Front Lower Control Arm Bushes - Worst Job so Far

[Gary Stockton]

Cheers Rob - problem was the cam guide was sitting proud of the slots on the chassis mount. A total PITA to get that one out but it's done now. Of course, Simon Holton st Toyota parts is on hols now so that's going to make things tight for next week's assembly job

 

[MisterCruiser]

Then I realised the flat bit of the adjuster can come off the tube part - so I made a type of screw compressor with some 12mm threaded bar and some steel tubing. Success! Control arm finally off.

Im having the exact same issue, ive everything unbolted and the rear bush bolts removed but as with your front bushing, the front bush on mine is seized to the cam tube bolt, Ive the main bolt out and i took the flat bit of the adjuster off the tube part like you did. But, hammering it wont shift it. Can you remember what way you made your screw contraption with the threaded bar, which way did you push the tube out, to the front or rear? You hardly have a pic of your contraption?

I dont see how angle grinding up through the bolt will help as it'll still be seized in place so I'd like to try your way first to remove it in 1 piece.

If anyone reading this had to cut theirs out, can you tell me wheres the best place to make the cuts or to go about cutting this out? Its an awkward job allright, but so is anything once something is seized

 

[Gary Stockton]

Ended up with mine sheared so after giving up with the hammer (and practically breaking my thumb) I cut through the cam between the bush and the chassis mount with the angry grinder and then a hack saw blade. Took absolutely ages. Burnt out the rubber as much as possible but that didn't help. Ended up having to use heat on the chassis mount (which was bent anyway after colliding with a rock somewhere) to bend it out a bit, and after a LOT of yanking got the fecker free.

Bushes still in the arm so off to garage on Monday to have them replaced. But I have got a wire brush onto it all and Hammerite waiting to go on once the red oxide primer is done

Good luck. It's a painful job. Think I'll be leaving the calliper job for later

 

[BobMurphy]

Of course, Simon Holton at Toyota parts is on hols now so that's going to make things tight for next week's assembly job

Gary,

Do you know when Simon is back ??

He was going to send me some diesel tank parts for my 100 last Monday . . He didn't mention holidays .

Nothing has turned up and my account hasn't been debited - is he a 'one man band' ??

Bummer, I was hoping to get the '100' back on the road before the '95' goes for its MOT.

Hopefully the '95' won't need wishbone bushes .

( I have a 30-ton press if its of any use to you ).

Cheers.

Bob.

 

[fridayman]

Im having the exact same issue, ive everything unbolted and the rear bush bolts removed but as with your front bushing, the front bush on mine is seized to the cam tube bolt, Ive the main bolt out and i took the flat bit of the adjuster off the tube part like you did. But, hammering it wont shift it. Can you remember what way you made your screw contraption with the threaded bar, which way did you push the tube out, to the front or rear? You hardly have a pic of your contraption?

I dont see how angle grinding up through the bolt will help as it'll still be seized in place so I'd like to try your way first to remove it in 1 piece.

If anyone reading this had to cut theirs out, can you tell me wheres the best place to make the cuts or to go about cutting this out? Its an awkward job allright, but so is anything once something is seized

I think I can remember that far back... I had 2 pieces of tube/pipe: 1 piece with a diameter the same as the piece of metal that I wanted to press out, and another piece that had a larger diameter to go on the other side of the bush/wishbone, then there was a very sturdy washer on each side,and finally a nut on each end. The idea is to have a nut, washer and then piece of tube on each end, and then when you wind the nuts inward, the thinner tube will press the inner tube part of the adjuster, into the bigger tube on the other side. I hope that makes sense?

 

[Gary Stockton]

Gary,

Do you know when Simon is back ??

He was going to send me some diesel tank parts for my 100 last Monday . . He didn't mention holidays .

Nothing has turned up and my account hasn't been debited - is he a 'one man band' ??

Bummer, I was hoping to get the '100' back on the road before the '95' goes for its MOT.

Hopefully the '95' won't need wishbone bushes .

( I have a 30-ton press if its of any use to you ).

Cheers.

Bob.

Hi Bob - Simon is back tomorrow. And is pretty much a one-man band as far as we're concerned. The press sounds magic - when's convenient?? I'm on hols so could nip out tomorrow or Tuesday

 

[BobMurphy]

The press sounds magic - when's convenient?? I'm on hols so could nip out tomorrow or Tuesday

Gary,

Monday or Tuesday will be fine .

