit you use to assemble your own bushings after you disassemble the factory bushings, extract the core, cut off all the rubber and wire brush everything clean, then press in the poly bushings, reassemble the the inner washer (you need to work this apart carefully so you can reassemble). It’s just a tedious, messy, time consuming chore. I would not use them again. I’d prefer some assembled Siberian poly bushings, or any rubber bushings over that experience.

If you are going to do bushings buy or rent the bushing tool kit. It makes it all much easier (watching videos of the disassembly I saw some other approaches and they looked a lot more difficult than my experience).

If anyone wants the upper bushings from the energy kit let me know. I have jba ucas, so I can’t use them. If you’ll send me a label, I’ll drop them off with UPS or USPS.

 

[CutthroatSlam]

I got this done, and spent about 8 hours total on it. I didn’t use the moog greasable alignment pins and cams because the oem ones came out fine and I like them better. I cleaned them up and reassembled with antiseize.

The ball joints came out ok with a 20 ton press, but it seemed to take all 20 tons of it. They both popped loose with a bang and then slide out easily from there. I had no trouble getting the replacements installed. Side note, I still think the factory ball joints were fine. They seemed smooth with no play in and out (140k). Boots were cracked, but there was still plenty of grease in them.

Now — those energy bushings — holy crap. They are not bushings. They are a kit you use to assemble your own bushings after you disassemble the factory bushings, extract the core, cut off all the rubber and wire brush everything clean, then press in the poly bushings, reassemble the the inner washer (you need to work this apart carefully so you can reassemble). It’s just a tedious, messy, time consuming chore. I would not use them again. I’d prefer some assembled Siberian poly bushings, or any rubber bushings over that experience.

If you are going to do bushings buy or rent the bushing tool kit. It makes it all much easier (watching videos of the disassembly I saw some other approaches and they looked a lot more difficult than my experience).

If anyone wants the upper bushings from the energy kit let me know. I have jba ucas, so I can’t use them. If you’ll send me a label, I’ll drop them off with UPS or USPS.

Yeah the ES Urethane bushing kit for my K2500 Suburban requires using the inner sleeve and outer shell from the upper LCA OEM bushings. You basically need to buy new OEM bushings and sacrifice them to get the shell and inner sleeve, because the old bushings typically have ruined inner sleeves that got pounded out. In this application, the lower bushings came with an inner sleeve and don’t use an outer shell. So basically I use the lower bushings from the kit and the upper bushings sit in their box on the shelf for that day when he’ll freezes over.

Interested in the Siberian options. Do you have a link?

 

[chester4Run]

I haven’t used these, but saw them in some videos and reviews are good.

SiberianBushing.com - Polyurethane auto parts

 

[dezertbomber]

I bought some Freedom Off Road LCA's since they were nearly the same cost as OEM, but supposedly have increased adjustability in their alignment hardware, heavier duty ball joints, and oem style hardened rubber bushings. Accepts OEM bushings and ball joints if desired. We'll see how they do. Lifetime warranty as well.

One thing I'm not impressed with already though is they do not fully weld the connection of the arms to the inner mounts. I may weld them the rest of the way before installing.

Front Lower Control Arms 2-4" Lift #FO-T700FL - Freedom Off-Road