🔧 Control Arm - Replacement

Assumption: This procedure covers the front lower control arms on your RAV4.

The control arms locate the front wheels and control suspension movement. If the bushings or ball joints are worn, you may get clunks, wandering, uneven tire wear, or steering pull.

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 3-5 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• Support the vehicle on jack stands; never work under a car held only by a jack.
• Use wheel chocks and set the parking brake before lifting.
• Ball joints and suspension fasteners can be tight; keep hands clear when separating parts.
• After replacement, a wheel alignment is required.
• If a bolt is seized, stop and use proper penetrating oil and heat-safe methods.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves
• Breaker bar
• Torque wrench
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• 19mm socket
• 21mm socket
• 22mm socket
• Ratchet
• Socket extension
• Paint marker
• Ball joint separator (specialty)
• Penetrating oil

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front lower control arm set - Qty: 2
• Front lower control arm hardware kit - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground and engage the parking brake.
• Loosen the front wheel lug nuts before lifting the vehicle.
• Lift the front and support it securely on jack stands.
• Mark the position of any alignment cams or eccentric bolts with a paint marker before removal. That helps preserve alignment a little.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Remove the front wheels

• Use a 21mm socket and breaker bar to loosen the lug nuts, then lift the vehicle and remove the wheels.

Step 2: Soak the fasteners

• Use penetrating oil on the control arm bolts, ball joint nut, and any cam bolts.
• Let it sit for several minutes before loosening.

Step 3: Disconnect the lower ball joint from the knuckle

• Use a 17mm socket or 19mm socket to remove the ball joint nut, depending on the fastener installed.
• Use a ball joint separator (specialty) to carefully separate the ball joint from the steering knuckle.
• Do not hammer the stud directly.

Step 4: Remove the control arm mounting bolts

• Use a 19mm socket, 21mm socket, and breaker bar to remove the front and rear control arm mounting bolts.
• If your vehicle has an alignment cam bolt, mark its position first with a paint marker.
• Remove the control arm from the subframe.

Step 5: Install the new control arm

• Position the new control arm in place and hand-start all bolts first.
• Use the paint marker marks to line up any cam bolts as closely as possible.
• Reconnect the ball joint stud into the knuckle and install the nut.

Step 6: Torque the fasteners

• Use a torque wrench and the correct socket to tighten the control arm mounting bolts to specification.
• Torque the ball joint nut to specification.
• Torque to factory specification for your vehicle’s exact fasteners.

Step 7: Reinstall the wheels

• Install the wheels and snug the lug nuts by hand first.
• Lower the vehicle and use a torque wrench with a 21mm socket to tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern.
• Torque to factory wheel-lug specification.

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✅ After Repair

• Start the vehicle and check for any clunks or looseness.
• Test drive slowly at first and listen for suspension noise.
• Get a professional wheel alignment as soon as possible.
• Recheck fastener torque after the first short drive if needed.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $600-$1,100 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $180-$450 (parts only)

You Save: $420-$650 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 3-5 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.