Thank you for this video and your honest discussion on the need to replace the Lower Control Arms (LCA) and the ball joints. I watch your videos all the time and just searched to see what you had to say about LCAs and ball joints. I just got back from servicing our 2015 Sienna with 93k miles on it and was told by the dealer (Northridge Toyota) that I need to replace the LCAs at cost of $1880.54 AND the ball joints (told they are leaking) at an additional cost of $1187.31 plus alignment afterwards at $159.95. So the total bill would come to $3227.8. I told them no thank you (had not seen this video at that point). The car drives fine and I don't see any of the symptoms that you mentioned, so thanks to your video, I will not replace these until I actually see the bushing on the LCA separate and get the wobbles. I bought a Toyota and was wondering if Toyotas are so reliable, why then are these LCAs and ball joints going bad so soon. We do mostly city driving. I suspect as you said that that will be a good bit of miles and time away. I also looked at a couple of videos online and see that even if you do go ahead and replace the LCA and the ball joint, the ball joint labor should be pretty low as most of the work is for the LCA removal and reinstallation; the ball joint replacement, once you have the LCA out and loose is pretty easy then. I won't be contributing towards this dealer's desire to make large profits. Regards
I just had a dealership quote me almost $1,900 to replace my front control arms on my 2010 Corolla S with 163k miles for torn/separating bushings. After watching your video and looking at the photos the dealership provided, all I can do is laugh. Thank you!
If a shop tells me that I need to replace a ball joint, I said "NO" and show them this video.. LOL Toyota needs to sponsor this video, if they are not already doing so. I love this video!
So well explained to keep my attention straight for 21 minutes. You took me down memory lane where I was told by Pepboys (sorry Pepboys for calling you out again) to replace control arms on a 4 year old 2012 Camry that has never seen snow in the south! Thank you again for these videos.
A local mechanic recently showed me a picture my Camry '12 front control arm bushing, it looks exactly the same with the bushing picture you flased in the video. And that mechanic quoted me $1,714 to replace 2 front control arms at 107,000 miles. From my feeling about the car's handling, I rejected that right away although I knew that I must monitor and research more about this parts to make informed decision. And this video truly and strongly confirmed all what happened to me. Thanks so much AMD for doing this good for car owners! Thanks for telling the truth while there're so many robery liars out there.
Thank you for this info. It's exactly what I needed to know as I was shopping for control arms and ball joints this week. Was on the fence about Moog vs Toyota OEM parts. I usually I prefer the Moog Problem Solvers with grease ports. This is my first Toyota so I didn't know that their ball joints shouldn't need replacement just because I was in there for something else. I guess I'll hold off on the control arms too. I'm very much loving my new to me 2004 Sienna AWD with 235,000 miles.
I have changed this control arm on my 04 Camry . OEM is about $150 each. I bought one by AC Delco professional about $85 made in China . And the other side was Beck/Arnley about $85 as well, made in Taiwan. After two year I started see small crack on ACdelco , but none on Beck/Arnley. I still have both in my car . It was change in 09/2017 . I also changed out ball joint .. not that I needed .. I changed it because boot was broken off and grease out . I bought one from AC delco made by 555 and made in Japan . Another side , I bought from Toyota . so far so good on both side .
Thanks for making this great video, especially regarding balljoints and control arm bushings. Incredibly helpful information that I wouldn't have been able to find anywhere else!
Thanks for the assistance there Amd! My 2015 Lexus RX350 was showing some cracking on the lower control arm bushings, but overall, other than the cracking, they look good. The car still drives like it did when I got it 8 years ago as a CPO purchase. My local shop, who is a good place, priced out $2900 for the job, based on Toyota book time. I do have pictures to compare to now and will check it each oil change or if there is a change in the drivability of the car. Always good to "know a guy". I will be shopping around though as $2900 is pretty high for the lower control arms.
A very good teacher who knows the subject from actual experience. He explains problems so the layman can understand and chose the best solution for repair. I recommend you subscribe and refer to it when a problem occurs.
We are learning so much watching your channel. We have a 05 Camery. It has over 325.000 miles on it, and we purchased it from the second owner at his yard sale one year ago today. We had some small amount of rust in the lower right wheel well area we had repaired. And repaired a small oil leak top side. So far so good. 😊
I am the proud owner of a 99 Toyota Camry XLE, 218k miles, I have had to replace my right front lower control arm, the smaller bushing with two bolts holding it failed because of the power steering leaking on it, I am not making any excuses I should have replace the power steering lines sooner and I think it would have lasted longer. The left front is pretty good , the bushings are getting a bit softer but everything seems fine. Thank you for your advice and explanation of Toyota maintenance!
Fantastic! Was just told i needed to replace the control arms on my '12 Venza before I could get it aligned...to the tune of $2k! Car still drives straight. Already a subscriber. Thank you for your wonderful videos! Always use them as a resource!
I live in Thailand, roads are rough here. I have a 2001 Toyota Soluna GLi with 198,000km, I bought used 3 months ago. I just replaced my front ball joints after a bit of a road trip. Halfway through my 2000km trip I noticed excessive front outside tire wear, where the cords and steel wires were starting to be exposed. My ball joints were very loose with up/down travel and easily swiveled by hand. I replaced both sides aftermarket product, new tires, balance and alignment for 5000 baht, about $150USD including labor. Reflecting on recent work done to this car I had all 4 front CV boots replaced, but never got an alignment afterwards, possibly my mistake. Upon returning home I priced the ball joints from a Toyota dealership, $176USD each plus labour. My car is 21 years old. I think I made the right decision on the aftermarket ball joints. It sure rides smooth now.
