Camry follies

[DrEntropy]

Six hours to swap out a lower control arm yesterday. No lift, limited space to use a 1/2" air tool for most of the fasteners. Did it without pulling CV joint from hub but it was a contest to undo most of the nuts 'n' bolts not accessible with power tools. One of the initial procedural steps in the Toyota manual is to PULL OUT the power unit!! Raised it up about four inches with a floor jack to free up access to one of the big control arm bolts obscured by a motor mount. 36" pry bar, a pipe for enhanced leverage, LOTS of mumbled profanity. And all for a perished rubber bushing.

All-in-all a better deal than having a shop do the deed though. But I'm finding aches in places unimagined before!

 

[JPSmit]

Thumbs up for the job and groan for the creaky bones.

 

[Popeye]

All-in-all a better deal than having a shop do the deed though. But I'm finding aches in places unimagined before!

Yep!

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Follies or foibles?

 

[Gliderman8]

At least the job is done and DONE RIGHT!
Good job.

 

[Bayless]

I understand your pain Doc. I replaced the ball joints on my Explorer a couple of months ago. The right side took between 2 and 3 hours. Not too bad, I said to myself. Net day I started the left side and it took over 6 hours. I won't go into the things that were poorly designed and even more poorly positioned. but I saved $800 in the process even after buying the ball joint press.

 

[LarryK]

Hey Doc, trade one Land Rover rear upper control arm replacement for the Corolla. Could not get a socket on one side, no room wrench only and could not break the nut on other side. Bought a heap HF tool set, cut the 21mm in half, put a 3' section of 3/4" water pipe on it, nope no go, so I added another 3' section of 2" pipe l, no go. They are torqued to 190l s and 230lbs. Bought a 9" carbide sawzall blade and in 3 mins. had it out. Two.days, lower was easier. Now on other side. The metal in the bushing froze to the bolt.

 

[DrEntropy]

No deal Larry. The lower control arm bolts were only factory torqued to 140 ft/lb. Weasel Pi$$ and the 1/2" drive 36" breaker bar with a pipe worked. Rovers are off my menu! I'll keep this Camry on the road as long as possible.

 

[LarryK]

Rover is 12 yrs old. Wife drove a 96 Disco for 14 yrs. I used an old Classic Range for mail delivery, and my 96 Range dropped a sleeve. We keep as long as possible, my 03 MINI S is now 19 yrs, and wifes MINI Countryman is 12.