Control Arm Bushings 91 Camry LE V6

[cg22@tampabay.rr.com]

I have a knocking sound when going over bumps at slow speeds (5-15mph). Mostly on the driver's side. I installed new lower control arms and ball joints and still have the knocking. Car rides and handles great at 20+ MPH. New struts in 2004. Everything seems tight too (tie rods, etc.)

Question, where the sway bar goes thru the control arm bushing there are 2 dish washers and 2 thin plastic spacers. Which way should the the cupped washers face? I always thought they face away from control arm. There appears to be some play (about 1/4 inch on each side of the control arm bushings) and this leads me to believe that there is something missing or the dish washers are on backwards. Is there supposed to be play between the dish washer and control arm bushing?

Perhaps there are additional bushings that go on each side of the control arm. I am new to Toyotas and the Haynes manual don't help much. I have a Lincoln Mark VIII and it uses dish washers and 2 inch v-shaped bushings where the sway bar attaches to the control arm.

One more thing, I fixed about 5 major garage mistakes made over the years. A elderly woman owned the car prior and was ripped off several times on bogus repairs. ( i.e. a support bar was missing - motor mount to alternator and guts ripped out of thermostat).

[atobe]

no there isn't suppose to be play. you were suppose to look at the order when you take them off because it's different on each side. i think. but if that's new then it could be your other bushing that is bad.. follow the sway bar to the front of the car there's 2 more bushings there... could be those... or your strut mount is bad.

[cg22@tampabay.rr.com]

I reinstalled the control arms exactly as they were (dish washers facing away from control arm). Both L & R sides were the same. Sway bar-frame bushings look okay (tight) and not rotted. I can't find a good photo that shows which way the dish washers face. I am thinking that they were installed wrong prior to me replacing the control arms.

You mention possible bad strut bushings, top or bottom? What do they look like?

[atobe]

strut mount... top where the strut mounts to the frame

[cg22@tampabay.rr.com]

I finally found out that the cup of the dish washer faces toward the control arm bushing. Easy fix BTW. It tightened up the sway bar-control arm a lot. However, I still have a knock/rattle (driver's side) when going 5-10mph over a dirt bumpy road. I will try replacing the upper strut mount as you mentioned. Thanks guys for the replies....)