🔧 Front Control Arms - Replacement

On your Tacoma, “all control arms” means the front upper and lower control arms. The rear suspension does not use control arms on this truck, so this job covers the front end only. After replacement, a wheel alignment is required.

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 4-6 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• Support the truck with jack stands; never work under a vehicle held only by a jack.
• Keep hands clear of the spring and steering knuckle when separating ball joints.
• Do not fully tighten control arm pivot bolts until the suspension is at normal ride height.
• Expect the vehicle to need a professional alignment after the repair.
• If your truck has a skid plate or splash shield in the way, remove it first.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated for truck weight)
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves
• Breaker bar
• Torque wrench
• Ratchet
• 10mm socket
• 12mm socket
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• 19mm socket
• 21mm socket
• 22mm socket
• 24mm socket
• Torx T30 screwdriver
• Ball joint separator (specialty)
• Dead blow hammer
• Paint marker
• Pry bar
• Penetrating oil

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front upper control arm - Driver side Qty: 1
• Front upper control arm - Passenger side Qty: 1
• Front lower control arm - Driver side Qty: 1
• Front lower control arm - Passenger side Qty: 1
• Front control arm hardware kit - Qty: 1
• Front cotter pin set - Qty: 1
• Wheel alignment service - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground and set the parking brake.
• Loosen the front wheel lug nuts before lifting the truck.
• Raise the front end and support it securely on jack stands.
• Remove the front wheels.
• Spray penetrating oil on all control arm bolts and ball joint hardware first.
• Mark bolt locations before removal.

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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.
• Lift the front of the truck with a floor jack and place it on jack stands.
• Remove both front wheels.

Step 2: Remove the upper control arm

• Use a 17mm socket and 19mm socket to remove the upper control arm mounting bolts.
• Use a 22mm socket and ball joint separator to disconnect the upper ball joint from the knuckle.
• Remove the upper control arm from the truck.
• Install the new upper control arm loosely first.
• Torque to Toyota factory specification after final ride-height loading.

Step 3: Remove the lower control arm

• Use a 19mm socket, 21mm socket, and 24mm socket as needed for the lower arm bolts and ball joint hardware.
• Disconnect the lower ball joint from the steering knuckle using a ball joint separator.
• Remove the lower control arm from the frame mounts.
• Install the new lower control arm loosely first.
• Torque to Toyota factory specification after final ride-height loading.

Step 4: Reconnect the steering knuckle

• Position the knuckle back onto the upper and lower ball joints.
• Use a torque wrench and the correct socket size for the ball joint nuts.
• Install new cotter pins if the fasteners use them.
• Torque to Toyota factory specification.

Step 5: Final tighten at ride height

• Reinstall the wheels and lower the truck so the suspension is at normal ride height.
• Use a torque wrench to fully tighten the control arm pivot bolts at ride height.
• Torque to Toyota factory specification.
• This prevents bushing preload.

Step 6: Reinstall wheels and check fasteners

• Use a 21mm socket to tighten the lug nuts in a crisscross pattern.
• Torque to Toyota factory specification.
• Double-check every control arm fastener and cotter pin.

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✅ After Repair

• Drive slowly at first and listen for clunks or popping.
• Check that the steering wheel is centered.
• Get a 4-wheel alignment as soon as possible.
• Recheck all fasteners after a short road test.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $1,200-$2,200 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $450-$900 (parts only)

You Save: $750-$1,300 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 4-6 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.