[Odyssey.owner]

I think you are over analyzing this.

You might be right, I am thinking too much.. Becoming a parent after 40 y.o could be the cause for my overanalyzing behaviour )
Still, no one on this forum wants to buy chinese motor mounts from ebay, but LCA's from same source are OK somehow.. I dont see logic here. To me, LCA is way more important part in regards of safety.
You are right, I should get new OEM.

 

[Aviator1]

I think you are over analyzing this. However, if you're this concerned then your only real option is to go OEM replacement. Even from a u-pull it yard you don't know whether the arms you're getting are original. The worst case scenario is you get a ball joint or bushing that doesn't last as long as an original. You're not going to break a control arm without some kind of impact with a very solid object. If you impact something that solid, enough to break a control arm, your concerns are going to be much more than the control arm.

I agree with all of this, I'd actually rather go aftermarket over used OEM because you don't know really what condition those bushings are in until you get the thing taken off the van at the pull yard.
I agree that you ARE NOT going to break a control arm without being in a serious accident. Even braking, the van can hardly activate the ABS with the weak brakes it has. The metal of the LCA won't fail from emergency braking. We just took a 4,200 mile trip from Michigan to Florida to Minnesota to Michigan. On the way we passed a very freshly smashed pickup on the road and literally drove over and through some of the scrap from it (to the point where we now have an exhaust leak from whatever hit the bottom of the van) (and yes I did inspect for other damage) and I've had no issues with the B/A. The new B/A I got looked IDENTICAL to what I pulled off. No casting lines, no sharp edges, but EXACTLY the same.
I am a critical person. As a pilot, I have to be critical every day. I also have my A&P (aircraft mechanics license), and you think car maintenance is a big deal? Engine overhaul on small aircraft engines are MANDANTORY every 2,000 hours or so that they run!! Replacement parts by FAA certified manufacterers only! I won't settle for low quality airplane parts.
I won't settle for low quality car parts either. And I have been more than satisfied with the B/A LCA. That isn't to say that a part not could fail (aircraft or car). Even OEM can fail. Yes, a Chinese part could fail earlier, but I seriously doubt even a cheap Chinese part will crack in half.
Don't overthink it, just buy one or the other. Save money = B/A. More money/feel better about it = OEM. Done

 

[Odyssey.owner]

I agree that you ARE NOT going to break a control arm without being in a serious accident. Even braking, the van can hardly activate the ABS with the weak brakes it has. The metal of the LCA won't fail from emergency braking.

I am not saying that your B&A LCA's are bad, or they will break apart at some point. What I am saying is - the B&A and Moog parts are being made all over the globe, and can differ in quality. If I get these lca's, they will be most likely from the same production line as yours, but not 100%.
In my opinion, LCA is a very critical part, way more important than engine mounts or timing belt. Still, everyone wants engine mount and timing belt quality as close to OEM as possible, but not LCA. Why?

Poorly made LCA usually doesn't crack apart, but ball joint can easily separate from the arm. I have seen it way too many times, even my wife has survived this event in her sedan, where suspension was the same type as our van has - McPherson strut and control arm with ball joint.

Anyhow, the only question is money. If I had enough money, I would just buy OEM, or even a new van. But I am broke, and have to waste my and your time, trying to choose between B&A, Moog, or used OEM ( which could be not OEM at all ).

Sorry I am taking your time with my silly questions.

 

[Aviator1]

I apologize if I sounded frustrated or long winded. Just tried to say why I thought B/As were fine in a straight forward and clear way. Nothing meant by it.

This forum is here to ask questions, so I don't think it's silly, but just one sharing with another.

Ultimately it's your call. You know what you have to work with, financially and options-wise, and what the positives and negatives are of each (or a good idea anyways). I'd say, do one based on your research and call it done.

 

[Aviator1]

I just had a thought while looking back at my thread about control arms. You're concerned about Chinese junk parts, the B/A I bought had "made in Taiwan" as well as the OEM part number on the package (see the pics in my thread). You could just order one from RockAuto, if you don't find what you like at the yard, and if it's the same, use it, if it looks alot different, return it. Rock Auto is awesome with returns, but you gotta pay shipping.

 

[John Clark]

I am not saying that your B&A LCA's are bad, or they will break apart at some point. What I am saying is - the B&A and Moog parts are being made all over the globe, and can differ in quality. If I get these lca's, they will be most likely from the same production line as yours, but not 100%.
In my opinion, LCA is a very critical part, way more important than engine mounts or timing belt. Still, everyone wants engine mount and timing belt quality as close to OEM as possible, but not LCA. Why?

