Rear Toe Control Arm DIY
12-19-11, 11:39 PM
#1
Rear Toe Control Arm DIY
Even though this is a pretty simple DIY, I came across a few hang ups. Also, I felt like I needed to contribute more to ClubLexus since I have gotten so much great advice here. Since there isn't already a Rear Toe Control Arm DIY, here we go...
1) Remove the Wheel.
2) Mark the Cam Adjusters' Positions. There are cam adjuster to the left and right of the top of the Toe Control Arm. To mark the positions I used a Sharpy.
2) Disconnect the ABS Speed Sensor Wire Harness from the Toe Control Arm. To do this just remove the single 10mm nut that hold it in place and slide it out of the way.
3) Remove the Nut at the Bottom of the Toe Control Arm. This nut is 17mm.
4) Now it is time to pop the Toe Control Arm's Ball Joint. In order to do this you need either a Pitman Arm-Puller, or a Ball Joint/ Tie Rod Separator. The Pitman Arm-Puller I had was too large to fit around the Ball Joint, it kept slipping off. Because of this I had to buy a Tie Rod Separator which actually ended up working very well.
5) After you pop the Ball Joint you can disconnect the Toe Control Arm from its lower socket. You may have to push or pull on the hub if it the joint is stuck.
6) Remove the Outer/ More Visible Nut from the Top of the Toe Control Arm. This Nut is 19mm. Once the bolt loosens up you may have to use a wrench to hold the nut on the other side of the arm to create torque.
7) Remove the Cam Adjuster. You will be able to slide this off.
8) Remove the bolt that holds the Toe Control Arm's Upper Portion in place. In order to remove this bolt you need to line up the groove (There are grooves in the bolt) so that they are facing up ward. Once the grooves are facing upward you can slide the bolt toward the center of the car and off it goes.
*Note: When removing the Toe Control Arm keep track of which side is which. The top of the Toe Control Arm has different size bushings per side. I had to look at which side was larger on the Old Toe Control Arm in order to install my FIGS Arm because the FIGS Arm also had different size sleeves per side.
Re installing/ Installing FIGS...
*If you have a FIGS arm I would compare it to the OEM Arm you just took out. Make sure to Adjust the FIGS arm so that is is at least as long as the OEM Arm. You may even want to adjust it so that it is longer because you will be placing the FIGS Arm Further Towards the center of the car than your OEM arm is (most likely). Since the Arm will be further toward the center of the car the Arm will need more length to give your car the same Toe it had with the stock Arm.
1) Start threading the Toe Control Arm's Upper Bolt back in from the center of the car- Out with the Inner Cam adjuster.
2) Put the new Toe Control Arm in place and push the Bolt through it.
3) The bolt may not go all the way through. In this case put the nut on the end of the bolt use the nut to pull the bolt through.
4) Get the Bolt decently tight then adjust the Cam Adjusters.
If you are replacing the Toe Arm with an OEM Arm, then twist the Adjusters so that are in the position they were prior.
If you are replacing the Toe Arm with a Figs Arm, adjust the Adjusters so that they are as close to the center of the car as possible. You want to increase the length of the FIGS Toe Control Arm.
5) When the adjusters are in place put on the End Nut. Tighten the End Nut to 36f ft-lbs.
6) Put the Lower Portion of the Toe Control Arm in its respectable Socket.
7) Put the nut on the Bottom of the Toe Control Arm and Tighten it to 44 ft-lbs.
Get an Alignment.
1) Remove the Wheel.
2) Mark the Cam Adjusters' Positions. There are cam adjuster to the left and right of the top of the Toe Control Arm. To mark the positions I used a Sharpy.
2) Disconnect the ABS Speed Sensor Wire Harness from the Toe Control Arm. To do this just remove the single 10mm nut that hold it in place and slide it out of the way.
3) Remove the Nut at the Bottom of the Toe Control Arm. This nut is 17mm.
4) Now it is time to pop the Toe Control Arm's Ball Joint. In order to do this you need either a Pitman Arm-Puller, or a Ball Joint/ Tie Rod Separator. The Pitman Arm-Puller I had was too large to fit around the Ball Joint, it kept slipping off. Because of this I had to buy a Tie Rod Separator which actually ended up working very well.
5) After you pop the Ball Joint you can disconnect the Toe Control Arm from its lower socket. You may have to push or pull on the hub if it the joint is stuck.
6) Remove the Outer/ More Visible Nut from the Top of the Toe Control Arm. This Nut is 19mm. Once the bolt loosens up you may have to use a wrench to hold the nut on the other side of the arm to create torque.
7) Remove the Cam Adjuster. You will be able to slide this off.
8) Remove the bolt that holds the Toe Control Arm's Upper Portion in place. In order to remove this bolt you need to line up the groove (There are grooves in the bolt) so that they are facing up ward. Once the grooves are facing upward you can slide the bolt toward the center of the car and off it goes.
*Note: When removing the Toe Control Arm keep track of which side is which. The top of the Toe Control Arm has different size bushings per side. I had to look at which side was larger on the Old Toe Control Arm in order to install my FIGS Arm because the FIGS Arm also had different size sleeves per side.
Re installing/ Installing FIGS...
*If you have a FIGS arm I would compare it to the OEM Arm you just took out. Make sure to Adjust the FIGS arm so that is is at least as long as the OEM Arm. You may even want to adjust it so that it is longer because you will be placing the FIGS Arm Further Towards the center of the car than your OEM arm is (most likely). Since the Arm will be further toward the center of the car the Arm will need more length to give your car the same Toe it had with the stock Arm.
1) Start threading the Toe Control Arm's Upper Bolt back in from the center of the car- Out with the Inner Cam adjuster.
