Lower Control Arm Bushings

[Burntboot]

Dealer is telling me he only sees a listing on the forward bushing but not the rearward bush?
Am thinking all 4 are the same, but don't know the answer to that question.
Hoping that someone else has already been there.

I do know the factory bushings are different 2wd to 4wd so have ignored the listings for A/M as all the ones I have found are either spec'd as 2WD or "both".
Supposedly lower arms are now NLA.
Thanks
BB

[timsrv]

That's weird. I just looked it up in the EPC and see what he's talking about. Are you sure there's supposed to be a bushing there? Here's a snap shot of the EPC with the bushing that's shown highlighted to the right. The number on the far right indicates how many bushings there are TOTAL (both right & left sides). In this case it says 2, so that means 2 total (not 2 per side). I've never messed with these on a 4wd, so I can't help you from experience. Let us know what you figure out. Tim

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/TVT%20pics/suspension/loweraarmbushing_zps0eab8fb9.jpg

[Carbonized]

the 4WD front lower control arm is unoptenium new. With a lot of patience and refined hunting techniques I managed to capture a driver side at the Yotayard in Denver CO The passenger side has been tracked and should be on its way to Florida soon.
I can confirm the need of 4 bushings, 2 per arm. They are the same in front and rear of the arm, I don't know why it's not showing on the EPC.

This what I want to replace

6752

This is what I scored in Denver

6753

Salvage yards should really be called savage yards, due to their proficiency at the use of the oxy/acetylene wrench.:)
One of the bushing with a melted/ fused cam bolt still in, the other is gone.

[Carbonized]

Could not upload more pics, let see if a new post will let me!

I ordered 4 bushings from www.RockAuto.com (http://www.RockAuto.com), I selected ACEDELCO part # 45G9344. I also ordered all new cam assembly, cam camber adjust#2, castel nut+ cotter pin, and other nuts and washers, from www.ToyotaPartsdeal.com (http://www.ToyotaPartsdeal.com). While waiting for these goodies, I went on to get the rust off the arm with the help of these guys:

6754

Then spray this on and in every holes and cavity to turn any remaining rust particle into neutral black oxide. It also serves as an etching primer on the rest of the part.

6755

[Carbonized]

I also de-rusted, cleaned, treated,and re-greased the perfectly healthy ball joint.


Then these guys came in. I ordered them Thursday evening, we are Monday afternoon, RockAuto realy rocks!
The ugly black thing is the rubber part of the old bushing.

6756

At this point I know I have to get the bushing outer sleeve out of the arm pivot ends.

[Carbonized]

Die grinder and deburing bit and this is the whole bushing is out, both sides of the arm.
Black brake calipers paint cause they leave pretty clause to the brakes, in pretty much the same environment.

Press in new bushings with never-seize grease

6757

[JDM VANMAN]

Sign me up on your next “rehabilitation of parts class”!!!!:drool::drool::drool:

You make it look so easy:yes:

JDM

[Carbonized]

Meanwhile, the rest of the goodies came in....

6758

Now waiting for passenger side to inflict same punishment!
I have a brand new set of uppers.
Also looking for Bilstein shocks ( getting confused in part#)

[Carbonized]

Sign me up on your next “rehabilitation of parts class”!!!!:drool::drool::drool:

You make it look so easy:yes:

JDM

It is coming to a point where we don't have a choice but to rehab/build parts.

The rehab part is the easy part.

Finding the parts and dealing with the crooks who pretend to have them is harder and mentally exhausting.
I have been tracking these for months. Building hope one day and the next day calling the credit card company to dispute a payment. I will soon be on a 1st name basis with the people of VISA :LOL2: .

Many rare parts are being crushed as we speak because some one is too lazy to take them out of the vehicle before the crush. Of the three control arms I have located so far, all of them where on the vehicle, not on shelves. I will use my rusty old ones to make jigs so, one day, they can be made out of chromoly tubing , it will be expensive but when they are extinct.... that will be it.

If anybody has any questions ,by all means, please shoot! I also have loads more Pictures, but there is something about me having maxed out so I can only insert one pic at a time :cnfsd:

[Carbonized]

I got the passenger side today,

6771

thanks to the people at IKE & SON in Craig CO, If anybody need a Driver side lower control arm for a 4WD give them a call at 970 824 6475 they still had it when they shipped mine! They have the van but they say it has been picked pretty clean by now :).

[Maxisback]

I am going through all of this right now on my 4wd , I ordered all the cam/camber parts from Toyotapartsdeal .com , they showed all of them available , then I get an e-mail saying they have 1? , any body have these or a clue where to get them , lastly I'm wondering ...do I have to rplace them ? I jus didnt want to have alighnment problems with everything else being nes .

[Flecker]

This is one of the areas I have yet to delve into on the Van... So far the control arms seem to be in pretty fair shape for 33 years old! I know one day it's gonna happen though. I need to find a source for all the soft rubber peices though, ie: ball joint boots.

Is there one?

