Hey all—

Working on my 2006 Toyota Highlander, refreshing the front suspension. Everything went fine until I tried to replace the passenger side lower control arm… and ran face-first into Toyota’s bracket-from-hell.

The issue:
The passenger side engine mount bracket that attaches to the block has 4 bolts. I got 3 out—including that lovely hidden E-Torx star bolt near the intake. But there’s a 4th bolt tucked between the mount and the bracket, behind the rubber isolator, and it looks impossible to remove without slamming into the mount itself.

I attached a diagram that shows the exact bracket layout—this is factory service manual stuff, not a sketch.

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Here’s the deal:

I’ve tried:
	•	Jacking the engine from the bellhousing
	•	Loosening the transmission and torque mounts
	•	Unbolting the mount-to-chassis hardware
	•	Multiple jack angles
	•	Carefully removing all accessible bolts

But that last bolt is dead center behind the rubber isolator, and even if I get a slim wrench in there, I’m not sure it’ll clear the bracket on the way out—it’ll likely hit the mount.

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My plan:
	•	Go back in with a flex-head slim ratcheting wrench and just try to loosen the 4th bolt—not fully remove it.
	•	Hoping the bracket is slotted, and I can slide it off the bolt shaft once it’s loose.
	•	Worst case, I try again after nudging the engine a few more mm up.

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My question:

Has anyone here actually removed this bracket without pulling the engine or mangling something?

If so—how?
And if not… Toyota… what the fuck. 😩


Wtf Toyota - Passenger Lower Control Arm Replacement