Please Help: OEM Rear Upper Link Doesn't Fit?

4'running'26

4'running'26

New member
I recently ordered an OEM upper control arm link off of EBay as I found my other had snapped mid-shaft.

I went to put the new one on today and is a couple centimeters short. How is this possible? Maybe I didn't do my research correctly, but I thought all 3rd gens used the same link regardless of model, year, 4wd vs 2wd, etc.

To make things even more confusing, the part number stamped on both the old and the new is the same but it doesn't come up in a Camelback search...what the heck is going on? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Untitled by jtolson26, on Flickr

Untitled by jtolson26, on Flickr

Rear control arm links by jtolson26, on Flickr

Rear control arm links by jtolson26, on Flickr

Rear control arm links by jtolson26, on Flickr
 
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4'running'26 said:
I just realized the part number I took a picture of on both the old and the new are for the bushings themselves, not the links.

However, when I use Camelback's search function, this is what I come up with for a 2000, SR5

https://parts.camelbacktoyota.com/p...up=REAR SUSPENSION&subgroup=UPPER CONTROL ARM

And that is the same part number that was listed on the Ebay page when I bought it.
Click to expand...

I had done the same thing in the past. I believe one was for 2wd and the other 4wd if I remember correctly. Weird why Toyo would use 2 different sizes. I thought about using it as "it's just a 1/2in off but it would change the pinion angle also.

Try pn #48710-35040 longer - 4wd

pn# 48710-35030 is the shorter of the - 2wd

-J
 
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firemanj92 said:
I had done the same thing in the past. I believe one was for 2wd and the other 4wd if I remember correctly. Weird why Toyo would use 2 different sizes. I thought about using it as "it's just a 1/2in off but it would change the pinion angle also.

Try pn #48710-35040 longer - 4wd

pn# 48710-35030 is the shorter of the - 2wd

-J
Click to expand...
The 2WD trucks have a different style driveshaft, requiring the different pinion angle. (slip yoke to the trans, single front and rear u-joints)

-Charlie
 
I had ordered some that didn't fit either. I think they may have been from ebay as too. They were longer than stock. I ended up ordering some from Rock Auto and they fit just fine.
 
phattyduck said:
The 2WD trucks have a different style driveshaft, requiring the different pinion angle. (slip yoke to the trans, single front and rear u-joints)

-Charlie
Click to expand...

Yep, still find it funny Toyo would opted to use different parts (lengths) between 2wd and 4wd. The FJ/4th gen T4R uses the same length rear trailing arms for both 2wd and 4wd. Which Toyo has proved to work in the past to minimize part #'s across all their vehicle lines.
 
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Very interesting. You learn something new every day! Not that it's hard for me to learn something new when it comes to 4Runners.

I ordered a different one from Ebay yesterday and it should be here in a couple days.

Is it extremely bad to drive it without the link for now? I'm sure it's stressing other components a bit without that link but for a day or two is it likely to be catastrophic? The location of it makes me think it acts like more of a support but as I alluded to above, I'm not expert and that's an understatement.

Thanks, all!

JT
 
you're better off installing the 2WD rear UCAs that without. your rear axle doesn't have torsional support when operating without the rear UCAs.
 
4'running'26 said:
Very interesting. You learn something new every day! Not that it's hard for me to learn something new when it comes to 4Runners.

I ordered a different one from Ebay yesterday and it should be here in a couple days.

Is it extremely bad to drive it without the link for now? I'm sure it's stressing other components a bit without that link but for a day or two is it likely to be catastrophic? The location of it makes me think it acts like more of a support but as I alluded to above, I'm not expert and that's an understatement.

Thanks, all!

JT
Click to expand...

I wouldn't, do you really want to snap a bolt on the LCA's or Panhard bar or worse & snap one of the LCA mounts? If you have any rust the chance's of breakage goes up.
 
I think you will be fine if you are only running one upper control link. Daughter's 99 4Runner tore out the entire mount from the rear differential/axle to upper control arm link while 4 wheeling in San Juans (7 hours from Denver). Didn't even realize it happened. Drove all the way back to Denver.

Daughter complained of it making noise when going up curbs etc. Checked all shocks, skids, lower control arms, upper control arms didn't find a thing until i saw the metal mount had been ripped in two.

Morale of the story....she drove a whole lot of miles and terrain before we even realized that her left upper rear link wasn't even attached.

I think you will be fine for a couple days going easy as long as you have the other upper link in place and it isn't in danger of snapping due to rust or whatever caused your original failure of upper link. If you don't have at least one upper link that is viable don't drive it.
 
This whole thing is turning into quite the headache.

I ordered the correct part (48710-35040) from a different seller. I ordered on Monday evening and it arrived this afternoon. Fast! I thought all was well. Grabbed it, crawled under the 4runner to slap her on...same exact thing as last time.

They must have sent the wrong one accidentally. :crybaby: I went back to double check the description and it even said for 1996-2002 4wd.

Untitled by jtolson26, on Flickr
 
"This whole thing is turning into quite the headache.

I ordered the correct part (48710-35040) from a different seller. I ordered on Monday evening and it arrived this afternoon. Fast! I thought all was well. Grabbed it, crawled under the 4runner to slap her on...same exact thing as last time.

They must have sent the wrong one accidentally. :crybaby: I went back to double check the description and it even said for 1996-2002 4wd."



Ugh, how frustrating. That definitely appears to be the wrong part they sent. I pulled the part # off my invoice when I ordered them last year. Also compare it to the other sided to see if it stretched.
 
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I have a Febest UCA that is a little over a year old that I could send you until you get the right part. Shoot me a PM if you are interested.
 
if the part number is correct, then most probably, the old rear UCAs have stretched (necked) before fracturing. Notice the right portion near the break wherein it is significantly thinner.
 
I talked to them last night and I'm now convinced they sent the wrong part. He went out a pulled another UCA which was off a 4x4 and said he would send it. I asked him to measure from center to center and he reported back at around 12-1/4 inches. I had earlier measured the original one they sent at exactly the same length of the one that I had accidentally ordered last week: 11-11/16 inches. That puts the difference between the two at about 1.4cm or just under 1/2 an inch.

I did compare to the right side and it is solid all throughout and measures in at around 12-1/4 inches.

Hopefully the third time is a charm.

Just in case anyone else ever runs into this problem, I'll reiterate:

3rd gen 2wd UCA: 11-11/16 inches or 29.7cm.

3rd gen 4wd UCA*: 12-1/4 inches or 31.1cm.

*I'll confirm the 4wd UCA length when I actually have my hands on it.
 
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