I think you just saved me $5000! - At my last dealer service on my 2012 RAV they recommended my next service include a $4900 item REC, ALIGN BECAUSE: " FOUND LCAS CRACKING AND SPLITTING AND FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION PAST MAINT" I was planning to get a second opinion from a different mechanic since it sounded scary ("The control arm has cracks") but there is no symptoms with how the car rides - maybe a little softer than before but not too noticeable. After watching these Vids from you my new plan is at my next service to ask the service manager to take me back and introduce me to the mechanic and ask them to show me.
My control arm bushings on my car are starting to separate. It is a 14 year old car. Like you said I will keep my eye on it. There seems to be no problems in braking other than pads wearing. Thanks for the advice sir.
I'm glad I found your channel. I have an eleven year old Tacoma 4x4. The truck still runs fine, but I had been checking the ball joints considering its age. Now I can make informed decisions as to when to replace the components I had seen in your videos. Thank you and I appreciate you making these useful videos.
Your right on about rear arms.I had to change one on my 2000 Camry with 400k Kilometers .All front end items are still in A1 shape unthinkable on anything I have owned .thanks
A couple years ago, I replaced the totally failed rear beam axle Bushings on my sons 1998 Tercel. I live in Michigan…bolts were stubborn and had to use a ball joint press to get them in and out. Also replaced one of the front lower control arms because of failed bushings…bolts were a challenge.
was told by mechanic to replace the bushings for my Lexus 2012...i have never felt anything different in my driving, so why point me to nothing in particular underneath? Then I watched this clip, and i have an answer next time that mechanic brings up that talk again. Thanks again for your re-assurance!!
Interesting. My dealership service department said my sienna has some leaky ball joints but didn't mention anything about replacement. As always your videos have the best information.
Thank you for watching! They’re probably gonna be leaky for a long time and after much anticipation nothing will happen. Glad the dealership didn’t recommend them. Say no to that if ever do!
Hello my friend. I just wanted to tell you that I recently had to replace the front right ball joint on my 2006 Rav4 which at the time had approx. 176K miles on it. The reason it went was because the boot had actually tore in half so there was no longer any grease in the thing. I now have 180K on it and have been told that my front lower control arms "need attention" and that my rear "toe adjusting rods" need to be replaced cuz they can longer be used to adjust the toe on the rear wheels. This information came from Big Chief when I had them perform an alignment after putting new tires on it. After watching this video I can tell you that I am going to crawl under the thing tomorrow and look at those front control arms myself to see what they look like plus I'm going to see what you have here with regards to the rear stuff and then decide what to do about those!! I'm a 68 year old retired Navy Chief so I can't afford to go out and buy a new vehicle or to pay Toyota 2200.00 bucks for the front control arms. So I'm pretty sure you just saved me that and I'm hoping you'll save me some money on the rear arms as well. Thank you so much for your advice on this stuff. You can bet I'll be all over your channel before the night is over!! Thank you again.
I needed to see this video! I was just quoted $1,100 to replace front lower control arm bushings, because they have small cracks. The car is driving fine. I told the service writer that we will keep an eye on it.
Thank you. Learned my lesson with after market ball joint. Drove the car for 7 years on my 07 camry oem and aftermarket few dollars cheaper lasted 7 months. Replaced with oem my relatives still driving it no problem. 100% with you. Thank you again
Hey AMD. Based on this video, would you be able to possibly make an informational video on how to test suspension components DIY? Like maybe some at home tests to check for bad ball joints, bushings, etc. thanks, and love the content!
As someone who rebuilt the front suspension (control arm bushings, struts, strut mount/bearings, ball joints, stabilizer bar bushings and end links) on a 200k mile, 1998 Lexus es300...buy OEM Toyota ball joints. I didn't plan on replacing ball joints but one was torn and was sloppy loose, so I picked up some generic at the local parts store. Didn't fit. Found some similar to oem priced ones ($60 each) at another store...then had to buy a grease gun and grease them myself. I would've went oem but with shipping time and using my sisters garage...I just wanted to get it done. I did go oem from discounted Toyota of Cool Springs for my valve cover gaskets, bolts and spark plug job.
I've got a 2001 toyota camry gallery series that has 156k on it and I had to go through myself and fix everything pretty much as far as suspension went to get ride of all the clunks and noises and my control arms and ball joints where among the parts that was making all the noises and causing the problems. I started by replacing only the sway bar links. Then struts and socks all the way around, got better changed the control arms and ball joints only clunking in the back at that point 😂 got the lateral links changed and bam that was all The worn out stuff! Now mines 22 yrs old and I live in Wisconsin so 😂 I still gotta do a few things but she runs like a champ now!
Wish I found this channel earlier. I love Toyotas. I had a 98 Camry last me a decade, before I sold it. My 2008 Rav is going strong. I wish I saw part one of this series before I had front end work done a year ago.
I lovethe thorough, serious and to the point look and explanation you have for the complex , and over the top perfectionist labor of love answer for everything. I dare say when it comes to Toyota,... you are a better mechanic than Scotty Kilmer
I would love to see this further explained (on the car) in detail actually shown on various Toyotas especially the Lexus LS460 which is usually problematic! 👍
Love your video. Somehow older 1st Tacomas have issues with these LBJ. I go ahead and replaced mine myself. Of course OEM part and it was 180 dollars for each, I believe. Worth every cent.
