Pressing in Ball Joints and Bushings in LCA

Slowgoat

Slowgoat

New member
What is the latest on LCA ball joint or bushing replacement?

I still have to diagnose it (about 90 percent sure it is the ball joint).

It is a squeaky, rusty hingey, rattly sound.

Options are:

1: New OEM LCA (get it undercoated before install)

2. Used OEM LCA (nah!)

2: Press in new bushings and or ball joint

I just got my 4runner Ziebarted (undercoated) so I'm not too keen on getting a replacement LCA. I'd rather just rehab the OEM LCA I have, but have read the replacement ( i.e.,MOOG) (do they make OEM Toyota ball joints??) get mixed reviews.

And it seems the polyurethane bushings get the same mixed reviews.

What do the Tacoma, FJ, Tundra guys use?

What do we use?

Found some older threads that showed MOOG ball joints and some kind of bushings being pressed in, but I'd hate to have to redo it after 5000 miles.

What do you think?
 
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Slowgoat said:
What is the latest on LCA ball joint or bushing replacement?

I still have to diagnose it (about 90 percent sure it is the ball joint).

It is a squeaky, rusty hingey, rattly sound.

Options are:

1: New OEM LCA (get it undercoated before install)

2. Used OEM LCA (nah!)

2: Press in new bushings and or ball joint

I just got my 4runner Ziebarted (undercoated) so I'm not too keen on getting a replacement LCA. I'd rather just rehab the OEM LCA I have, but have read the replacement ( i.e.,MOOG) (do they make OEM Toyota ball joints??) get mixed reviews.

And it seems the polyurethane bushings get the same mixed reviews.

What do the Tacoma, FJ, Tundra guys use?

What do we use?

Found some older threads that showed MOOG ball joints and some kind of bushings being pressed in, but I'd hate to have to redo it after 5000 miles.

What do you think?
Click to expand...

LBJ's are easy enough, mine had 195k on them, and came out easily with the right tools. Make sure you go to advance auto and get the large 23 piece kit or whichever one they have with 20+ pieces. I can't stress that enough, I stupidly had to make 3 trips before learning autozone and O'Riley's in ky area didn't have the right press kit. Once I had the right kit, I just popped it out with the press and put my new MOOG bj in. With enough strength you can muscle these out. I'd just leave the LCAs on the 4runner and press them off there, that's what I did. But if your bushings are bad.. you need to remember to spray the cam bolts down good with PB or liquid wrench days before doing it, and re do it leading up to the day you remove it. If the cams are siezed, them you may as well budget an extra 100 for new cams/bolts from the dealer.

As for bushings, the bottle jack trick works, just look up a youtube video of it, I'm sure there are plenty. Poly are firmer than rubber and should in theory give you tighter response but in reality, it seems some haven't noticed or liked the difference. Make sure to use the proper grease on them though.

All in all its a great time to change other parts while you are in there, such as TRE's and maybe even UCA's if you are feeling frisky.

Oh and unplug the abs sensor and remove it.
 
All awesome info there. The only things I would caution are if you are replacing the alignment bolts due to them being seized and having to cut out GO OEM, the aftermarket bolts are junk, if you are replacing bushings in your OEM arms via the bottle jack method, GO OEM, I had fitment issues with moog bushings basically just falling out. Ball joints I never had a problem with the Moog greasable ones other than removing my old rusted ones could not be done with the rental tool, instead it took lots of heat and a 20 ton harbor freight press. If you're replacing the entire arm I would recommend OEM but that's a hefty price tag, I'm running mevotech supreme complete arms and they are just meh okay I guess, nothing wrong but I feel the bushings could be tighter.

Now if it were me with OEM arms after all this experience messing with it, I'd keep those oem bushing sleeves and press in some poly bushings and moog ball joints and be happy.

And if I had money to burn - total chaos longtravel.
 
Slowgoat said:
Great info!!!

Thanks!

Wanted to get a plan before tearing into it!
Click to expand...
I just went through this process: Moog BJ and LCA bushings. Ill do a writeup when I get to the office in a bit. The bushings and BJ fit perfectly.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
So I checked and checked the LCA, bushings and ball joint, and the tie rods, and steering rack.

Couldn't figure it out.

I checked all of it 3 times! Was driving me nuts!!

It ended up being something else.

What do you think it was?

This started when temps here in Wisconsin dropped below 30, and stayed there for the last 30 days or so.

This is a good one!

Started a new thread about it here:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/231179-squeaky-rattling-lca-fine-but-can-you-figure-out-what.html#post2572904

Any guesses?
 
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