Changing Control Arms = Headache, Am Stuck! Need help

Correct. Just put it back when you’re done.

 

New member here. Hello, all! Been lurking and taking advantage of the pooled expertise and I thought it was time to contribute.

Up here in the saltlands of the north we have lots of trouble with rust. We look at youtube videos of repairs in warmer climates and can only groan. Repairs up here take a lot longer.

Matt, from Texas Hybrid Batteries says you can swing the engine forward enough to get that bolt out and if you can do that it would be preferable. I just did lower arm repairs on two seperate Prius' and lowered the subframe in both cases. The subframe has four bolts holding it to the chassis. The two at the front are no problem, it's the rear two that generate creative language. On the first Prius, a 2004, I broke both of those rear mounting bolts. See the picture. The good bolt is from a 2005 parts car that spent almost its whole life in Texas. The second is a bolt I gently teased out of a 2005 and the third, obviously, is a broken one from the 2004.



Notice that the rust has created an hourglass shape. That is probably due to water getting trapped in the tube that separates the two sheet metal plates that make up the subframe.

The first car, the 2004 was high mileage and a newspaper delivery beater. After two days of fighting to get out the broken stubs I went out and bought a cheapie MIG welder and welded the subframe to the chassis at those two rear corners. Not too hard to do.

The second car I did was a 2005 Prius and with lower kilometers so I tried to budge the right rear subframe bolt with a bar and it did move. With care, going back and forth with penetrating oil I managed to get it out and it is the middle one in the picture. The left side bolt didn't want to move so I left it alone.

Just in case, I loosened but did not remove the two steering column pinch bolts (probably not necessary) then loosened the big bolt above the arm on the left side. Going back to the right side I removed the other large bolt so the subframe could be pried downwards. I removed the bolt of the lower mount and using a jack I jacked the engine up a tiny bit. Then I pried the subframe down on the right and had enough clearance to get that stupid bolt out.

The moral of the story is that you want to be really careful removing those two rear subframe bolts.

By the way, on the second car I pressed in Whiteline W53275 bushings (just the rears). They went in easy. I removed the old bushing by pushing out the old rubber (the glue had given up) and cutting a slot in the steel outer ring of the bushing. That allowed it to collapse into the kerf (slot created by the cut) and it came out easily with a few light taps. I used a press to push in the new bushings and for a bit of overkill I let some rust proof paint seep into the valley between the bushing and the steel of the arm. The car's front end is factory tight now. Very happy.

Why didn't I use an assembled replacement arm? I used Dorman on the first Prius and it seemed fine but I thought I would try high end bushings just for fun. It saved a few bucks but took a bit more time. These Whiteline bushings are Australian, I think, and have a good reputation. The car certainly steers crisply now. With aftermarket parts you never really know what you get, usually from China and of questionable quality. The Dorman arm was Chinese. Besides, why should I patronize China when they have kidnapped two Canadians and are holding them hostage over a trade dispute involving Hauwei.

 

I just did mine. OEM made in Japan parts from Darkur were only $75. As mentioned, take off the dog bone lower trans mount. I jacked it with a pieces of 2x4 wedge to that pocket under the block and jacked it enough and turned the bolt until it wiggled it out downward. The manual shows removing axles and bunch more work? Anyhow, not sure if it will work or not if your engine mounts are new and harder to have the engine tilt as much?