Oh man, in 2019 I changed the ball joints on my mom ol' 98 Corolla because I saw the rubber torn with grease hanging out. I figured it was done with, I put aftermarket on. Well either way it was sold in March 2020, with over 283k miles. Great little car, and it was the one with the cheapy 3sp Auto Trans.
I have two questions: 1. If the ball joint boot is torn, does Toyota sell replacement boots? I checked online Toyota parts and didn't see any, I just wanted to see if you knew of any that are available. 2. If I replace the boot, what type of grease should I repack the joint with? If Toyota doesn't sell ball joint boots and the ball joint itself is still good, I thought I could buy a cheap aftermarket ball joint and just switch the boot and repack with grease. Great channel, by the way. I love how it is detailed and is only Toyota/Lexus specific. Thanks for all the information you provide.
The rubber bushing for my 1995 Toyota went out for the one that you said you've never seen go out, but only on the drivers side, the other side was good
On my ‘08 Yaris, I pulled the knuckles to take to a mechanic to press in and out the wheels bearings at 250,000 miles. ( replaced with Japanese bearings) While the front end was apart…checked the ball joints….perfect condition !
I wish I would have found your channel before I replaced some of these parts on my 1995 camry, I am usually on a budget but after hearing these things I trust that I would have made better investments on oem. Good thing I didnt throw out my old control arms, ill just replace the bushings you talked about
Many thanks AMD, I knew and learned a lot of information from this video. I always send my Toyota cars to Toyota dealer for services, as I had been robbed by private business mechanics. Regret that you are not in Vancouver, BC. AMD is as well as Mike Holmes in construction industry. 👍💯
Sir, being a US type living in Europe and owning a Hilux wish some of your presentation was geared toward Hilux. I know you are US and most of your audience is likewise, yes I mostly understand. Thanks you and love your Presentation.
Thank you. While I was checking the intermittent vibration on my 2017 rav4 hybrid, found that front control arm bushing has cracks. And the rack and pinion bolt has two deep cracks. I will leave the bushing alone.
I really enjoy watching your channel, Toyota dealership quoted me $2500 for front left & right on my 2011 Sienna. I am not sure the quote was little high side.
Great video. Couple of comments, yes, these parts are the same price as QUALITY after market for most parts. The other thing, here in Missouri we have state inspection for tag renewals. They will fail the car for cracked bushings or dry ball joints, it's a money maker for them and you have tondo it if you want to licenses your car. But, no emissions inspection though.
Thank you Ahmad! Awesome comment. We don’t have state inspections in Illinois. That I guess is where you’re forced to take care of them but in reality if you don’t especially on the ball joints they will keep going until the end of the cars life without issues
My front end shakes at 65- 80mph and it drives Me crazy ! 🤪 So , I changed My cvl axels on both sides and still shakes but , just bought the control arm kit online for 145$...& I hope it stops the shaking....😊
Thank you again for this video. Just came out of a Toyota dealer with 5k mile oil change on 2013 Camry. They recommended front ball joint replacement. I declined it. Car has only 55k miles. Car is running fine and don’t see issues when driving. Why can’t they be honest. This is losing my trust against Toyota dealer service experience. I only went for oil change to make use of year end coupon. On top of it they recommended again for 4 wheel alignment(2nd on this car lifetime) which they performed 6 months back on previous oil change. I am finding hard to get a honest mechanic to stop going to dealer.
5:10 my friend has a 97 camry and that bushing your talking about went bad the steering felt loose and seemed like the alignment changed continuously while driving took the control arm off and that bushing had all kinds of play, but that 97 camry also has 220k miles and a ton of abuse
5:20 on my RX300 1999 the front bottom bushings on both sides went out. Symptom was - car was pulling to one side under harder acceleration. had no other options as to buy cheap bushings and press them in with the help of big vice grips. I was also very surprised to see this.
Thank you so much for your video. I have a 2008 RAV with the six cylinder. The mechanic told me I needed to replace the ball joints because the bits were torn and leaking. In the video you said don’t replace them if They’re leaking. Well, one side isn’t that much grease but then other side There’s a lot of grease leaking. Would you still say don’t replace it?
My mechanic, who I trust and have been taking my Toyotas to for well over two decades, said I need the lower ball joints replaced on my 1998 Camry. Now that I've seen your video, do you think a 25-year old Camry with over 330k miles might need new lower ball joints? He said the total cost would be approx. $450. He just put on new KYB strut assemblies (the first time I've replaced them since I bought the car new in 1998) and the car now rides like new again. My impulse is to trust him and get the new ball joints (he always prefers Toyota OEM parts if available) in about a month from now. And I do plan on keeping this car for as long as possible (it has that wonderful 2.2L engine that some mechanics argue is the best 4 cylinder Toyota ever made).
My Lexus rx400h had very bad control arms, and for some reason my brakes was always rubbing into the rotors while driving. Changed my rotors brakes and calipers, still same. Also my steering was very stiff difficult to steer at low speed and shimmy, always pulling left or right depending on the road surface. Changed both front control arms and it was like a new car.
Thanks for video and what to look for. Have a 2013 Sienna with 235k miles and hope to get it to 350k. Rear coil springs just replaced as one broke. Looking for why all tires are wearing more on outside, from alignment or something else.
I agree with you Toyota makes the best ball joint. Mine typically last 160k, crazy. I just force myself to replace stuff because its way to long that I can't believe there isn't a problem. American cars ball joints last 60k if you are luck.