I have a decent Propane torch and some large hammers as well .

The yard is littered with broken Landcruisers icon-rolleyes but there's always room for another car .

See you soon.

Bob.

 

[Gary Stockton]

Fantastic. Just be me on the bike with the bits so won't take too much room. Have a hearing appt (audiologist) in the morning so I'll ring first?

 

[BobMurphy]

Fantastic. Just be me on the bike with the bits so won't take too much room.

.

Room not a problem, I can still park about a dozen cars .

BIKE - motorised I hope (five motorbikes here, two of them in bits - of course ).

Bob.

 

[Gary Stockton]

Thanks for today Bob. Interesting, fulfilling and educational. I'll never look at a propane torch the same way again lol. Hopefully the New ball joint goes in with much effort that it took to get the old one out

Will be along with the others after I get them out, with a new toy for you

 

[BobMurphy]

Thanks for today Bob. Interesting, fulfilling and educational. I'll never look at a propane torch the same way again lol.

Ah well, Gary showed-up this afternoon on a nice new 650cc Suzuki V-Strom. Its always good to have a look at another bike .

I was expecting a pair of lower wishbones, but (fortunately) he only brought one. Pity about the paint . . .I should have photographed it after we burned the bushes out .

These jobs are never straightforward and that shape doesn't fit under a press. We wasted a lot of time fiddling about before resorting to some serious heat and a seven-pound hammer (the garden hose sorted out the flames ).

Next time (NEXT TIME ) we'll be a lot quicker .

Good to see you again Gary and I'm glad we got the job done eventually.

Bob.

 

[MisterCruiser]

Here's a couple pics that might help some doing these bushings in the future, I tried doing as suggested by another poster above with making up a screw type pullers to help remove the seized cam sleeve in the bushing sleeve. This help to the extent that it brought 1 side of the cam bolt holder flush with the bushing so that at least 1 side of the wishbone bushing could clear the frame bracket. But thats as far as my puller contraption could shift the bolt holder.

I still had to cut through the bolt older on the other side to allow the bushing to clear the frame bracket on the other side.
Heres a pic of where to cut



And heres a couple of the screw puller contraption, these arent great pics but they might give the general idea of making a contraption with some threaded bar and sockets to push out the bolt holder.

 

[Tonka Tuff]

This has been the most trying job that I have tackled on my truck so far. I've been putting it off for a few weeks, but the knocking is getting quite bad when I brake, so I decided today was the day. I only wanted the do the left front lower bushes today. I started at 10 this morning and by 4pm I was bleeding, aching, swearing, and crying a little bit. Actually I'm quite knackered now, so here is the short version in case anyone else is thinking of doing this themselves:

Front up on axle stands with wheels off ground
Left front wheel off
Steering rack bolts all undone and pull steering rack back as far as it will go on the left side
Undo 4 bolts holding lower ball joint on
Undo drop link
Undo lower shock bolt - lower control arm should be able to swing down now
Then the grief started...
The rear camber adjuster and control arm bolt came out east enough - very tight but deforming the steering rack boot allowed me to squeeze the bolt out.
However the front camber adjuster had corroded onto the bush. Twisting the adjuster one way with a spanner and pushing the control arm the other way didn't do much. Hitting it with the bfh didn't do much. A few other things didn't work either. Then I realised the flat bit of the adjuster can come off the tube part - so I made a type of screw compressor with some 12mm threaded bar and some steel tubing. Success! Control arm finally off.
I tried to make a similar (but bigger) gadget to push the old bushes out - I bent and stripped a few things, but the bushes didn't even move. So out when all else fails, get the blow torch. This didn't really work either. Next I sawed the ends off both bushes. Then more fire. A lot more fire. Finally I could pull the centre shaft out of the bushes. Then more fire (the rubber sort of crumbles away). At this point I hadn't realised I was wasting time trying to get all the rubber out. Taking a break I got the new poly bushes out and realised that the metal I was trying to clean was actually the outer part of the old bush - that has to be pressed out... I've read that it is possible to get these out without a press, but I am just going to take the arm somewhere tomorrow to get the old ones pressed out and the new ones pressed in.

 

[Tonka Tuff]

"O" Joy, Thanks for the heads up, Now I know I have a cow of a job ahead of me, After a bit of fun over the weekend the Prado drove a bit different on the way home and after cleaning it found the problem to be a little more then a little problem. New lower control arm is ordered and will be fitted with a fair amount of cussing I now believe !!