vasinvictor

iTrader: (3)

This thread just won't die.

Spuddy98

No big deal if a thread doesn't die. It's a sourch of info for those of us doing research. I had bilsteins on an old ford truck. Now I'd like them but I can get a set of monomax for half the cost. Gotta go monomax for my on road application.

jsabowabo

I've got the same question. My Ranch 5000 series are over 20 years old and the bushings are shot. A set of KYB Monomax is $240, while Bilstein 5100's are $340. I've read a bunch of threads on this and 80-90% of the responses are to buy Bilstein. I've got them on my Tacoma and really like the ride. I think I'll drop the extra $100 and put them on my 89 4Runner.

83

Well then while this is bumped...Anyone have experience with towing? I've always run Bilsteins, and always liked them. My current truck has 5100s. I tow a camper trailer. There may be something else going on, but I've had issues with bad tire wear the last two sets of tires. They start cupping on the outer edges, and just get worse and worse, no alignment can save them, everything in the front end checks out.

I would never have blamed the shocks for this but someone on a towing forum I frequent mentioned Bilsteins doing this in his experience. Now we all know different people have different experiences, and obviously(?) most people around here are pro-Bilstein. I've always had great luck in the past. But does anyone think the shocks could be responsible for my tire wear? Anyone have suggestions for a good shock for a lot of highway and a good amount of towing, and offoading that's mostly limited to roads a Subaru could drive. I drive a LOT of dirt roads, but no crawling.

Malcolm99

Thats what the tire shop told me when I inquired about cupping/feathering on the outer edge of my new front tires, "worn suspension", ??but its brand new I explained??, took it back to toyota for an alignment after replacing LCA bushings with whiteline bushings #W53377A because the last time they adjusted it they twisted the seized LCA cam and bushing upon further inspection, all good now, post your alignment.

83

Well one thing I know for sure is that my control arm bushings are past their life. It's a job which is a) really damn expensive or b) a pretty major job requiring tools I don't have and so...it hasn't happened.

Malcolm99

It's not hard if the LCA adjusting Cams come out, cutting them out sucks but nothing a sawzall and Diablo metal cutting blades won't fix, all the bushings are about $80 from whiteline, might need a few cams if rusted bad and cut out, only special tool you need is the lower ball joint and tie-rod separator, burn the bushing out, cut the sleeve with a sawzall and hammer them out and hammer new bushings in, lots of vids, but if rusted you have to cut the sleeve of the old bushing and hammer fold it out. I put this off for awhile but it only took about 10-12 hours after cleaning and painting everything, I'm sure other s with a brand new set up could do it in 6hours or less, I had to cut one Cam sleeve so perhaps I was lucky. There is no way to properly align the vehicle if the Cams are seized and it will ride terrible if they adjust a seized bushing putting it under tension acting like a bad shock. If I had the chance to do it again, I would probably use OEM $ static bushings as I think they would last longer since poly bushings as a pivot joint hasn't worked out for me.

83

Interesting. Alright, thanks. The video I watched showed a hydraulic press...which I guess couldn't hurt but if it's not necessary that's great. I have the front end service kit from OTC so the ball joint is the least of my worries. It's getting the bushings out that intimidates me.

fierohink

torching our the old is easy, messy, but easy.

Search YouTube for videos where they use the OE service jack to push the bushings out of the LCA. You put the bottle jack between the two ears and push the bushing out from the middle.

83

Alright, I'll check it out. I'm assuming I'll need a torch...but we'll see. Maybe I'll build up the motivation to take care of it this summer.