I prefer Factory parts over aftermarket parts. I drive a 06' AWD 3.0 Escape and just went through a major front/rear, steering/suspension rebuild. I figured the factory parts lasted 195K, so new OEM parts should last just as long. In fact, many parts that I replaced, superseded the original parts by using updated design and features confirmed by new part numbers. I am happy sitting at 220k miles now. We do own a 2011 Sennia, and that rear bushing failed on the lower control arms. Made a clunk when applying the brakes. Lasted 90,000 miles.
My understanding is that air suspension is prone to failure. Anything to avoid it? And secondly do you recommend fixing it or replacing it with struts/shocks? My Ls430 is a 2005 model with 70000 miles and I'd like to keep it for a long while.
Hi! Air suspension on that Lexus is generally reliable however all air suspension at some point will have issues. I would look at it this way. If the car is 15 years old and they’re holding. I’d say that’s pretty good. If they fail they will be expensive but they will likely hold for another 15 years just like the originals did. Replacing to coil springs is an option if you are on a budget but just know the ride will change, not significantly but you’ll be able to tell.
Great channel. Very educational. I have a 2008 Toyota 4runner with 98,000 miles. The boots on my upper and lower ball joints are torn and some grease has leaked out. After inspecting the ball joints I found they are in good condition. Do you recommend replacing the boot and adding new grease? Or should i just replace the ball joints due to the age of my 4Runner? I cant find a Toyota dealer in New York City that sells the original Toyota ball joints without also purchasing the control arms with them. Do you know were to purchase only the ball joint?
I took your advice my 2003 Toyota Avalon had an aftermarket ball joint on the right side because of a stupid mistake I made I replaced it about a year ago it was already leaking grease it was a Duralast brand I went to the dealership and got an OEM ball joint for $89 the one on the other side is still good with 250,000 miles so I never have to worry about it again
Ahh, i had to replace the ball joints at 115k run Honda City for a squeaky noise as recommended by the technician, it is tough for a novice to get to know if he was doing a flat robbery, post fixing it some squeaks did reduce!!
He's referring to the fact that on the Camry/ES/RX platform, you must remove the motor mounts and lift the engine to get to the screws that hold the front pivot bushing to the subframe. It's a bit of work.
You mentioned a change in design on the 2018 camry suspension/ control arms. That's the car that I own and plan to own for a long time. Do you have a video detailing those changes or a resource that might?
Hello AMD. I agree if it is not broke do not fix it. I am curious. How about states like New York that require yearly vehicle inspections. If their inspector observes a slightly cracked lower control arm bushing, are they likely to fail the vehicle for this and force the customer to fix it or retire it from the road?
hey there! I was about to start the process of getting to the cv axles on my 1988 toyota pickup (both boots on both sides are bad going to try to replace boots and grease, extra inspired to try this after watching another of your vidoes:) when I looked at my ball joints and noticed that the boots/rubber cover part on the ball joints all look pretty dry and with mini cracks or trending towards cracking. After watching this video, do I need to replace them? I was going into a rabbit hole where I was going to do this (with oem toyota ones), but then came across your video. obviously my truck is 36 years old.. how does what I am seeing on mine fit w your experience? should I put new ones on? thank you! I love working on my truck and really appreciate your videos!!
Great content and a big fan! Question you talked about how good the ball joints are from toyota. Is it common for oem ball joints boots to leak from the top portion? Checked my 2018 camry see and has some grease coming out the top not where there the ring is. Hope to hear from you
When you replace the rear control arm bushing is there proper way to orient it in the control arm. He is 100% right never seen a toyota ball joint wear out… also never had a drive axle fail, even when boot is slightly torn…
Listen to this guy, he’s good. This coming from a retired automotive instructor of 30 years.
Thank you for this video and your honest discussion on the need to replace the Lower Control Arms (LCA) and the ball joints. I watch your videos all the time and just searched to see what you had to say about LCAs and ball joints. I just got back from servicing our 2015 Sienna with 93k miles on it and was told by the dealer (Northridge Toyota) that I need to replace the LCAs at cost of $1880.54 AND the ball joints (told they are leaking) at an additional cost of $1187.31 plus alignment afterwards at $159.95. So the total bill would come to $3227.8. I told them no thank you (had not seen this video at that point). The car drives fine and I don't see any of the symptoms that you mentioned, so thanks to your video, I will not replace these until I actually see the bushing on the LCA separate and get the wobbles. I bought a Toyota and was wondering if Toyotas are so reliable, why then are these LCAs and ball joints going bad so soon. We do mostly city driving. I suspect as you said that that will be a good bit of miles and time away. I also looked at a couple of videos online and see that even if you do go ahead and replace the LCA and the ball joint, the ball joint labor should be pretty low as most of the work is for the LCA removal and reinstallation; the ball joint replacement, once you have the LCA out and loose is pretty easy then. I won't be contributing towards this dealer's desire to make large profits. Regards
I just had a dealership quote me almost $1,900 to replace my front control arms on my 2010 Corolla S with 163k miles for torn/separating bushings. After watching your video and looking at the photos the dealership provided, all I can do is laugh. Thank you!
If a shop tells me that I need to replace a ball joint, I said "NO" and show them this video.. LOL Toyota needs to sponsor this video, if they are not already doing so. I love this video!
This guy is telling you what I sadly learned the hard way 😬. He is blessed with knowledge and honesty. Thank you sir.
I wish all Toyota delearship mechanic were this honest, not to mention those service advisors clowns, they are crooks! Thank you sooo much!
So well explained to keep my attention straight for 21 minutes. You took me down memory lane where I was told by Pepboys (sorry Pepboys for calling you out again) to replace control arms on a 4 year old 2012 Camry that has never seen snow in the south! Thank you again for these videos.
