Control arms giving out?!?!
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 792
Likes: 1
From: North Carolina
Control arms giving out?!?!
Alright so i own a '93 with 150,000 miles SC400. My control arms are giving out because of too much wear and tear, basically because of its age.
This is what my trusted mechanic has told me.
So who here has heard of this happening? i have never heard of control arms giving out on a car... What should i do? go for aftermarket ones? How much money should i be saving up?
The reason i found this out was because on the way home the other night i hit a pot hole going 65 at night... didn't see it and it made me really mad. My alignment was really off line so i took it in to colony tire and they told me they couldn't align it because of the control arms being old.
So i need some opinions please, i know this job isn't going to be cheap.
Thanks,
Johnathon
This is what my trusted mechanic has told me.
So who here has heard of this happening? i have never heard of control arms giving out on a car... What should i do? go for aftermarket ones? How much money should i be saving up?
The reason i found this out was because on the way home the other night i hit a pot hole going 65 at night... didn't see it and it made me really mad. My alignment was really off line so i took it in to colony tire and they told me they couldn't align it because of the control arms being old.
So i need some opinions please, i know this job isn't going to be cheap.
Thanks,
Johnathon
Lead Lap
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 468
Likes: 1
From: Nebraska
I'm assuming front lower control arms is the big issue here. The arms themselves are probably not bent, but the bushings and ball joint are probably shot. Cost to replace the front LCA's is about 500 using the Supra's. Granted, this is all if they are new and if you do it yourself. I just did this myself based on a great tutorial in the suspension sub-forum. Part numbers and how-to are all here if you search.
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 792
Likes: 1
From: North Carolina
Sorry i needed to edit my post. It is the LCA's bushings that need replacing but since those alone can't be replaced like most cars, the entire CA has to be replaced. So you can use the supra LCA's? how do those compare to the stock ones? Thanks for letting me know that someone has done this and posted a DIY. I'll take a look at it.
How long did it take you to do this?
thanks!
How long did it take you to do this?
thanks!
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 792
Likes: 1
From: North Carolina
So i did some more research and found these:
http://www.l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=1870
How easy is it to just replace the bushing?
http://www.l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=1870
How easy is it to just replace the bushing?
that's only for one side..i recommend getting the Daizen control arm bushing kit http://www.tmengineering.net/suspens...n/make/sc.html ,i personally don't have it yet but i see a lot of people on here that does...you could take it to a local machine shop and have them press it in for you, that's if you take off the control arms yourself and save some money...
You can just replace the bushings, but who knows how bad your balljoints are with high mileage. The balljoints cannot be replaced by themselves so it would be a good idea to change the whole arm out. A cheaper alternative to oem Lexus arms would be the 93-96 Supra arms. 97-98 Supra arms are made of aluminum so they are just as expensive as the oem Lexus ones.
You might be able to visually check the bushings if you crawl under the car. The front end will feel sloppy going over bumps and uneven surfaces.
Here are a few pics of how mine were after ~123k miles:
You might be able to visually check the bushings if you crawl under the car. The front end will feel sloppy going over bumps and uneven surfaces.
Here are a few pics of how mine were after ~123k miles:
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Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 792
Likes: 1
From: North Carolina
i had my mechanic order a set of 8 for both the upper and lower control arms on both sides. Hopefully the ball joints are not worn out. If they are then i will have to go an alternative route and purchase the supra arms. Thanks for all of the information guys i really appreciate it. My bushing are definitely worn out because first of all my alignment is cocked to one side and when i hit bumps it wants to jump all over the place.
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At 150k miles, if you have the money, replace them without any doubt. I think its a better gamble if you get the entire arm because you get new ball-joints too.
I bought my car at 137k miles and it tramlined like crazy on the freeway so that was my first "mod". I have almost 180k right now so it was worth it every penny
I bought my car at 137k miles and it tramlined like crazy on the freeway so that was my first "mod". I have almost 180k right now so it was worth it every penny
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 792
Likes: 1
From: North Carolina
Guys i have an update....
My mechanic got the car apart and looked at the arms. My ball joint is shot on the passenger side and worn on the driver's side. They said for both the upper and lower control arms i would be looking at 1,700 dollars in parts. I can't afford that.
So should i just get the LCA's from the 93-96 supra and wait for the upper control arms? Even if the uppers need to be replaced how long can i drive the car without replacing them?
Thanks guys,
Johnathon
My mechanic got the car apart and looked at the arms. My ball joint is shot on the passenger side and worn on the driver's side. They said for both the upper and lower control arms i would be looking at 1,700 dollars in parts. I can't afford that.
So should i just get the LCA's from the 93-96 supra and wait for the upper control arms? Even if the uppers need to be replaced how long can i drive the car without replacing them?
Thanks guys,
Johnathon
$1700 just for the parts! ***** that..i say if you're cheap like me i would just look for some used control arms or wait and get the supra control arms...my balljoints are all torn up and i'm still driving it w/o any problems..
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 792
Likes: 1
From: North Carolina
So in that case im probably just going to replace the lowers by myself. Im going to a toyota dealership today to most likely purchase a set of lower control arms. My only problem is that i dont have a lift to change out the arms. I found a DIY for this and it seems super easy. If i can get the pair for 400 dollars and save a couple hundred in labor then i think that's best for right now. Maybe later i can find a way to change out the uppers for less money.
I'll keep you guys updated.