Poorly made LCA usually doesn't crack apart, but ball joint can easily separate from the arm. I have seen it way too many times, even my wife has survived this event in her sedan, where suspension was the same type as our van has - McPherson strut and control arm with ball joint.

Anyhow, the only question is money. If I had enough money, I would just buy OEM, or even a new van. But I am broke, and have to waste my and your time, trying to choose between B&A, Moog, or used OEM ( which could be not OEM at all ).

Sorry I am taking your time with my silly questions.

Based on the above I can't even believe you'd even consider used from a wrecking yard. You have no idea what you're getting. Even a car hit in the rear could have been hit, and then pushed into something that damages suspension or ball joint and is a hidden problem. I've used lots of wrecking yard LCA's over the years and never had a problem but your concern with this should preclude you from even considering used. If it were me I'd go the B/A or OEM. If I couldn't afford the OEM then I'd go B/A without much reservation.

 

[knavekid]

I ordered a set of B/A LCAs from Rockauto on Tuesday and they arrived yesterday (Thursday). They have both the B/A and OEM part numbers on the packaging and are made in Taiwan. They appear to be quality components, not that appearance proves anything.

In my research into which LCAs to buy, I was less concerned about the arm itself compared to the quality of the bushings and ball joints as they are the parts that wear and fail. I found no reports complaining about the quality of the bushings or ball joints used on the B/A LCA assemblies. I did find complaints regarding some of the cheaper LCAs.

I will be installing these along with OEM strut assemblies later in the month.

 

[OdyinNH]

If money needs to be watched why are you replacing this item without knowing it is bad? Have the pros here ever seen one of these bent enough to get the results you are seeing ("front wheel is dislocated")? I would measure all the angles against the other side unless you see actual damage.

When pressure was put on my daughter's Accord the vertical suspension piece broke in half instead of bending. Someone backed into the front wheel.

 

[Odyssey.owner]

If money needs to be watched why are you replacing this item without knowing it is bad? Have the pros here ever seen one of these bent enough to get the results you are seeing ("front wheel is dislocated")? I would measure all the angles against the other side unless you see actual damage.

I know for sure that something is bent, hoping it is the LCA, not the subframe. Also, bushings look worn out on both LCA.
Money is tight, and long trip to FL will happen soon enough, so I just want this van to be safe and ready to go.

 

[Hogan773]

Realizing this is a thread from last year but wondering if the people who went with the Beck Arnleys then are still happy with that decision now

I was leaning to doing the steel Moogs for my 2010 based on perception of quality of bushings and ball joint however those are heavier steel and if BA is also good bushings and ball joint and it is aluminum then that seems overall better.

I did the 9-3 and 6-12 pushing on my wheels and don't get noticeable clicking or play. My almost 10yr old van has less than 75k miles so possible I am spending money to replace something that doesn't need replacing I guess. I do see cracks and tears in the rubber of the rear bushing where it is visible. And maybe I am just jonesing for a reason to get out my tools for a "project" haha

 

[John Clark]

With 213K miles I'm getting ready to replace all my suspension, as well. Going to do OEM strut assemblies (I have a Branick wall-mounted spring compressor but I want the strut mounts, bearings, spring and bellows to be new,) rear shocks, rear springs, and upper/lower rear spring seats (one lower seat is blown out.) I was going to replace the rear springs as I can't imagine that after all those miles hauling a van full of kids and stuff, that they haven't sagged a bit. I also noticed some cracking in my front lower control arm rear bushings so might as well do those too. From Bernardi, it's nearly $2k for all of that. My van is still in excellent condition and I don't desire a newer vehicle so I will just replace it all.

I was looking at the B/A front LCA's on RockAuto and, while the price is tempting, I live by the motto that you get what you pay for. I'd be curious how Aviator's LCA's are holding up. With 213K on this van the ball joints are still tight as can be. The boots are beginning to show some signs of drying out but they aren't broken open. You can buy just the boots if your bushings are good. I'm leaning toward just biting the bullet and ordering everything from Bernardi.

 

[marvinstockman]

First, I can't believe hundreds of manufacturers are lining up to make Honda Ody LCA's, as there can't be much profit in the whole business.

Over 10 years, Honda might have 6 manufacturers making OE parts, whatever they are. Will the real OEM manufacturer please stand up?