Thank you for watching my video! That happens so much in the industry and control arms are not cheap on Toyota’s.
A local mechanic recently showed me a picture my Camry '12 front control arm bushing, it looks exactly the same with the bushing picture you flased in the video. And that mechanic quoted me $1,714 to replace 2 front control arms at 107,000 miles. From my feeling about the car's handling, I rejected that right away although I knew that I must monitor and research more about this parts to make informed decision. And this video truly and strongly confirmed all what happened to me. Thanks so much AMD for doing this good for car owners! Thanks for telling the truth while there're so many robery liars out there.
I get exhilarated when I see this guy. These are the best ball joints ever made period. I love Toyotas
Thank you for this info. It's exactly what I needed to know as I was shopping for control arms and ball joints this week. Was on the fence about Moog vs Toyota OEM parts. I usually I prefer the Moog Problem Solvers with grease ports. This is my first Toyota so I didn't know that their ball joints shouldn't need replacement just because I was in there for something else. I guess I'll hold off on the control arms too. I'm very much loving my new to me 2004 Sienna AWD with 235,000 miles.
Again, pure gold. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I have changed this control arm on my 04 Camry . OEM is about $150 each. I bought one by AC Delco professional about $85 made in China . And the other side was Beck/Arnley about $85 as well, made in Taiwan. After two year I started see small crack on ACdelco , but none on Beck/Arnley. I still have both in my car . It was change in 09/2017 . I also changed out ball joint .. not that I needed .. I changed it because boot was broken off and grease out . I bought one from AC delco made by 555 and made in Japan . Another side , I bought from Toyota . so far so good on both side .
Thanks for making this great video, especially regarding balljoints and control arm bushings.
Incredibly helpful information that I wouldn't have been able to find anywhere else!
Thanks for the assistance there Amd! My 2015 Lexus RX350 was showing some cracking on the lower control arm bushings, but overall, other than the cracking, they look good. The car still drives like it did when I got it 8 years ago as a CPO purchase. My local shop, who is a good place, priced out $2900 for the job, based on Toyota book time. I do have pictures to compare to now and will check it each oil change or if there is a change in the drivability of the car. Always good to "know a guy". I will be shopping around though as $2900 is pretty high for the lower control arms.
A very good teacher who knows the subject from actual experience. He explains problems so the layman can understand and chose the best solution for repair. I recommend you subscribe and refer to it when a problem occurs.
We are learning so much watching your channel. We have a 05 Camery. It has over 325.000 miles on it, and we purchased it from the second owner at his yard sale one year ago today. We had some small amount of rust in the lower right wheel well area we had repaired. And repaired a small oil leak top side. So far so good. 😊
Always honest professional information I wish most of the mechanics we met in the real world or is helpful and is useful as this gentleman
I am the proud owner of a 99 Toyota Camry XLE, 218k miles, I have had to replace my right front lower control arm, the smaller bushing with two bolts holding it failed because of the power steering leaking on it, I am not making any excuses I should have replace the power steering lines sooner and I think it would have lasted longer. The left front is pretty good , the bushings are getting a bit softer but everything seems fine. Thank you for your advice and explanation of Toyota maintenance!
Fantastic! Was just told i needed to replace the control arms on my '12 Venza before I could get it aligned...to the tune of $2k! Car still drives straight. Already a subscriber. Thank you for your wonderful videos! Always use them as a resource!
I live in Thailand, roads are rough here. I have a 2001 Toyota Soluna GLi with 198,000km, I bought used 3 months ago. I just replaced my front ball joints after a bit of a road trip. Halfway through my 2000km trip I noticed excessive front outside tire wear, where the cords and steel wires were starting to be exposed. My ball joints were very loose with up/down travel and easily swiveled by hand. I replaced both sides aftermarket product, new tires, balance and alignment for 5000 baht, about $150USD including labor. Reflecting on recent work done to this car I had all 4 front CV boots replaced, but never got an alignment afterwards, possibly my mistake. Upon returning home I priced the ball joints from a Toyota dealership, $176USD each plus labour. My car is 21 years old. I think I made the right decision on the aftermarket ball joints. It sure rides smooth now.
I hope that they last you a long time and that you are safe
The design of the control arm is the BEST!! After dealing with Hondas, I love that I can just replace the ball joints
I think you just saved me $5000! - At my last dealer service on my 2012 RAV they recommended my next service include a $4900 item REC, ALIGN BECAUSE: " FOUND LCAS CRACKING AND SPLITTING AND FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION PAST MAINT" I was planning to get a second opinion from a different mechanic since it sounded scary ("The control arm has cracks") but there is no symptoms with how the car rides - maybe a little softer than before but not too noticeable. After watching these Vids from you my new plan is at my next service to ask the service manager to take me back and introduce me to the mechanic and ask them to show me.
My control arm bushings on my car are starting to separate. It is a 14 year old car. Like you said I will keep my eye on it. There seems to be no problems in braking other than pads wearing. Thanks for the advice sir.
I'm glad I found your channel. I have an eleven year old Tacoma 4x4. The truck still runs fine, but I had been checking the ball joints considering its age. Now I can make informed decisions as to when to replace the components I had seen in your videos. Thank you and I appreciate you making these useful videos.
This is one of your best rants yet. Thanks for the info
Your right on about rear arms.I had to change one on my 2000 Camry with 400k Kilometers .All front end items are still in A1 shape unthinkable on anything I have owned .thanks
A couple years ago, I replaced the totally failed rear beam axle Bushings on my sons 1998 Tercel.
