If you've began hearing a strange clunking sound every time you hit a speed bump, it might be time to look at your 2006 tundra upper control arm . These vehicles are legendary regarding their reliability—it's not unusual to see all of them pushing 300, 000 miles—but even the best-built Toyotas can't outrun physics permanently. After nearly two decades on the particular road, the plastic bushings and golf ball joints in your front suspension are most likely reaching their expiration time.
The upper control arm (UCA) is an important piece of the puzzle that will keep your front wheels aligned and relocating smoothly. When they start to go, you'll feel it in the steerage wheel and hear it in the driveway. Dealing with it sooner rather when compared to the way later saves a person money on auto tires and keeps a person from a potentially frightening situation if the ball joint chooses to give upward the ghost whilst you're cruising at highway speeds.
Signs Your Control Arms Are Offering Up
Many people don't just wake up and decide to inspect their suspension for enjoyable. Usually, the pickup truck tells you something is wrong. The almost all common regarding a failing 2006 tundra upper control arm is a distinct popping or clicking on noise when you're turning the wheel at low speeds, like when you're pulling right into a car parking spot.
You might also observe the truck roaming a bit even more than usual on the freeway. When you find your self constantly making little corrections to help keep the particular truck straight, your own UCA bushings might be shot. When the rubber in these bushings cracks or disintegrates, the arm starts to move in ways this wasn't made to, which usually messes together with your position.
An additional big red light is uneven tire wear. In the event that the inside or outside edge of your front auto tires is wearing lower faster than the particular rest of the tread, your camber or caster is off. While a good alignment shop can sometimes mask this for a bit, they can't repair a physical component that has too very much "slop" inside it.
The Infamous "Long Bolt" Struggle
If you're setting up on swapping out your 2006 tundra upper control arm yourself, there will be something you totally need to understand: the long pivot bolt. This is the bolt that runs through the frame and holds the arm in position. On a lot of Tundras, especially these that have invested time in the particular "rust belt, " this bolt may be a total nightmare to remove.
The issue is that there isn't much measurement between your bolt and the inner fender well or maybe the motor components. Most of the time, a person have to get creative with the pair of pliers to slightly flex the sheet metal of the inner fender out of the way just to slide the particular bolt out. It's a bit nerve-wracking to bend metal on your pickup truck, but it's the standard trick among Tundra owners. As soon as the new arm is in, you just bend the particular metal back, plus you'd never know this happened.
Pro tip: Spray everything with a top quality penetrating oil a few days before you begin the job. Seriously, soak it every night. It'll make the particular difference between the two-hour job and a whole weekend break of swearing.
Stock Replacements vs. Performance Upgrades
When it comes time for you to buy the new 2006 tundra upper control arm , you have to decide if you desire to stay along with the factory-style design or move in order to an aftermarket update.
If your truck reaches stock height and you mostly use it for commuting or even light dirt highways, a typical OEM-style substitute is perfectly good. They're relatively affordable, they ride quietly, and the covered ball joints don't require much maintenance. You can usually find these since a complete assembly with the ball joint and bushing already pressed inside, which makes the installation way easier.
However, in the event that you've installed the lift kit or even a set associated with leveling spacers, the particular stock arms may not be the best option. Lifting the top end changes the particular geometry of the suspension. A stock UCA on a lifted truck often runs out of "travel, " meaning the particular arm can actually hit the coils spring once the suspension drops down. This also makes it very hard for an alignment tech to get your caster numbers back directly into the green zone.
Why Aftermarket Arms Matter with regard to Lifts
In case you've got the 2-inch or 3-inch lift, researching aftermarket versions of the 2006 tundra upper control arm is definitely a smart move. Brands like SPC, Total Chaos, or even Icon make arms specifically designed to appropriate the geometry issues caused by raising a truck.
These aftermarket hands usually offer more "clearance" around the coil spring, therefore you don't obtain that annoying metal-on-metal contact. More significantly, they generally have pre-installed adjustment points. This allows you to definitely obtain a perfect position, which means your own truck will really handle well on the road instead of feeling flighty or even twitchy at higher speeds.
Some of these types of high-end arms use "uniballs" rather than traditional ball joints. While uniballs are extremely strong and great for off-roading, bear in mind they can become a bit more noisy and require even more frequent cleaning and lubrication. If a person want a "set it and overlook it" setup, search for aftermarket arms apply heavy-duty sealed golf ball joints.
Don't Forget the Decrease Ball Joints
While we're speaking about the 2006 tundra upper control arm , it might be irresponsible not to mention the low ball joints (LBJs). On the first-generation Tundra, the particular lower ball joints are a recognized weak spot. Because associated with the way the suspension is made, the of the particular truck is continually trying to pull the ball joint aside.
If you're already in right now there replacing the uppers, take ten minutes to really inspect the particular lowers. If they haven't been changed in the last 100, 000 mls, you might like to just perform them at the same time. A failure from the upper arm is irritating; a failure from the lower ball joint is catastrophic, generally resulting in the wheel folding up beneath the fender and causing a lot of damage.
A Few Set up Tips
If you decide in order to tackle the 2006 tundra upper control arm alternative within your driveway, right here are a several things to keep in mind:
- Support the knuckle: If you disconnect the upper arm from the steering knuckle, don't just let the knuckle fall out. It'll put a ton of tension on your own brake outlines and CV axle assemblies. Make use of a bungee cord or some cable to tie the particular knuckle back therefore it stays vertical.
- Rpm under load: This is the mistake most people make. Do not completely tighten the lengthy pivot bolt whilst the truck will be still up on jack stands. In case you tighten it while the suspension system is hanging straight down, the rubber bushing will be "pre-loaded" as soon as you put the particular truck on the floor. This particular will cause them to tear and fail prematurely. Instead, get the bolt snug, put the wheels back about, lower the pickup truck to the ground, and then do the final torque.
- Get an alignment immediately: We can't stress this particular enough. Even though you noted everything perfectly, your own alignment is going to be off. Driving even 50 miles having a poor alignment can begin the weird wear pattern on your tires that you'll in no way be able to fix.
Will be It Worth Doing Yourself?
Changing a 2006 tundra upper control arm is definitely a "medium" difficulty job. You don't need many specialized tools—mostly simply a good socket set, the torque wrench, plus maybe a basketball joint separator (though a hammer frequently works just as well if you know exactly where to hit).
The real value in performing it yourself isn't just the money you save on labor; it's the fact that you get to see what otherwise is going on under there. A person can check your own CV boots intended for tears, look for leaking shocks, and get an experience for how your truck is supporting.
All in all, these 2006 versions are some associated with the best trucks ever made. Spending a Saturday providing front side end several love ensures that will your Tundra remains on the street for another decade. Whether or not you're just attempting to get eliminate a squeak or even you're prepping to get a massive off-road build, the upper control arms are the great place to begin. Just be patient with this long bolt, plus you'll be great!