Lower Control Arm Help!

[ttora4runner]

For the past few months I've had an issue with my 4runner that I haven't been able to fiqure out. Whenever I brake my vehicle will pull to the left then jerk back to the right and will occasionally do this at low speeds as well. Secondly, whenever I make a hard right turn the right wheel will (it's only one wheel that does it, not sure which one)squeals. The steering wheel alignment is also off, cocked more towards the left, try to keep it straight at it starts varing right.

On top of that a few months back I got a weird vibration though the steering wheel/column will accelerating from a stop (has only happened once).

My intial thought was that the brake pads were worn and that the rotors were warpped. Well, I changed the pads which didn't show any signs of abnormal wear and rotors showed no signs of warppage. At the same time I did the wheel bearing check while it was jacked up and didn't notice anything our of the ordinary.

Still no luck. I've replaced the front sway bar bushings thinking that was part of the problem and still nothing. CV's, ball joints and tie rod ends so no sign of leakage or excessive wear. The steering rack was replaced earlier in the year.

I was oringially thinking of just driving it till it breaks but with the weather starting to turn crappie I decided that it may not be the best idea. Wasn't the best idea to begin with I know.

So I take it in to the dealership (one of the more trusted ones in the area) since Big-O and another repair shop in the area suck!

So they have it all morning and part of the afternoon trying to fiqure out what it is. I get a call about 3pm with the service guy telling me that its the lower control arms are bad and that it needs a T-angle alignment.

So my questions are thus

1. How in the world do contorl arms go bad (lower in the case)? Isn't it the bushings that go bad?
2. How would the control arms going bad cause the above problems? Neither myself nor my brother can fiqure this one out.
3. Would the above problem be more of a wheel bearing problem? This is what we are kind of quess. Though I don't have any weird noises that would indicate this or notice any problems when I did the quick test (mentioned above).
4. If it is the control arm bushings would it be just easier to replace the whole control instead of dealing with trying to press new bushings in.
5. The dealer also mentioned that I need a T-angle alignment.
6. Any other ideas.
7. Estimated cost of repairs they guy gave me was $831 :bash:taking into account a 10% discount.


I've done some reading on the internet on control arm bushings and wheel bearings for possible issues and it seems like there are mixed review and unanswered questions on it.

So do you all have suggestions and does the above comments make sense.

This sucks cause it's my only vehicle.



I'm giving the dealer a call back tomorrow to complain a bit (I normally don't do this) because my 4runner drives even crappier now after they looked at it. The steering wheel is now cocked to the right and it makes a squealing type sound now when turning (left or right) or when going over bumps. Steering is still crappie though it doesn't pull when braking.

[troyboy162]

is your rack moving too? check and see if it slides in the U bracket on the right hand side. sounds like multiple problems but i picked up on the crooked steering wheel since thats what i have from my rack moving

[4x4mike]

Your 4Runner does not have torsion bars. You have coils. I have no idea was a t bar alignment is but maybe you are do for a regular wheel alignment.Mine is slightly out of alignment and on hard braking I get a little pull to the left but no noise like you are saying.

Half way through your post I was thinking that you might have a steering rack problem but you didn't say they mentioned anything about that. I would possibly look into this: http://www.yotatech.com/51496401-post1.html

You mentioned you replaced the steering rack earlier. Is is a new unit? Toyota? How were the bushings that hold the rack onto the frame?

I'm not saying this is your problem or will fix your problem but it maybe something to look into.
As far as your lower control arm I'm sure it's fine. The lower ball joint or a arm bushing maybe bad but unless the control arm is bent or broken I can't imagine it's the problem or the cause of the noise.

[4x4mike]

is your rack moving too? check and see if it slides in the U bracket on the right hand side. sounds like multiple problems but i picked up on the crooked steering wheel since thats what i have from my rack moving


The bushings are cheap and look easy to replace.
http://www.wheelersoffroad.com/4runnerrackbushkit.htm

There are posts on dezertrangers.com where guys have made aluminum bushings to combat the problem.

[ttora4runner]

Did some more reading and I'm assuming that the T-angle alignment that was mentioned is a thrust angle alignment

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...e.jsp?techid=4

When I talk to them tomorrow I'm going to just see about replacing the bushings.


Fixed comment #5, just misread the dealers comments.

[ttora4runner]

Half way through your post I was thinking that you might have a steering rack problem but you didn't say they mentioned anything about that. I would possibly look into this: http://www.yotatech.com/51496401-post1.html

You mentioned you replaced the steering rack earlier. Is is a new unit? Toyota? How were the bushings that hold the rack onto the frame?

I'm not saying this is your problem or will fix your problem but it maybe something to look into.
As far as your lower control arm I'm sure it's fine. The lower ball joint or a arm bushing maybe bad but unless the control arm is bent or broken I can't imagine it's the problem or the cause of the noise.



The steering rack is a new unit and it came with new bushings. I have those one bushings sitting in a kitchen cabinet. The place that replaced the rack wanted extra $$ to put them in and I said no (they didn't see the point of replacing the bushings that came with the rack with the other ones I picked up).

[Seanz0rz]

For the past few months I've had an issue with my 4runner that I haven't been able to fiqure out. Whenever I brake my vehicle will pull to the left then jerk back to the right and will occasionally do this at low speeds as well. Secondly, whenever I make a hard right turn the right wheel will (it's only one wheel that does it, not sure which one)squeals. The steering wheel alignment is also off, cocked more towards the left, try to keep it straight at it starts varing right.