I live in Michigan…bolts were stubborn and had to use a ball joint press to get them in and out.
Also replaced one of the front lower control arms because of failed bushings…bolts were a challenge.
Very educational ! Thanks for reminding me everytime that Toyota stands out for built quality ..😁
Thanks!
was told by mechanic to replace the bushings for my Lexus 2012...i have never felt anything different in my driving, so why point me to nothing in particular underneath? Then I watched this clip, and i have an answer next time that mechanic brings up that talk again. Thanks again for your re-assurance!!
Interesting. My dealership service department said my sienna has some leaky ball joints but didn't mention anything about replacement. As always your videos have the best information.
Thank you for watching! They’re probably gonna be leaky for a long time and after much anticipation nothing will happen. Glad the dealership didn’t recommend them. Say no to that if ever do!
Hello my friend. I just wanted to tell you that I recently had to replace the front right ball joint on my 2006 Rav4 which at the time had approx. 176K miles on it. The reason it went was because the boot had actually tore in half so there was no longer any grease in the thing. I now have 180K on it and have been told that my front lower control arms "need attention" and that my rear "toe adjusting rods" need to be replaced cuz they can longer be used to adjust the toe on the rear wheels. This information came from Big Chief when I had them perform an alignment after putting new tires on it. After watching this video I can tell you that I am going to crawl under the thing tomorrow and look at those front control arms myself to see what they look like plus I'm going to see what you have here with regards to the rear stuff and then decide what to do about those!! I'm a 68 year old retired Navy Chief so I can't afford to go out and buy a new vehicle or to pay Toyota 2200.00 bucks for the front control arms. So I'm pretty sure you just saved me that and I'm hoping you'll save me some money on the rear arms as well. Thank you so much for your advice on this stuff. You can bet I'll be all over your channel before the night is over!! Thank you again.
I needed to see this video! I was just quoted $1,100 to replace front lower control arm bushings, because they have small cracks. The car is driving fine. I told the service writer that we will keep an eye on it.
Thank you. Learned my lesson with after market ball joint. Drove the car for 7 years on my 07 camry oem and aftermarket few dollars cheaper lasted 7 months. Replaced with oem my relatives still driving it no problem. 100% with you. Thank you again
What brand was that bad aftermarket part?
@@yactabaymevotech from rock auto either go oem or moog.
Hey AMD. Based on this video, would you be able to possibly make an informational video on how to test suspension components DIY? Like maybe some at home tests to check for bad ball joints, bushings, etc. thanks, and love the content!
Yes, this would be awesome
He's very good. technician and very honest professional. Thanks for sharing.
As someone who rebuilt the front suspension (control arm bushings, struts, strut mount/bearings, ball joints, stabilizer bar bushings and end links) on a 200k mile, 1998 Lexus es300...buy OEM Toyota ball joints. I didn't plan on replacing ball joints but one was torn and was sloppy loose, so I picked up some generic at the local parts store. Didn't fit. Found some similar to oem priced ones ($60 each) at another store...then had to buy a grease gun and grease them myself. I would've went oem but with shipping time and using my sisters garage...I just wanted to get it done. I did go oem from discounted Toyota of Cool Springs for my valve cover gaskets, bolts and spark plug job.
I hear you. Sometimes parts availability is an issue and you find yourself in a crunch just to get it done
I just replaced ball joints on 2001 RX300 with 220k miles. They weren’t horrible but pretty floppy.
I've got a 2001 toyota camry gallery series that has 156k on it and I had to go through myself and fix everything pretty much as far as suspension went to get ride of all the clunks and noises and my control arms and ball joints where among the parts that was making all the noises and causing the problems. I started by replacing only the sway bar links. Then struts and socks all the way around, got better changed the control arms and ball joints only clunking in the back at that point 😂 got the lateral links changed and bam that was all The worn out stuff! Now mines 22 yrs old and I live in Wisconsin so 😂 I still gotta do a few things but she runs like a champ now!
Wish I found this channel earlier. I love Toyotas. I had a 98 Camry last me a decade, before I sold it. My 2008 Rav is going strong. I wish I saw part one of this series before I had front end work done a year ago.
I lovethe thorough, serious and to the point look and explanation you have for the complex , and over the top perfectionist labor of love answer for everything.
I dare say when it comes to Toyota,... you are a better mechanic than Scotty Kilmer
AMD this is a great series! BTW, your popularity continues to grow, so happy for you!
Excellent info as always. Love your channel from the land down under. 🇦🇺
I use AT-205 re-seal to condition all suspension rubber parts to protect and condition once a year. Purchased from Amazon.
This is what I was thinking, I currently use 303 protectant but I might do a little experiment with atp
Great video. My 2008 Tundra has healthy ball joints . I love Toyota suspension.
I would love to see this further explained (on the car) in detail actually shown on various Toyotas especially the Lexus LS460 which is usually problematic! 👍
The ball joint thing is on point. The sealed one never goes bad. But my steering is bit stiffer
Love your video. Somehow older 1st Tacomas have issues with these LBJ. I go ahead and replaced mine myself. Of course OEM part and it was 180 dollars for each, I believe. Worth every cent.
Oh man, in 2019 I changed the ball joints on my mom ol' 98 Corolla because I saw the rubber torn with grease hanging out. I figured it was done with, I put aftermarket on. Well either way it was sold in March 2020, with over 283k miles. Great little car, and it was the one with the cheapy 3sp Auto Trans.
I have two questions:
1. If the ball joint boot is torn, does Toyota sell replacement boots?
I checked online Toyota parts and didn't see any, I just wanted to see if you knew of any that are available.
