Replacing Front A Arms

[Carolyn]

My advice on this, if you only have limited tools and facilities, take this job to your trusted local garage.

Especially if you have an 80,000 mile plus car.

I've just removed the driver's side one and it was a piglet.  I had to cut the top nut off the ball joint and both other bolts were very stubborn.  I've yet to tackle the nearside one, which will be at least as bad.

We're very well equipped here, and have all the tools your local garage would have, so I have prevailed.

I just would not recommend this as a DIY job.

You have been warned!

[StuC]

Good warning for everyone Carolyn.

Are you going to be using Prius arms to replace with?

[Carolyn]

Good warning for everyone Carolyn.

Are you going to be using Prius arms to replace with?

Scion arms from the US.  Bought them a while back. I understand Auris arms are the same.

[tricky1138]

Totally agree with you Carolyn. I nearly contemplated this myself, but I think it was Mulaz had said the same. I'm sure I could have done it, but the local garage has the tools, if (and more commonly, when) things go wrong!

I would have been stuck with a car that I would have had to pay to recover to my local garage had I tried it, so false economy on trying to save money on some jobs!

[Topdownman]

Thanks for the warning, I have a pair of scion ones in my pile of parts waiting to be fitted!

[tets]

Funnily enough I bought 2 Yaris arms that I plan doing this weekend.
Doing the front arms, struts F&R, both anti roll bar bushes and drop links.

I'll get the cutting gear out!!

[jonbill]

I did one on my silver car last summer, just on an axle stand in the garden. I had no probs, all came apart first time with the breaker bar. Hardest part was getting the bolts started on the replacement - I seem to remember it's under a bit of tension.

I think it depends on the car - nothing comes apart easy on my blue car. Maybe it's seen more winters.

[Carolyn]

I just got lucky on the nearside.  Spannered it off, no problems. It must have been off before, which is not surprising, as it's the one that wets the worst hammering.

I suspect it was the same case for you, Jonbill, yours was the nearside, was it not?

[jonbill]

I just got lucky on the nearside.  Spannered it off, no problems. It must have been off before, which is not surprising, as it's the one that wets the worst hammering.

I suspect it was the same case for you, Jonbill, yours was the nearside, was it not?

Yep, it was the nearside. Otherwise known as the side that hits the kerb when boys go into roundabouts way too fast.

[Beachbum957]

Just changed both arms on a 100,000+ mile MR2.  The car hasn't been run in winter or even in rain for the last 30,000 miles, but it didn't come apart easily.  The biggest issue was the rear mount bolt on both sides.  Both were partially seized in the mount and the threads were damaged on one when it was removed.  The bolts themselves were badly corroded and had to be replaced.  I replaced the sway bar links at the same time.  So be prepared to get more parts.

[Bossworld]

Well that's come off in fewer pieces than mine 

The ball joints and castle nuts were an absolute pig on both sides after 14 years/130k miles, but the nearside was just one of the worst jobs I've done on the car.

Given tricky's recent post, I'm indebted to you suggesting burring the stuck bolt/bushing off, as I think any prying may have led to catastrophe.

[Dev]

Thats why you need quality pneumatic tools before attempting work like this especially on an old car.

[Carolyn]

I do have quality pneumatic tools...........

And a big compressor.  And air piped all over the working space.

Sometimes you need a torch and an angle grinder. 

[Bossworld]

Thats why you need quality pneumatic tools before attempting work like this especially on an old car.

I don't know if you get the same kind of crud as we do on our roads (in particular, winter grit/salt) but most of the US vids I see on YouTube are incomparable to UK cars, even those in the rust belt. There's a thread on here where Carolyn and others pitched in to help me and another member because the bolts securing the arms on our cars were well and truly stuck.

[Dev]

Thats why you need quality pneumatic tools before attempting work like this especially on an old car.

I don't know if you get the same kind of crud as we do on our roads (in particular, winter grit/salt) but most of the US vids I see on YouTube are incomparable to UK cars, even those in the rust belt. There's a thread on here where Carolyn and others pitched in to help me and another member because the bolts securing the arms on our cars were well and truly stuck.
It does seem that your rusting issues look worse than ours and it could be the kind of salt mixture that is used.  Our state objected to using a mixture of some magnesium salts that would be highly corrosive.

Im from the Mid Atlantic and we do get our fair share of salt. I have encountered many stuck bolts but what has saved me before using a torch is powerful 800ft pound reverse pneumatic gun and a 1/2 inch hose to get the maximum torque from it. 
Some exhaust bolts that are completely frozen require a cutting tool but on the whole its not too much for a DIY.

[shnazzle]

Thats why you need quality pneumatic tools before attempting work like this especially on an old car.

I don't know if you get the same kind of crud as we do on our roads (in particular, winter grit/salt) but most of the US vids I see on YouTube are incomparable to UK cars, even those in the rust belt. There's a thread on here where Carolyn and others pitched in to help me and another member because the bolts securing the arms on our cars were well and truly stuck.
It does seem that your rusting issues look worse than ours and it could be the kind of salt mixture that is used.  Our state objected to using a mixture of some magnesium salts that would be highly corrosive.