2) Put the new Toe Control Arm in place and push the Bolt through it.
3) The bolt may not go all the way through. In this case put the nut on the end of the bolt use the nut to pull the bolt through.
4) Get the Bolt decently tight then adjust the Cam Adjusters.
If you are replacing the Toe Arm with an OEM Arm, then twist the Adjusters so that are in the position they were prior.
If you are replacing the Toe Arm with a Figs Arm, adjust the Adjusters so that they are as close to the center of the car as possible. You want to increase the length of the FIGS Toe Control Arm.
5) When the adjusters are in place put on the End Nut. Tighten the End Nut to 36f ft-lbs.
6) Put the Lower Portion of the Toe Control Arm in its respectable Socket.
7) Put the nut on the Bottom of the Toe Control Arm and Tighten it to 44 ft-lbs.
Get an Alignment.
Last edited by lexusben; 12-20-11 at 04:01 PM.
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Typ2nuk (02-01-19)
02-12-12, 04:32 PM
#6
Anyone know a tie rod puller that will work..
I tried to use the small tie rod puller from Autozone, the opening was about a 1/4" too big.
Brought it back and got two different size separators (pickle forks). Didn't really budge.
Went to Oreillys and Pep boys, both of the ones they had were too short (depth wise).
From looking at the car, I need something with about an inch opening and 2 inches of depth. Anyone can recommend a tool to use that worked for them?
I tried to use the small tie rod puller from Autozone, the opening was about a 1/4" too big.
Brought it back and got two different size separators (pickle forks). Didn't really budge.
Went to Oreillys and Pep boys, both of the ones they had were too short (depth wise).
From looking at the car, I need something with about an inch opening and 2 inches of depth. Anyone can recommend a tool to use that worked for them?
09-19-14, 09:31 PM
#7
Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: CA
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For the figs toe links, how do you line up the abs sensor bracket to the new rubber metal clamp that comes with the figs toe link? I can't get them to align. Also, are you supposed to extend both ends of the toe link or just the side closer to the wheel?
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09-22-15, 07:56 PM
#8
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: idaho
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This write up is awesome! I have a little bit of an issue tho.. When I tried removing the nut on the ball joint it doesn't loosen up or tighten it just spins.. How do I get that off?? I'm trying to replace my driver rear toe arm because it looks to have gotten tweaked... Due to getting rear ended while my car was parked.. Anyways I kept the car and I don't know how to get this part off:/ if someone could help me out you would be doing me the biggest favor!! Thank you!!
09-25-15, 05:28 AM
#10
manipulate the arm to bind that ball joint so it doesnt spin as easily. you can push down on the ball joint, tap it with a hammer while you unbolt it. sometimes just pushing the arm up to bind the ball joint works. all of these work while youre onbolting it
08-24-16, 08:58 AM
#11
Bringing this back from the dead.... I need to replace the toe adjustment bolt on the pass. side rear. Looking at it, there appears to be some tight clearance on the front side of the subframe.
My question: If I replace these with FIGS arms, does the rear subframe need to be dropped to get the OEM eccentric bolts out?
My question: If I replace these with FIGS arms, does the rear subframe need to be dropped to get the OEM eccentric bolts out?
09-06-16, 09:16 AM
#12
Bringing this back from the dead.... I need to replace the toe adjustment bolt on the pass. side rear. Looking at it, there appears to be some tight clearance on the front side of the subframe.
My question: If I replace these with FIGS arms, does the rear subframe need to be dropped to get the OEM eccentric bolts out?
My question: If I replace these with FIGS arms, does the rear subframe need to be dropped to get the OEM eccentric bolts out?
09-06-16, 12:49 PM
#13
I just wanted some confirmation, so that I had some idea of the magnitude of the task.
09-07-17, 08:04 PM
#14
Pit Crew
I got my figs toe links 'professionally' installed but I feel it wasn't installed following figs specific instructions.
When I look at the bearings where the spherical *****/bearing meet, they seem to be "off axis" if you will. Also I see my figs sway bar and link is not 100% vertical when I look at it as my car is parked (with load, not jacked up in the air).
Was the installation done incorrectly if the spherical bearing rod ends appear "off axis" and mis aligned? How to fix?
If my sway bar end link is not vertical when the vehicle has load, how to fix?
When I look at the bearings where the spherical *****/bearing meet, they seem to be "off axis" if you will. Also I see my figs sway bar and link is not 100% vertical when I look at it as my car is parked (with load, not jacked up in the air).
Was the installation done incorrectly if the spherical bearing rod ends appear "off axis" and mis aligned? How to fix?
If my sway bar end link is not vertical when the vehicle has load, how to fix?
03-16-18, 01:47 PM
#15
I got my figs toe links 'professionally' installed but I feel it wasn't installed following figs specific instructions.
When I look at the bearings where the spherical *****/bearing meet, they seem to be "off axis" if you will. Also I see my figs sway bar and link is not 100% vertical when I look at it as my car is parked (with load, not jacked up in the air).
Was the installation done incorrectly if the spherical bearing rod ends appear "off axis" and mis aligned? How to fix?
If my sway bar end link is not vertical when the vehicle has load, how to fix?
When I look at the bearings where the spherical *****/bearing meet, they seem to be "off axis" if you will. Also I see my figs sway bar and link is not 100% vertical when I look at it as my car is parked (with load, not jacked up in the air).
Was the installation done incorrectly if the spherical bearing rod ends appear "off axis" and mis aligned? How to fix?
If my sway bar end link is not vertical when the vehicle has load, how to fix?
I'm wondering the same thing about the rod ends being 'centered'... should they be pretty much even (90 degrees) with the toe arm?