2. If I replace the boot, what type of grease should I repack the joint with?
If Toyota doesn't sell ball joint boots and the ball joint itself is still good, I thought I could buy a cheap aftermarket ball joint and just switch the boot and repack with grease.
Great channel, by the way. I love how it is detailed and is only Toyota/Lexus specific. Thanks for all the information you provide.
The rubber bushing for my 1995 Toyota went out for the one that you said you've never seen go out, but only on the drivers side, the other side was good
On my ‘08 Yaris, I pulled the knuckles to take to a mechanic to press in and out the wheels bearings at 250,000 miles. ( replaced with Japanese bearings)
While the front end was apart…checked the ball joints….perfect condition !
I wish I would have found your channel before I replaced some of these parts on my 1995 camry, I am usually on a budget but after hearing these things I trust that I would have made better investments on oem. Good thing I didnt throw out my old control arms, ill just replace the bushings you talked about
Thankful for all you objective and concise content
This channel is LEGIT. SUBSCRIBED
Information will never get old, outstanding!
Thanks a lot for saving me from unnecessary expense. May GOD BLESS you
Many thanks AMD, I knew and learned a lot of information from this video. I always send my Toyota cars to Toyota dealer for services, as I had been robbed by private business mechanics. Regret that you are not in Vancouver, BC. AMD is as well as Mike Holmes in construction industry. 👍💯
Mike Holmes is a crook
Sir, being a US type living in Europe and owning a Hilux wish some of your presentation was geared toward Hilux. I know you are US and most of your audience is likewise, yes I mostly understand. Thanks you and love your Presentation.
Hey you new guys,… you’ve found the best Toyota mechanic technician on the internet….YOUR DIY RESEARCH/research ON YOU TUBE IS OVER!!!!!!!
Really great video such great info I got all the info I've been searching for weeks now
CCN: " You bought a Toyota, not a generic made disposable car"....PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, you are Yoda Toyota. Thanks for the great videos
Thank you. While I was checking the intermittent vibration on my 2017 rav4 hybrid, found that front control arm bushing has cracks. And the rack and pinion bolt has two deep cracks. I will leave the bushing alone.
I really enjoy watching your channel, Toyota dealership quoted me $2500 for front left & right on my 2011 Sienna. I am not sure the quote was little high side.
Hi! Struts?
@@TheCarCareNut for lower control arms only and not included the lower ball joints. Thank you
That’s a bit on the high side
Great video. Couple of comments, yes, these parts are the same price as QUALITY after market for most parts. The other thing, here in Missouri we have state inspection for tag renewals. They will fail the car for cracked bushings or dry ball joints, it's a money maker for them and you have tondo it if you want to licenses your car. But, no emissions inspection though.
Thank you Ahmad! Awesome comment. We don’t have state inspections in Illinois. That I guess is where you’re forced to take care of them but in reality if you don’t especially on the ball joints they will keep going until the end of the cars life without issues
@@TheCarCareNut Or anything if you're an OCD person that has time on his hands and has to keep replacing stuff because I can and want to 😂😂😂😂
That’s a whole different Story 😂😂😂 and since we are car care nuts we tend to do that.... ALOT!
Video was very helpful! I was focused on watching 2zr-fxe maintenance and always wondered what suspension and chassis maintenance was like.
you just saved me $350 for a new balljoint! thanks!!
Thank you for the super detailed and honest video. Absolutely perfect instructions
Wish you would post a photo of the parts you are showing or discussing, on the vehicles... so it would better be understood.
one of the best resources on youtube
Thank you Leo! I’m glad I could help!
Your the best I learn a lot about everything toyota thank you.
My front end shakes at 65- 80mph and it drives Me crazy ! 🤪 So , I changed My cvl axels on both sides and still shakes but , just bought the control arm kit online for 145$...& I hope it stops the shaking....😊
Thank you again for this video. Just came out of a Toyota dealer with 5k mile oil change on 2013 Camry. They recommended front ball joint replacement. I declined it. Car has only 55k miles. Car is running fine and don’t see issues when driving. Why can’t they be honest. This is losing my trust against Toyota dealer service experience. I only went for oil change to make use of year end coupon. On top of it they recommended again for 4 wheel alignment(2nd on this car lifetime) which they performed 6 months back on previous oil change. I am finding hard to get a honest mechanic to stop going to dealer.
5:10 my friend has a 97 camry and that bushing your talking about went bad the steering felt loose and seemed like the alignment changed continuously while driving took the control arm off and that bushing had all kinds of play, but that 97 camry also has 220k miles and a ton of abuse
ya, that's a 30 year old car!
5:20 on my RX300 1999 the front bottom bushings on both sides went out. Symptom was - car was pulling to one side under harder acceleration. had no other options as to buy cheap bushings and press them in with the help of big vice grips. I was also very surprised to see this.
Thank you so much for your video. I have a 2008 RAV with the six cylinder. The mechanic told me I needed to replace the ball joints because the bits were torn and leaking. In the video you said don’t replace them if They’re leaking. Well, one side isn’t that much grease but then other side There’s a lot of grease leaking. Would you still say don’t replace it?
