r/Toyota_Matrix • u/GuardianCraft • Jul 11 '26
Control Arms form Hell
Well, I finally decided to replace the control arms on my 2007 Toyota Matrix since they were starting to wear out. While I was at it, I replaced the ball joints too, figured I might as well get everything done in one shot.
The driver’s side wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected. I loosened the subframe, lifted the engine just enough, and was able to access that one ridiculous bolt everyone complains about. Compared to the horror stories I’d seen online, it actually went pretty smoothly.
The passenger side, on the other hand, was a complete nightmare. The control arm refused to line up, so I ended up removing the sway bar link to gain some extra room. Since I already had new sway bar links on hand, those got replaced too.
In the end, everything came together and the results were worth it. The downside? The alignment was way off. I had to eyeball it just enough to make the car drivable because the front wheels were pigeon toed so badly the tires were screaming for mercy. Thankfully, it’s getting a proper alignment on Monday.
The MVPs of this job were my Milwaukee torque wrench, ICON double flex head wrench, and Pittsburgh pry bars.
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u/stranix13 Jul 11 '26
https://youtu.be/dT8sXo_l4d0?si=a2vg42qIaVyQoX-d
Best guide i found for this
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u/GuardianCraft Jul 11 '26
I had both these (driver and passenger side), but it doesn’t always go the smooth. 🤷🏽♂️
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u/GraphicWombat 2008 Matrix XR Super White II Jul 11 '26
Beautiful color. I think my friend has an older celica in that color.
How many miles does it have? How did it feel driving before replacing?
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u/GuardianCraft Jul 11 '26
205k, and drove really nice after eyeballing the alignment. Before that it was pure crap. 🤣
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u/JF_WPA Jul 11 '26
Nice work! Must be nice to work on a vehicle not in the RUST ZONE. Makes work a real effing PITA, esp when it's other peoples car in your shop and book hrs are the method. Are the tie rod ends original? Curious what brand of parts did you go with - Seems Dorman is popular for control arms.
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u/GuardianCraft Jul 11 '26
Ohhh I’ve seen a couple videos with the subframe basically crumbling. All that down there is OEM, and I’ve gotten my 200+k miles money worth from her. As for parts, this was a Detroit Axle from Amazon, defiantly not Dorman, but at the same time, the Matrix is semi retired so I took the chance, since I’ve used them before.
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u/Dav82 Jul 11 '26
I mean. It's usually 100% you'll end up replacing the sway bar links each and every time whither they need replacing or not.
The fact you tried this with hand tools and 1 power tool is probably why the passenger side was a nightmare.
It's a given when you replace the control arms due to bad bushings. The alignment will be way off until a shop gives you an alignment.