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I've seen discussions here about them being lighter (ergo, better?) for the aluminum. Given that I have to do the bushings and the ball joint I'm not against getting a whole new arm and scrap-metaling the old ones.
Opinions on the Dorman brand?
Control Arm brand: opinions on this one?
3 reading
Dornier
I've seen discussions here about them being lighter (ergo, better?) for the aluminum. Given that I have to do the bushings and the ball joint I'm not against getting a whole new arm and scrap-metaling the old ones.
Opinions on the Dorman brand?
21 - 32 of 32 Posts
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416 Posts
Update: Over 201K miles and our van is still kicking strong. The suspension is a dream. Considering removing the H&R's and going back to stock so i can safely tow and not be prone to scraping the road. Other than that the Mevotech LCA's are looking good as new.
Jose
Jose
I remember Mevotech LCA aluminum ones being discussed way back when I was replacing them in the 2nd gen forum. Even dorman ones worked out fine but the Mevotech talk was for the 3rd gen. I guess from then to now feedback is good on Mevotech. Dorman or Raybestos I used back then also was fine. Moog, not sure what happened on yours (above), but normally their bushings are of choice for aftermarket right? Wonder if that was just bad batch.
Well, some data on the Mevotech aluminum control arms - I just had to replace both of them under warranty as the ball joints were toast (significant play - when I got them off the van, they would rattle around and everything) - they were on the van for 32k miles or so, and in that time (shortly after putting them on, actually) we had the transmission replaced with a remanufactured unit - it's possible they damaged them in the process (they actually removed, then had to do it again since they split the boots and replaced them when I pointed that out). Other than a little cracking on the bushings (which you would expect) everything else still looked new on them... the new ones look identical to the first set I installed, and all is well (bought them from RockAuto who are just spectacular to deal with when it comes to customer service and warranty returns - I love buying from them!). I was shocked to say the least - the OEM ball joints, which I replaced at 200k miles, didn't have that kind of play in them!
Given how easy it is to change the things out, I wasn't really upset, but still... as an added bonus, noticed that the boots on the end link on the drivers side are totally split... no play in the joint, though, so I'll wait until it dies and starts making noise to replace those, I guess.
Given how easy it is to change the things out, I wasn't really upset, but still... as an added bonus, noticed that the boots on the end link on the drivers side are totally split... no play in the joint, though, so I'll wait until it dies and starts making noise to replace those, I guess.
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12,324 Posts
That's not much mileage at all on a ball joint. Hard to see how dismantling them for the transmission job could have damaged them.
Did you grease them regularly? On my previous cars with Zerk fitting suspension parts, I greased them every oil change. (Glad to skip that on the Ody.)
Dave
I agree - ridiculously low mileage to have them fail so completely! The only joints I have seen with zerk fittings are the Moog ones - the Mevotech definitely do not - they are maintenance free, just like the OEM ones. I didn't know if there was some overly aggressive way of removing them that might have caused some damage... maybe deforming the upper race (or whatever you call the region the ball rides on) when they removed it. I use a pickle fork to get them off, but figured they had an air driven one of those or something like that (since they remove lots of them!) (I have never been able to get them to pop off hitting the knuckle)
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14,400 Posts
Pickle forks will often damage them. Unless they're just junk ball joints it's almost certain that's what did it. I have separated hundreds of ball joints and tie rod ends from knuckles and don't even own a pickle fork. Simply loosen the nut so the ball joint can vibrate but leave the nut threaded on so that if you accidentally miss the knuckle with the hammer you don't damage the threads. Then use a small sledge hammer and hit the side of the knuckle right at the ball joint area. I can usually knock them loose with 3-5 solid hits. Once in a while it takes an extra couple hits. A standard claw hammer or ball peen hammer won't do it. You have to use a fairly heavy sledge hammer. I have nice sized one with a 10" or so handle. Works every time and have never damaged a boot or ball joint. I've never NOT been able to get one apart using this method and have never damaged a ball joint or tie rod end.
^ +1. During my wheel bearing work, I also widened the opening on the HF ball joint separator tool. There is a pic in that thread. That works well now without damaging boot.
When I got them for the 2nd gen, generic lca from am-autoparts worked out well (which turned out to be dorman or raybestos), but 3rd gen has more options. Several got the Mevotech alum.
When I got them for the 2nd gen, generic lca from am-autoparts worked out well (which turned out to be dorman or raybestos), but 3rd gen has more options. Several got the Mevotech alum.
I was probably not being aggressive enough when knocking it loose with the hammer. I was using a 4lb hammer (looks like a little sledge hammer, at least in terms of the head shape). The boots were split when we got the van back from the transmission shop, so they must have used a pickle fork, then, and that is likely what damaged them. Every time I have removed them (with a pickle fork...) they weren't going back on, so damaging the boot, etc. was a non-issue.
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14,400 Posts
Just looked at mine. 2Lb...made in China. It's always done the job on many cars. Back in the day (about 25 years ago) I was a parts puller in a wrecking yard and that's how I removed all of them. The customer always wanted the ball joint so we had to remove them without damaging them. The hammer trick was shown to me back then and has always worked to this day. You do have to hit it pretty hard, though. If you're doing tie rod ends just be careful when you hit the knuckle that you're not hitting in a direction that could bend or break the knuckle.
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9,924 Posts
This works. For stubborn cases, if you can get a pair of big ball peen hammers, and hit both sides of the knuckle (on opposite sides of where the threaded ball joint spindle inserts into the knuckle), you'll know it when both hammers strike at exactly the same time. It's like a perfectly hit baseball, or nailing a tennis ball directly in the racket sweet spot on a hard return. The knuckle instantly releases its hold on the spindle.
Like John Clark says, you need to think big, like a 32oz. ball peen hammer or larger. The common ones for tapping sheet metal just won't do.
OF
P.S. My bushings looked like Dornier's pic in post #3 a couple years ago, so I bought a pair of Moog CK arms back then. Well, fast forward to 2016, and those Moog CK arms are still in plastic wrap in my office, because my bushings still look like that pic, and they are holding firm.
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14,400 Posts
I haven't mastered the double-hammer hit. I've never really been able to get an angle where that works all the time. A double hit like that would prevent the hits from jostling everything around when you beat on it. Besides, I don't have two big matching hammers.
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9,924 Posts
That's the key...angles. Most times it's tough to maneuver the arc of your hammer swing to make it perpendicular (orthogonal?) to the surface you want to hit with just one hammer. Two? Hard to do, especially in the small fender well of the average family vehicle.
OF
OF
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