drew303

Wouldnt hurt to plug up those holes (cant really see them in my head atm but if they're there plug em!)

i dont run a swaybar either. Thing didnt fit right cuz of the damge.


I plan on sandblasting that frame this summer and coating it. Till then it sits =p

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

I have the Downey brace and it is OK but I would get the Sonoran Steel one from Schaefer if I had it to do over again but I won't bother with it now as I will be going SA in the next year or so. You can get the LCA bushings out with your bottle jack and a big socket. The uppers are trickier. I put in Energy Susp. poly bushings and they squeak like the dickens. Grease the daylights out of them or get OEM. Consider looking for rust free parts from out west on the board here from people that have done SA swaps and yeah, I'd replace both ball joints

Sosborne

I only buy rust free parts. Believe it or not none of that rust was there last Summer. This is the yearly ebb and flow of things here in the Salt belt.

I will check into the other brace. Is it weld-on or bolt-on?

Thanks
Scott

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

bolt on

http://www.sonoransteel.com/Early_IFS_Brace.html

Sosborne

Boy I have been working on this for a week now and I can't get one the the Cam bolts out. The other one came out easy. The rear facing one will not. I tried heating it and banging on it with both a Air hammer and a BFH. Won't even buge. I don't know whats holding it in....

mt_goat

I had one like that on my UCA, I ended up having to cut the bolt with a sawzall, the bolt had rusted up inside the bushing sleave.

Sosborne

I was thinking that was the next step....Jus looking for any trick before I go cutting.

Thanks
Scott

mt_goat

Have you been using PB Blaster on it? Keep soaking it with that.

Sosborne

Yep I have soaked everything with that. Its not the nut that is stuck..Its thhe accual bolt thats stuck inside the bushing

mt_goat

Yeah I know, but rusted stuck is rusted stuck. It could also be that the bolt is bent from the impact, in which case cutting is the only option.

Sosborne

Ok I got the stuck bolt out...Litte bit of sawzall finese! After I took of the "good" lower control arm I noticed a 1x2 inch hole has rust through in the back of it. Should I weld a patch over top of it or just replace the entire LCA?

Thanks
Scott

Sosborne

So anyone have a thought about that???

mt_goat

I guess I'd replace it IF you can find a cheap one at the bone yard that's in good shape (otherwise just weld it up). But....and please take this with a grain of salt...(I'm not used to seeing much rust in my part of the country) I was hesitant to say replace it because after looking at those pics if you replaced all the rusted out parts I'm afraid you'd be replacing the whole rolling chasis.

Sosborne

Yeah...If money wasn't an object I would replace it all. I think I am just going to through a patch on the back.

I need to get the rest of my parts soon. I am puttering around and replacing more than I planned!!! Since the UCA bushings came with my kit I am trying to get those off to relpace them too.

Sosborne

Ok...Now I have a new problem. Does anyone know if the toyota dealer sells the metal bushing sleeves??? I have one that is so rusted that it fell apart.

Been making good headway with all the rust. I gave everything a good phosphouric acid bath and a coat of Rust inhibitor primer.

I found a can of Dupli-color ceramic brake paint so i went ahead and painted the calipers. Still waiting for the stuff from Downey to arrive. On the other hand I am quite pleased with the TRW balljoints I got. They came with poly boots and have a grease fitting on them...Nice product for a non OEM replacement part

Sosborne

Ok I got all four bushings out but the press destroyed the metal portion....Does the dealer sell just the metal part??. Its kinda getting on my nerves. It took over a week to get those suckers out. I went to two different shops and there arbor press either wouldn't work or they just couldn't free them.

What can I do. I need my truck back fast.

mt_goat

If you use the Toyota OEM bushings they come complete ready to pop (press) into the hole.

ewong

OEM bushings are $$$ tho

Actuallt the more I learn about it the more I think that urathan control arm bushings are junk.... (and yes I have em and yes they squeek)

My lower bolt rusted in place too - swazall to cut it out.

I had OEM sleeves made out of stainless - should prevent the rusting...

YodaPala

That looks hungry.

Sosborne

The only reason that I decided to change the bushings was because I thought it was an upgrade. It was also suggested to me earlier in this thread. I have no idea how Energy Suspension thinks you can reuse the metal part....How the hell do you even get the old bushing off the sleeve.....For that matter how to you get one back one???

How would I go about making one? Guess I will have to use some ingenuaty on this one.