Do I need to upgrade my lower control arms?
It is not necessary to replace both lower or both upper control arms if one is bad, but often they wear out at roughly the same mileage. If one control arm is bad and the other is on its way, it makes sense to replace both arms at once. This way, you only need to do the wheel alignment once.
What does upgrading lower control arms do?
The most common reason to replace a control arm is to improve wheel travel as part of a suspension lift. However, a new control arm can offer more than just increased ride height (lift) and additional wheel travel: Increased durability in the arm itself. A wider range of uniball/ball joint options.
Can I change lower control arms myself?
Should You Do the Job Yourself? Front lower control arm replacement is straightforward on some cars. But on others, it can be a real challenge. If you have any doubts you can pull off control arm replacement yourself, it’s best to leave the job to a professional mechanic.
What happens when lower control arm goes bad?
If the bushings or ball joints in the control arm become excessively worn it can cause wheel shimmy, which may cause vibrations that may be felt in the wheel. The vibrations may increase as you accelerate and smoothen out once you are traveling at speed.
Can I drive with a bad lower control arm?
How long can I drive with the damaged control arm? With the damaged or worn-out control arm, you can drive your vehicle for a week or less but it should be repaired as soon as you detect the problem through the methods given above before the suspension gets broken.
How much does it cost to replace lower control arms?
If you need to have the lower control arm replaced in your car the average repair cost tends to be somewhere between $500 and $700. In some cases, this could cost you as much as $1,000. A control arm itself is not an overly expensive part of your vehicle.
How to replace the lower control arm on a Toyota?
4. Separate the control arm from the ball joint by pressing down on the control arm until the ball joint studs clear the control arm holes. Then swing the ball joint away from the control arm. 5. Remove the front control arm bushing bolts.
How long does it take to replace lower control arm?
With the correct tools on hand, it will take approximately one hour at a moderate pace. Add around 1/2 hour if replacing the bushings using a hydraulic press. 1. Disconnect the sway bar link from the suspension strut.
Why do I need to replace lower control arm and bushing?
Center treads may appear scuffed. The symptoms above might also be caused by wear to the ball joints, outer and inner tie rod ends, struts, strut mounts, sway bar bushings and links. With high-mileage vehicles, my preference is to replace many of these items at the same time, to provide long-term labor savings for the customer.