[DaveF]

Hello everyone,

I am in need of changing the compliance bushings on the car. I can get them locally from the dealership at 16.00$ Can each. I would like to try and remove the lower control arm and just bring the arms to the dealer and have them installed the bushings when I would have time. I was quoted at 85$ to do the job. It's better then 305$.

I would like to avoid as much down time as possible. How is the quality of the aftermarket lower control arms? I can get the complete assembly for 85$ a side. Beck/Arnley 143-1015288.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Dave F.

 

[endlesswinterco]

I did both mine recently to avoid down time but went OEM. I don't trust aftermarket parts if important pieces. Try del ray Acura parts online, good prices

 

[DC206R]

I'm going OEM bushings and taking it somewhere to have it pressed in. I would stick with OEM for important things such as LCA's.

I'm sure you could get the job done in 1 day. Pre order the bushings online from Del Ray Acura. Make an appointment with your dealership and take out the LCA's the night prior. Get bushings pressed in the next day and re-install LCA's again.

 

[Greyout]

Aftermarket arms doesn't mean the arm is made by someone else. It means they took an old OEM arm, cleaned it up, and put new bushings in it.

Its no different then having a mechanic put new bushings in your arms, except that you don't have rusty arms.

just order arms from rockauto or autozone or some place like that, and swap the whole thing.

 

[gyang401]

Hmmmm...i've been waiting to replace both LH and RH side lower control arm bushings too...im thinking too my self, it prob cost and be less time consuming then to buy replacement arms with bushings and install it myself, then having me to bring in my car to a mechanic and have him press in new ones and charge me labor....but then, im in the new england area where rusty bolts are a PITA....!

 

[kewlliljethro]

@greyout, how's your experience been with parts from rock auto? They're fersure oem quality?

 

[Greyout]

Think of it as an online Autozone.

They ship quickly, and their customer service is great. Many of the brands they sell are available in O'Reillys, Vans, Autozone, etc.

Its a given that some rebuilt parts will wear out faster then new OEM parts... So with that in mind, I would choose to buy some stuff locally, because they give you a lifetime warranty - like a clutch slave cylinder for example. Its cheap, and the money saved on Rockauto is offset by the hassle of shipping it back if it fails. So in the case of something like a slave cylinder, I'd go local autoparts store.

But for something as simple as a control arm - online is great in my opinion. FWIW, autozone sells the control arms (with bushings) for $114.

You can check autozone inventory and pricing online. You might also be able to order from autozone.com, and return it to a store if you need to make a return.

Something like an aftermarket control arm is not really an aftermarket part, its a rebuilt OEM part. In fact, most 'aftermarket' replacement parts are rebuilt OEM parts. I think in the case of a control arm, you're getting OEM quality.

In the case of the clutch slave cylinder - who knows. There may be some scoring on the cylinder wall that doesn't get smoothed out, leading to a premature failure.

I spend my days dealing with airplanes - In the aviation world, nearly all parts used are rebuilt parts, because A) parts are expensive, and B) most of the aircraft in the sky today are no longer in production. So I'm pretty comfortable with rebuilt parts, and their limitations.

Its just personal preference. My preference is to consider the cost and the complexity of the part, and decide if rebuilt or factory new is the way to go.