• Welcome to Tacoma3G.com, a free resource for 2016-2023 Toyota Tacoma owners!

    This website is the passion-project of a USMC veteran/mechanic, @Tyler. I created Tacoma3G.com to share my knowledge of this subject with others and to provide like-minded folks with a comfortable space to ask questions and create 'build threads' within our Tacoma Forums. Now, if the format of this website is confusing to navigate for you, or if you're interested in my full mission and T3G's history, check out the Help and About pages.

Lower Control Arm Bushings

hlabug

2️⃣ Bronze
Joined
May 8, 2018
Messages
6
Reaction score
1
Age
67
Location
Mark Twain National Forest
2018 TRD OR DCLB Auto
White
My 2018 Taco is all over the road and constantly requires alignments: 5 alignments with in 60K!
Of course, the dealer has the same explanation you take it off road!

The other day, while getting my second set of tires installed, the tech tells me that the LCA have spongy bushings. So, I call the dealer and they want 375.00 a pop! I ask the parts guy if they are improved over the ones in my truck and he said he'd get back to me. Which of course he hasn't!

Anybody have any thoughts or experiences with this issue?
 
Stock or lifted? Need more details.
 
how much off roading do you do? if you do thats the price you pay.
 
I live in the country and drive dirt roads but that wasn't the case until two years ago. It still doesn't answer the question about spongy control arm bushings and why the truck drifts back and forth. I mean literally, if I take my eyes off the road for a second the truck is in the ditch!
 
I can’t really answer to why your bushings have gotten spongy. But have you double checked that everything is tight after getting an alignment? And with you driving dirt roads all the time now make sure you check that everything is staying tight periodically. Mark everything with paint pen or torque stripe. Also I would look into getting cam tab gussets. I personally run the marlin crawler lower control arm frame brace kit. There’s other options out there though.
 
The truck has been a disaster from the start. It has always veered back and forth driving on the road before I moved to the forest. I've only got 66K on it and I am on my third set of tires. It's my third Toyota truck and my last!
 
My 2018 Taco is all over the road and constantly requires alignments: 5 alignments with in 60K!
Of course, the dealer has the same explanation you take it off road!

The other day, while getting my second set of tires installed, the tech tells me that the LCA have spongy bushings. So, I call the dealer and they want 375.00 a pop! I ask the parts guy if they are improved over the ones in my truck and he said he'd get back to me. Which of course he hasn't!

Anybody have any thoughts or experiences with this issue?
My truck has a similar problem. Maybe your truck is the same.

On mine, I also can’t get a proper alignment. I went through about 5 different places and no one could do it.

Eventually, I tried to do a DIY alignment to at least “reset” things and get it close enough so I could bring it to a shop.

That’s when I realized one of my cam bolts is seized. Since it’s seized, they can’t use it for the alignment, thus only putting 3 out of 4 into spec and calling the seized one “good enough” for an alignment. Apparently, it’s not uncommon for them to seize, especially if you drive in salt often.
 
Hey Tyler, it's been a minute! How's things going with you? I see your out of the Marines now. Not sure if you remember me but I was one of the MRZR FSR's at Pendleton. Bob, the old guy with the white hair. Thanks for the reply. I hate to say it but really hate my Taco. It's been a big disappointment since day one! It came from the factory out of alignment and goes through front tires like I go through six packs! The other thing that sucks is the rear axle isn't adjustable for a four-wheel alignment! And yes, I used to live in Salton City, so it's seen its fair share of salt! Any ways now I live in the middle of nowhere in the Ozarks in Missouri and it's several miles of dirt road to the main highway to get anywhere and I still drive like I drove my Audi!
So, are you still on the road traveling across the states? If you get to Missouri, you're more than welcome to visit. My 40 acres is directly connected to the largest contiguous section of Mark Twain National Forest. I'm so remote that my deer stand is the bathroom window!
 

Attachments

  • The House.jpg
    The House.jpg
    175.5 KB · Views: 42
Last edited by a moderator:
Hey Tyler, it's been a minute! How's things going with you? I see your out of the Marines now. Not sure if you remember me but I was one of the MRZR FSR's at Pendleton. Bob, the old guy with the white hair.
Wow! It's definitely been a while. I'm honestly impressed that we happened to cross paths years later, on the forum that I made, ha. I appreciate the invite - we were just in Ozarks a few months ago. I'm going to remove your address from your post, though, because anyone on the internet can see it. If we are down there again, I will let you know!

Sucks about your Tacoma. Have you been considering trading it in?
 
Back
Top