Symptoms
After a lift: out-of-spec caster/camber, upper ball joint at its angle limit, or you're installing coilovers anyway.
The fix, step by step
- Grease the new arms' bushings and zerks first.
- Pull the wheel well splash shields, unbolt the ABS sensor brackets (10 mm) and brake-line bracket (12 mm), remove the cotter pin and 19 mm upper ball-joint nut, then the 19 mm pivot bolt (it's long; the inner fender may need bending).
- Fit the new arm with the correct spacers, pivot bolt front to back.
- Total Chaos's instructions, as followed by Trail4R: pivot bolt about 100 ft-lb, ball-joint 'king' nut about 82 ft-lb.
- Recheck after 100 miles and get it aligned before highway speeds.
Tools & part numbers
- 10/12/14/19 mm sockets
- torque wrench to 100 ft-lb
- grease gun
- jack stands
- e.g. Total Chaos 2010–2024 4Runner UCAs
Where to buy the parts
Total Chaos 2010–2024 4Runner upper control armsTotal Chaos Fabrication ↗Amazon ↗
Upper control arms for the 5th gen 4RunnerMetal Tech 4x4 ↗Amazon ↗
Upper control arms (search)ToyTec ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Toyota 4Runner 5th Gen parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.