Im from the Mid Atlantic and we do get our fair share of salt. I have encountered many stuck bolts but what has saved me before using a torch is powerful 800ft pound reverse pneumatic gun and a 1/2 inch hose to get the maximum torque from it. 
Some exhaust bolts that are completely frozen require a cutting tool but on the whole its not too much for a DIY.

I don't know. That's now three people in a short amount of time in the UK who have had a LOT of trouble getting theirs off. Bossworld's seemed to take days. 


You can't get much more tooled up than Carolyn's workshop. Most garages I've been to don't have as much heavy gear.
So she obviously has a very bad case of bolt-stuck-itis. But, high chance a lot of us do I'm not running that risk. Just as Tricky said, I don't want to be stuck having to pay for a truck.

There was something about the kind of salt they use on the roads here. It's highly caustic. It's "red salt". Whatever that means. But it's why cars are demolished during winter here. 
I've seen a massive difference between cares that are stored during winter, and those that are driven

[Dev]

Thats why you need quality pneumatic tools before attempting work like this especially on an old car.

I don't know if you get the same kind of crud as we do on our roads (in particular, winter grit/salt) but most of the US vids I see on YouTube are incomparable to UK cars, even those in the rust belt. There's a thread on here where Carolyn and others pitched in to help me and another member because the bolts securing the arms on our cars were well and truly stuck.
It does seem that your rusting issues look worse than ours and it could be the kind of salt mixture that is used.  Our state objected to using a mixture of some magnesium salts that would be highly corrosive.

Im from the Mid Atlantic and we do get our fair share of salt. I have encountered many stuck bolts but what has saved me before using a torch is powerful 800ft pound reverse pneumatic gun and a 1/2 inch hose to get the maximum torque from it. 
Some exhaust bolts that are completely frozen require a cutting tool but on the whole its not too much for a DIY.

I don't know. That's now three people in a short amount of time in the UK who have had a LOT of trouble getting theirs off. Bossworld's seemed to take days.


You can't get much more tooled up than Carolyn's workshop. Most garages I've been to don't have as much heavy gear.
So she obviously has a very bad case of bolt-stuck-itis. But, high chance a lot of us do I'm not running that risk. Just as Tricky said, I don't want to be stuck having to pay for a truck.

There was something about the kind of salt they use on the roads here. It's highly caustic. It's "red salt". Whatever that means. But it's why cars are demolished during winter here.
I've seen a massive difference between cares that are stored during winter, and those that are driven

Its probably the type of salt they use. I have seen several old cars that are driven during winter and from all accounts no one has seen the kind of rust damage that you guys are experiencing. My area has switched to salted sand which seems to work well for traction. 

[Carolyn]

Yes, our salt has a high potash content.  Rust city!  Bolts can end up practically welded to the inside of bushings. There's a pile of un-savable rear sub-frames at  Dean's that testify to that!

On that note:  I noticed that the paint on the new A-arms was painfully thin, with metal showing through in places, and that was straight out of its sealed plastic bag.  So I gave mine two coats of zinc primer and three coats of satin black. 

I also brushed down and painted the suspension sockets on the car and the general area behind the A-arm and the chassis reinforcing plates that go over the A-arms.

Might as well start by keeping the rust at bay. 

[tets]

Well I was about to post that mine came off really easily - all bolts undone, nut off no problem but can I get the bolt out of the bush. Had it about half way out and it jams solid - i've copperslipped it and am now knackered winding it in and out to try and free it!

And to boot, the drivers side rear upright nuts are stuck solid to the strut - im lifting the car off its stands so they might be getting the heat treatment shortly
Passenger side took me about 30 mins to change strut and droplink

A piece of advice to everybody - copper slip everything when putting it back together!

Persevered and it came out!! managed to knacker the track rod end aswell which probably isn't a bad thing as i'll get 2 more now!!

[Carolyn]

Well I was about to post that mine came off really easily - all bolts undone, nut off no problem but can I get the bolt out of the bush. Had it about half way out and it jams solid - i've copperslipped it and am now knackered winding it in and out to try and free it!

And to boot, the drivers side rear upright nuts are stuck solid to the strut - im lifting the car off its stands so they might be getting the heat treatment shortly
Passenger side took me about 30 mins to change strut and droplink

A piece of advice to everybody - copper slip everything when putting it back together!

Persevered and it came out!! managed to knacker the track rod end aswell which probably isn't a bad thing as i'll get 2 more now!!

We persevered!  Could have been worse.

[tets]

We persevered!  Could have been worse.
[/quote]

Indeed, can't wait to do the other side!!

[Carolyn]

The new springs have raised the front by at least an inch.... shows how tired they were.

[tets]

I'm going from standard to TTE so we'll see how it sits when I get it all back together. If the weathers good next weekend we're taking the camper out for the weekend so when it will be is anybody's guess!!

[frogger]

Every time I hand over a car to a 'professional' at a garage, they balls it up - I've learnt my lesson and will stick to kerbside!

The latest abomination is a tyre fitter who has overtorqued and completely rounded off the locking wheel nuts on my other half's VW. So tight all remover tools get stripped out. Drilling out is next option.

I did choose to replace 1 bolt when doing these arms, but all came out with enough persistence.

[Mr Rex]

Is anyone interested in selling their old control arms, looking for a pair