Lower Suspension Arm Replacement

[AWJ]

Special thanks to our user jzz30: great job!

Tools needed: Sockets 14,17,19,22mm. Box wrenches of the smaller three and a rachet for those sizes in 1/2inch and 3/8 are helpful. And balljoint puller (1and3/8 inch or 35mm gap and not taller than 6inches.) absolutely necessary.

********************************************************

Jack up the car and place it on jack stands.

Remove wheel and then take off the swaybar mount (14mm, and 6mm?hex wrench. May be a 5mm).

********************************************************

Take lower shock mounting bolt off (17 or 19mm I forgot) and disconnect shock from arm.

Then push the shock back and forth to access the two bolts that hold that bracket on(14mm) taking this bracket off allows more room for the ball joint puller. If it fits with it on then no need to take it off.

********************************************************

Remove clip and nut(22mm) at the ball joint. Use the ballpuller to disconnect the arm from the knuckle.

********************************************************

Next clean the arm bolts where there is a dial. Then mark it so that the can be replaced in the same place.( The bolts are cams and are used for allignment). Use the 22mm to take off the bolts and the arm should come out.

********************************************************

Take off the lower arm bushing stopper (a round disk of rubber) and put it on the new arm.

********************************************************

Replace in the order taken off torque with the following:

106ft lbs for shock bolt and nut(just the nut actually)

106 ft lbs for the shock bracket if taken off

107ft lbs for the ball joint (don’t forget the clip)

47 ft lbs for the swaybar mount

166 ft lbs for the arm bolts - That is done last because the suspension needs to set so bring the car back down on its wheels and bounce it up and down (this i didnt do but the manual demands for it). Then jack it back up. Put it on stands. From there, jack up the suspension arm (under the ball joint works best) and simulate a suspension arm height of when the car is on the ground and then align the marks on the cam and tighten the nut to 166ft lbs.

********************************************************

The above was written by jzz30 - pics and text organized by AWJ.

Follow along in the SC gallery starting at page 12.

Page 12 SC photo gallery

[AWJ]

Thanks for the write up jzz30. For those interested in removing the old arms to put after market bushings in them - you will need to press the old bushings out with a press or use the heat and gouge method. Then regrease the keeper and put your new bushings in carefully with a press. I don't think replacement ball joints are available - hence the new control arms. If anyone knows that they are - please post up on how to obtain them. I will probably give this a shot once we get heat in the garage.

Once again, great job. Enjoy the ride!

[doiturself]

Why replaced the Lower Suspension Arm? Can you explain?

[jzz30]

if you can look at a few pics above the arm bushing totaly separates from the rubber that hold it and when you reverse and brake you hear and feel a knocking noise. other prolems may be that the car doesnt track straight and doesnt allign.

[AWJ]

You can see the lower bushing completely disintegrated in the picture of the lower arm removed. Lexus does not offer this bushing as a spare part. They require us to buy a new arm.

D'oh - jinx. You owe me a pop. ;)