02 Taco - bad lower control arm?

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Oct 11, 2010 | 06:58 PM
  #1  
Ok, I'll try to make it brief.

A few years ago I bought a wrecked 02 Tacoma. Wrecked in the right front. Replaced steering and suspension w/ parts from wrecking yard, and had a body shop do the rest. Jan of 09, right front ball joint broke while Elk hunting. Toyota dealers replaced ball joints on recall notice. Just over a year later the right front ball joints broke again. Toyota wouldn't help this time. I bought ball joints and did the job myself. After it was all put back together I noticed the right front bottom ball joint is tilted towards the wheel, while the left front is straight perpendicular. Could this be because the lower control arm I bought from the wrecking yard a few years ago was bent? Look at the pictures and tell me what you think.

Thanks a bunch for your advice!
Gary

02 Taco - bad lower control arm?-htc1-166.png   02 Taco - bad lower control arm?-htc1-167.png  

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Oct 12, 2010 | 04:50 AM
  #2  
Looks bent to me. Hard to tell exactly how bad from a picture but I'm sure you can see it in person. I would take it to your alignment shop and ask them what they think. If it is as bad as it looks in the picture, I would replace it even if it isn't causing the BJ failures.
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Oct 14, 2010 | 01:00 AM
  #3  
Did the body shop ever check for frame damage for any bends/ripples in the frame?
How bad was it wrecked (direct impact?) and what did the body shop do?

Those pics don't help. The truck could have a bent wheel, frame, LCA or all combined.
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