On top of that a few months back I got a weird vibration though the steering wheel/column will accelerating from a stop (has only happened once).

My intial thought was that the brake pads were worn and that the rotors were warpped. Well, I changed the pads which didn't show any signs of abnormal wear and rotors showed no signs of warppage. At the same time I did the wheel bearing check while it was jacked up and didn't notice anything our of the ordinary.

Still no luck. I've replaced the front sway bar bushings thinking that was part of the problem and still nothing. CV's, ball joints and tie rod ends so no sign of leakage or excessive wear. The steering rack was replaced earlier in the year.

I was oringially thinking of just driving it till it breaks but with the weather starting to turn crappie I decided that it may not be the best idea. Wasn't the best idea to begin with I know.

So I take it in to the dealership (one of the more trusted ones in the area) since Big-O and another repair shop in the area suck!

So they have it all morning and part of the afternoon trying to fiqure out what it is. I get a call about 3pm with the service guy telling me that its the lower control arms are bad and that it needs a T-arm alignment.

So my questions are thus

1. How in the world do contorl arms go bad (lower in the case)? Isn't it the bushings that go bad?
the bushing can go bad. redoing the bushings is alot of hard, time consuming work. they need to be collapsed and pressed out.
2. How would the control arms going bad cause the above problems? Neither myself nor my brother can fiqure this one out.
see above
3. Would the above problem be more of a wheel bearing problem? This is what we are kind of quess. Though I don't have any weird noises that would indicate this or notice any problems when I did the quick test (mentioned above).
not really, it sounds like an issue with alignment
4. If it is the control arm bushings would it be just easier to replace the whole control instead of dealing with trying to press new bushings in.
EASIER, yes, but vastly more expensive
5. The dealer also mentioned that I need a T-bar alignment. I'm assuming they are meaning a torsen bar when they say T-bar. Pardon my stupdity on this one but do 4runners have a torsen bar. Isn't that associated with vehicles with a solid front axle?
i think you might want to take it to a different dealer... sounds like they are trying to rip you off.
6. Any other ideas.
what i think, is that your alignment is off, and your cam bolts loose. most places when they do an alignment, will tighten but not fully torque these bolts to spec. i dont have the spec with me, but its pretty high (100+ ftlbs)
7. Estimated cost of repairs they guy gave me was $831 :bash:taking into account a 10% discount.
im not sure what exactly that includes, but the labor for the control arm bushings is going to be pretty high. when i did mine, parts totaled to 600 ish, that was 4 ball joints, 8 bushings (2 per arm upper and lower) tie rod ends, and something else (i dont remember anymore)


I've done some reading on the internet on control arm bushings and wheel bearings for possible issues and it seems like there are mixed review and unanswered questions on it.

So do you all have suggestions and does the above comments make sense.

This sucks cause it's my only vehicle.



I'm giving the dealer a call back tomorrow to complain a bit (I normally don't do this) because my 4runner drives even crappier now after they looked at it. The steering wheel is now cocked to the right and it makes a squealing type sound now when turning (left or right) or when going over bumps. Steering is still crappie though it doesn't pull when braking.
squealing sound how? brake squeal, belt squeal, cat sleeping on the fan when you start it up squeal?


my answers are in red above.

what was the steering rack replaced with? new stock, new aftermarket, rebuilt stock or rebuilt aftermarket, or used?

are the tires rubbing on anything, frame, body, etc?

explain the squealing more. hi pitched? from where?

what do your steering rack bushings look like? is there slop in your steering?

what are the conditions of your front shocks? do they need to be replaced? how old, what type, etc.

find my thread on replacing the ball joints and bushings in my 4runner (original post should be dated jan 08.) to get a look at some of the parts.



i see you jsut posted about your rack, disregard my questions about that.

[ttora4runner]

Nope, haven't seen any evidence of the tires rubbing on anything.

The noise/sounds just sounds like the sound your tires make when spinning them on asphalt.

The shocks are the Bilstein ones from the Sonoran Steel 7.2 kit, which was put on about 35000 miles ago.

[Seanz0rz]

to me it sounds like a slipping PS belt.

[ttora4runner]

After living with this problem for most of the summer it's now gone. :clap:

[troyboy162]

everything or just the squeak?

[ttora4runner]

Everything.

[4x4mike]

Everything.


So what did you do?

[ttora4runner]

Had the bushings for the lower control arms replaced. Which kind of surpised me that changing those out resolved the problem.


The one thing I did't mention was that they kind of screwed up my front tires. When I went to pick it up on Tuesday I noticed that any bump in the road caused my 4runner to drift servely back and forth. It was also making that tire squeling sound (I picked it up right before they close so I wasn't able to take it back that night). Wednesday on my way to driving anything above 60 was kind of unsettling and it contiuned to make the squealing sound. When I got home that night I noticed that both tires where toed in and when I looked at my front tires they had been worn down and kind of looked liked they had been dragged, hence the squealing sound.

So Thrusday it went back to the shop. When I pulled it in everyone in the service just turned and looked because of the sound. The service manager was kind of surpised that they let my vehicle go like on Tuesday.

Needless to say the damage was already done but the service manager cut the labor rate in half because of it and priced matched the parts from Camelback Toyota's online part store (saved me some dough). In the end the original price estimate was cut in half.