6G Celicas Forums

I am replacing the lower left control arm (48069-20290 - #6 on attached image) on my 95 GT once the correct part arrives; seems I was mistakenly sent a control arm for an earlier generation. The bolts have all been removed, including the stabilizer bar link (48820-33010 - #4 on second image).

Now all I have to do is remove the control arm and I need to know how much force I can apply without damaging any of the other suspension/steering componentry. How do I wrestle this bastard from the car?





Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

M Kalmus

This post has been edited by mskalmus: Oct 19, 2015 - 3:36 PM

ALOT of force is needed.
I used a large pry bar as well as a flat head, and a ton of swearing to get it out. In my scenario I ended up mangling the crush tube within the rear bushing of the arm (bolt #8) in order to get the arm out. It takes quite a bit of muscle to get out, so don't be afraid to get aggressive. At this point, there shouldn't be much to damage, as nothing is bolted up to it.

And IIRC, it doesn't just pop out all at once, it will slowly come out bit by bit with a bunch of wiggling/force. Pry bars are your friend here.

if number 6 wont come out its because number 9 wont let it.

lol.

Number 9 is a little sleeve, thats going to come out if you punch it from the top, unfortunately, you have to drop the whole crossmember. if you are not dropping it, try to see if you can pull it from underneath. otherwise will require a lot to bend that little tube.

Great.

I can drop the cross-member; but then the control arm bushing (90389-21003) must be punched out of the control arm? Should I also replace the bushing? Should I replace left and right?

^X million

This post has been edited by enderswift: Oct 19, 2015 - 5:45 PM

The correct way is to do what njccmd said but most people just crush the tube and toss it. I know that tube can and will fit through the bottom hole of the subframe. If you can. You can try to pull the crush tube out through the bottom. And make it a lot easier.

some lube should help

Okay, so now I understand why the bushing is nicknamed a "crush tube." I had to batter it pretty badly with the blade of an 18" screwdriver and a 2-lb hammer. I'm guessing the bushing is designed to be destroyed and replaced, not reused.

The replacement bushing slipped right into the new control arm with a bit of bearing grease.

Trying to drop the crossmember was more difficult than I expected; I never was able to loosen the bolt that attaches to the tranny/diff. I ended up snapping my Pittsburgh 1/2" u-joint socket adapter using an 18" breaker bar. Bolt still did not move, but my left rotator cuff sure did.

Reassembly completed. Now an alignment.

the lower control arms im selling have 165,000 miles (here in california where humidity and salt are at a minumum. Even when living near the beach)

you can purchase these (scroll halfway down) these will make removing the lower control arms in the future (but have to purchase from europe)

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=89939

The Front LCA's are actually designed so that you can't replace the bushing, that's why there's no replacement bushings available from Toyota.
You're supposed to change the whole arm when the bushings wear out. That's why Paul in Poland is pretty much the only option for bushings, no one else has done it.

I think they are talking about the USDM lower control arm. The super strut was never adopted here in the sates, but you would be correct in saying that it is not replaceable on the super strut design.

Yea I was talking about the USDM (Same as the Canadian Celica) LCA's as well.
If you call toyota, and try and get that bushing, they'll tell you the bushing is not a replaceable part, and you need the whole control arm.
At least thats what I was told the last time I had to change mine.

They ignant to the fact of the polyurethane bushings yo!

Yo i gotz duh poly bushins already