Godspeed.

 

Well, that didn't pan out. Once I got it apart, it was clear there is a fillet on the lower control arm bolt face and a complimentary radius on the face of the bushing.

I cleaned it up, lubed the threads on everything and put it all back together.

I'll look into the replacement bushing if my tire wear doesn't resolve by the time I need new tires.

 

Good to know for the future. Even though I bought the LCA bushings from USRS, I still have not gotten around to installing them. Plan on doing that hopefully soon and see the difference.

 

Start to finish, including cleaning and inspecting the parts, was only about two hours. I could do it again in 1/2 that.

I don't know why everyone is shown prying in their videos. I lifted the car on the center engine cradle, let the wheels dangle, and put jack stands under the edges of the engine cradle/control arm mount area. It didn't take anything but a slight hand tug to get the bushings on and off once unbolted.

 

It's possible that all the videos are of a RWD/2WD. I believe those have additional bracing that might come in the way of replacing the bushings. You and I have AWD and I don't think those have the "A" brace although I could be wrong. I guess I'll know soon enough. Good to know that it was not a difficult process!

 

After examining the problem from a fresh perspective, I think the easy solution would be an end plate that bolts to the two bushing bolts that stabilizes the movement. I snagged this image from an install video for demonstration.

Something in 1/4" steel that approximates the blue line, bolts under the two mount bolt heads, runs across the back of the bushing to replace the washer on the control arm shaft. It should only require about 4 compound bends. I can prototype in cardboard or tin and transfer to stiffer piece of metal for an actual test piece. It will be much more solid at that point.

 

That is actually a brilliant idea. I guess the primary cost is just getting a solid piece of metal cut to the proper tolerances.

 

If I was going to mass produce, I'd make a jig but since I'm just going to prototype a pair for myself, I can do it with a vise, hammer, a little heat and vice grips.

 

Same here, not sure what the pry-bar stuff is about.. Slid right off my AWD IS300. I would also suggest raising both sides so your not fighting the stabilizer bar tension.

 

You're basically converting the bushing into a solid piece of metal. Not sure if that's a great idea. You can get the stiffer GSF bushings for about $125 and be done with it. You will feel improved handling and I have yet to see anyone complain about tire wear on an RCF/GSF.

 

Everything flexes. The real problem I'm trying to solve is the fore and aft movement of the lower control arm. You got a link for the GSF bushings?

 

Now that I think about it, I think the TDemand LCA changes the bushing to a solid metal piece. I'm not sure I like that idea though. GSF bushing is a factory part, you can find on any site. I got the negative caster correction ones which got caster back into spec after lowering.