Thank you graces help us with your value information with the Toyota vehicle
Thanks Dear very nice information about Toyota Camry 👏👏👏👏🙏
My mechanic, who I trust and have been taking my Toyotas to for well over two decades, said I need the lower ball joints replaced on my 1998 Camry. Now that I've seen your video, do you think a 25-year old Camry with over 330k miles might need new lower ball joints? He said the total cost would be approx. $450. He just put on new KYB strut assemblies (the first time I've replaced them since I bought the car new in 1998) and the car now rides like new again. My impulse is to trust him and get the new ball joints (he always prefers Toyota OEM parts if available) in about a month from now. And I do plan on keeping this car for as long as possible (it has that wonderful 2.2L engine that some mechanics argue is the best 4 cylinder Toyota ever made).
Sounds like sound advice from your mechanic for the mileage.
My Lexus rx400h had very bad control arms, and for some reason my brakes was always rubbing into the rotors while driving. Changed my rotors brakes and calipers, still same. Also my steering was very stiff difficult to steer at low speed and shimmy, always pulling left or right depending on the road surface. Changed both front control arms and it was like a new car.
Thanks for video and what to look for. Have a 2013 Sienna with 235k miles and hope to get it to 350k. Rear coil springs just replaced as one broke. Looking for why all tires are wearing more on outside, from alignment or something else.
Have to say thank you for making such useful video.
I agree with you Toyota makes the best ball joint. Mine typically last 160k, crazy. I just force myself to replace stuff because its way to long that I can't believe there isn't a problem. American cars ball joints last 60k if you are luck.
I prefer Factory parts over aftermarket parts. I drive a 06' AWD 3.0 Escape and just went through a major front/rear, steering/suspension rebuild. I figured the factory parts lasted 195K, so new OEM parts should last just as long. In fact, many parts that I replaced, superseded the original parts by using updated design and features confirmed by new part numbers. I am happy sitting at 220k miles now.
We do own a 2011 Sennia, and that rear bushing failed on the lower control arms. Made a clunk when applying the brakes. Lasted 90,000 miles.
I'd like to have your expert advice on the LS430 air suspension. Thank you have already learned a lot from your previous videos.
Hi did you have a specific question on the air suspension?
My understanding is that air suspension is prone to failure. Anything to avoid it? And secondly do you recommend fixing it or replacing it with struts/shocks? My Ls430 is a 2005 model with 70000 miles and I'd like to keep it for a long while.
Hi! Air suspension on that Lexus is generally reliable however all air suspension at some point will have issues. I would look at it this way. If the car is 15 years old and they’re holding. I’d say that’s pretty good. If they fail they will be expensive but they will likely hold for another 15 years just like the originals did. Replacing to coil springs is an option if you are on a budget but just know the ride will change, not significantly but you’ll be able to tell.
@@TheCarCareNut
Thank you.
Great channel. Very educational. I have a 2008 Toyota 4runner with 98,000 miles. The boots on my upper and lower ball joints are torn and some grease has leaked out. After inspecting the ball joints I found they are in good condition. Do you recommend replacing the boot and adding new grease? Or should i just replace the ball joints due to the age of my 4Runner? I cant find a Toyota dealer in New York City that sells the original Toyota ball joints without also purchasing the control arms with them. Do you know were to purchase only the ball joint?
I took your advice my 2003 Toyota Avalon had an aftermarket ball joint on the right side because of a stupid mistake I made I replaced it about a year ago it was already leaking grease it was a Duralast brand I went to the dealership and got an OEM ball joint for $89 the one on the other side is still good with 250,000 miles so I never have to worry about it again
Ahh, i had to replace the ball joints at 115k run Honda City for a squeaky noise as recommended by the technician, it is tough for a novice to get to know if he was doing a flat robbery, post fixing it some squeaks did reduce!!
Thanks so much for sharing this information, very interesting.
The lower control arm is actually fairly straight forward to replace yourself with a jack and stands and couple of wrench sizes
He's referring to the fact that on the Camry/ES/RX platform, you must remove the motor mounts and lift the engine to get to the screws that hold the front pivot bushing to the subframe. It's a bit of work.
Please make a video about when to replace sway bar links. Thank you.
You mentioned a change in design on the 2018 camry suspension/ control arms. That's the car that I own and plan to own for a long time. Do you have a video detailing those changes or a resource that might?
I have been looking for this information. Thank you.
Can a worn-out bush on the front control arm be replaced instead of replacing the entire arm?
“Life is Good”!
Hello AMD. I agree if it is not broke do not fix it. I am curious. How about states like New York that require yearly vehicle inspections. If their inspector observes a slightly cracked lower control arm bushing, are they likely to fail the vehicle for this and force the customer to fix it or retire it from the road?
Hi Jorge. It’s possible that they do that. The state will usually have specifics on what qualifies and what doesnt
hey there! I was about to start the process of getting to the cv axles on my 1988 toyota pickup (both boots on both sides are bad going to try to replace boots and grease, extra inspired to try this after watching another of your vidoes:) when I looked at my ball joints and noticed that the boots/rubber cover part on the ball joints all look pretty dry and with mini cracks or trending towards cracking. After watching this video, do I need to replace them? I was going into a rabbit hole where I was going to do this (with oem toyota ones), but then came across your video. obviously
my truck is 36 years old.. how does what I am seeing on mine fit w your experience? should I put new ones on? thank you! I love working on my truck and really appreciate your videos!!
Wish you could work on my sequoia. like your videos
Great content and a big fan! Question you talked about how good the ball joints are from toyota. Is it common for oem ball joints boots to leak from the top portion? Checked my 2018 camry see and has some grease coming out the top not where there the ring is. Hope to hear from you
When you replace the rear control arm bushing is there proper way to orient it in the control arm.
He is 100% right never seen a toyota ball joint wear out… also never had a drive axle fail, even when boot is slightly torn…