[Carbonized]

The boots alone are absolute NLA I don't know if they have ever been "A"valable. For the 4WD I would look for the whole ball joint for the lower and the whole arm for the upper from scrap yards, flea bay has a Febest store https://www.ebay.com/p/227337431 but you cannot select the 4WD so you have to rely on part #. Make no mistake about it, every single part of the front suspension for the 4WD is different from the rear wheel drive! An extensive search with a caliper at the pick and pull might land you on a 4 runner or pick-up truck of the same period with same boots measurements.... but I never took the time to do that. I know for a fact (pics somewhere on this forum) the arms are visually similar but not even close when side by side. I mentioned earlier how frustrating and time consuming the search for those parts was, trust me I wasn't joking :wall::wall::wall:. There is no way you will source all the needed parts from a single supplier. So you will have to work from the list of usual suspects: toyotapartsdeal, rockauto, flea bay, crapazon, carparts, etc. and of course your friendly scrap yards all around the country.
Speaking of ball joints and carparts.com check this out :https://www.carparts.com/ball-joint/mevotech/memk9531?&vehicle[cylinders]=4&vehicle[liter]=2%2E2&vehicle[submodel]=Wagon_LE&vehicle[model]=Van&vehicle[make]=Toyota&vehicle[year]=1989 At this price why look for the boot alone?:) That my friend, as per the picture is the 4WD lower. See how with a little luck.....:yes:
Good hunting :thmbup:

[Flecker]

Thanks for the linky man! I actually found the same one on Rockauto for about 12 bucks, but the issue is I can't find a matching set. :LOL2:

I think I figured out a boot source, but will have to wait until they arrive to know for sure... will report back. I am all about rebuilding parts until they fail for good! :)>:

So far it's been the alt, ps, starter, cv's, driveshafts soon, and now the bj's… :thmbup:

No reason for these little vans to earn a rep like the JEEP (Just Empty Every Pocket).

As always, I love your workmanship and efforts to rebuild things... looks AWESOME!

[Maxisback]

Ive installed the uppers from Febast , found all the bearings and races EXCEPT for seals on the steering knuckle , which i think Febast makes . I've ordered both dustplates , not sure I'll get any lol. Now I am stuck on all the cam/caster bolts and washers as well as ONE bushing in their . My question are , does anybody have that bolt set to spare , or can I reasonbly depend on the bolts and just replace the rubber ?

[Carbonized]

In this case: New bushing = New bolts,new cam washers,new lock nuts. I have never been able to get the old bolts out without some serious damage ( what with the fight against the sawzaw) . Even if you managed to pull them out in one piece, they probably shaded their cadmium coating in the process. It wouldn't take long for corrosion to set and fuse them to the inner sleeve of the new bushing. I use never-seize grease on the shaft of the bolt and inside the inner sleeve of the bushing. Same between the arm and the bushing's outer sleeve.
toyotapartsdeal.com show them available' for what it's worth :wnk: Ooops, I went back up a few post and saw your post. I stand corrected , TPD does not have them, :slap:

[Carbonized]

Amazon has a boat load of camber caster bolt kits including Specialty product 25425. I do not have time to verify the fit but there are other Toyota choices as well.

[Maxisback]

Yeah i've orderd the bolts and washers , they shorted me 2 washers I paid for and only had one bolt ....arghhhh I'll try the Amazon route , just having a hard time finding them

[Maxisback]

Thats what I needed , looks like aazon might have them ...

[Maxisback]

Nope , whent to Moog site , they don't make them , but they show all kinds of 2wd parts when searching for 4wd lol

[Maxisback]

But ebay shows them from febast....

[Carbonized]

That's weird, I did a search on Fleabay before the Crapazon one and could not come up with a 4WD filter for the van.

[89MasterAce]

Did anyone find a camber bolt set that fits the 4WD? I put in an order with ToyotaPartsDeal, but I expect they will shortly tell me they're sold out.

[timsrv]

Yes, I did. Toyotapartsdeal.com has been becoming increasingly lame. Toyota may be getting low on a bunch of stuff, but I've had several orders cancelled by them (stating NLA), then I was able to successfully order through my local Toyota dealer. These camber bolts are one of those things. Febest also makes a replacement. I don't have time to look these up right at the moment, but I'll try to remember to do it later. I'm sure if you search eBay using the Toyota number they will show-up. Tim

PS: BTW, 2wd vans and 4wd vans use the same camber bolts.......the 4wd has 4 of them and the 2wd only has 2.

[89MasterAce]

Thanks Tim! Yes it looks like there are some Febest options on ebay. ...aaand I've already had to cancel my ToyotaPartsDeal order.

Now I'm no automotive engineer, but it does look like the camber bolt assembly on the vans is just... a bolt and some plates. If these Febests weren't available, couldn't a brand new assembly be machined pretty easily? (given the stock was strong enough.)

[timsrv]

Yes, it could be done, but so far I've always been able to find them....albeit usually special order. I always keep 4 or more on hand as these tend to freeze up inside the control arm bushings (due to rust). When I replace them I cake with anti-seize compound to help prevent that. Tim

[89MasterAce]

Alrighty, I got new cam bolts, I got new bushings, I got new ball joints, but I've also got some very seized old cam bolts on the lower control arms.

I think I'll have to sawzall the old ones out.

The cut points on the front cam bolt and bushing are fairly accessible, but does anyone have any special sauce on cutting the back cam bolt and bushing? Should I just drop the rear crossmember out of the way and cut them off from below?

[timsrv]

I'm not saying this is the right way, but I always remove the nuts and cam washers from the back side, then use a cutting torch on the heads and the threads that extend beyond the cross member. Then I use a pry bar to spread the cross-member enough for the control arms to fall out. Sometimes a helper with an extra pry bar and some well placed blows with a hammer can speed things up a bit. If I'm re-using the control arms I'll do the rest of the work with a press. Tim

[Andywear]

grinder with a 4" abrasive blade, 1/16" can be pretty precise.

[MrJustin]

My 87 4x4 seems to be showing signs of needing her bushings replaced. From what I’m reading on this forum and elsewhere, it’s not going to be easy to find the parts I’ll need. Because I’m new to auto repair, can someone tell me exactly what part I would need to ask for? Like, is there a part number or specific size I should ask for as I begin my quest?
Thanks

[Jtbechtold]

I just looked and they all all available at rock auto the moment. Looks like doorman makes upper control arms now.