OP, it sounds like you're on a wild goose chase, and if you front end is 'off', whatever is off should be visible. A frame shop should be able to tell you what parts are bent.

 

[John Clark]

Um, the OP hasn't posted in almost two years and his sig shows he has B/A control arms so he's already done them.
I think we're just curious how they're holding up.

 

[Hogan773]

First, I can't believe hundreds of manufacturers are lining up to make Honda Ody LCA's, as there can't be much profit in the whole business.

Over 10 years, Honda might have 6 manufacturers making OE parts, whatever they are. Will the real OEM manufacturer please stand up?

OP, it sounds like you're on a wild goose chase, and if you front end is 'off', whatever is off should be visible. A frame shop should be able to tell you what parts are bent.

I think OP is long gone

I just brought this thread back from the dead as it was dealing with my question about Moog vs Beck Arnley vs OEM.

To John Clark, I agree that OEM is likely best. I am just having an issue spending 349 each for OEM LCAs when I can get others for much less. I know you get what you pay for. But like was said above SOMEONE makes LCAs for Honda. They don't make them themselves.

 

[John Clark]

They're only $325 on Bernardi...LOL.

Yeah, I'm having a hard time, as well. The strut assemblies are $303. Hard to believe they are less money than a chunk of aluminum with a bushing and a ball joint. I put some SPC adjustable rear control arms on the back of my van a few years back. A year or so ago, I had it up in the air and was checking for play. Both ball joints on those rear control arms were totally shot after 55K. I just ended up putting the originals back on (glad I saved them) and they are still good today.

The pain of low quality lives on long after the thrill of a low price tag wears off.

 

[Hogan773]

They're only $325 on Bernardi...LOL.

Yeah, I'm having a hard time, as well. The strut assemblies are $303. Hard to believe they are less money than a chunk of aluminum with a bushing and a ball joint. I put some SPC adjustable rear control arms on the back of my van a few years back. A year or so ago, I had it up in the air and was checking for play. Both ball joints on those rear control arms were totally shot after 55K. I just ended up putting the originals back on (glad I saved them) and they are still good today.

The pain of low quality lives on long after the thrill of a low price tag wears off.

I'm pretty sure the OEMs used to be $249 or something when I looked at this a year or two ago. Maybe something happened, maybe it is something tariff-related - who knows.

I actually keep struggling with whether it is even the LCAs at all that is making the loose feel. As I drove the Odyssey tonight around some rough pavement, then an hour later I drove my 2014 Accord V6, I noticed that the steering wheel seems much more stable in the Accord. In the Odyssey part of what I think I am feeling is a shaking or vibration in the steering wheel as I am going over rough pavement. So is that loose LCAs that are allowing the knuckle to shake back and forth more, which subsequently shakes the steering wheel back and forth a little too and makes the "shake"? I would think that if it was loose tie rod ball joint then actually the steering wheel WOULDN'T shake like that, and would just feel a little dead while making small corrections from center or when initiating a turn. I would think a loose tie rod end would effectively "absorb" the knuckle movement from being transferred to the tie rods as the tie rod ball joint would just slip back and forth a little.

John you can likely opine on the above theory as true or false though

 

[btatbui2017]

Hi John Clark,

FYI. The camber arms (SPC 67590 Alignment Rear Camber EZ Arm 2005-2010 Honda Odyssey) that we installed back in August 2012 were still good from a ball-joint perspective. We had 82K miles on those ball joints. We just had both camber arms replaced again last weekend due to the adjustable thread seized up so we could not get the camber right for the alignment. The Honda mechanic who did the work said that the ball-joints in those camber arms were still in good shape. I was thinking of putting anti seized lubricant on the thread to avoid rust.

Hi all,

FYI. The Moog LCAs (RK620505 & RK620504) still feel great after 16K and a year in by next week.

 

[John Clark]

The only things that can go wrong with the LCA's are the bushings and/or the ball joints. Raise the front of the car up and try wiggling the wheel by grabbing it at 12 and 6 o'clock and see if there's any play in the ball joints. Then inspect the bushings for cracking or wear.

As for my SPC rear arms, I don't know what happened. They definitely failed prematurely. When I contacted SPC they told me to pound sand (buy new ball joints) so I dumped them and went back to original. OEM ball joints can't be beat.

 

[Hogan773]

The only things that can go wrong with the LCA's are the bushings and/or the ball joints. Raise the front of the car up and try wiggling the wheel by grabbing it at 12 and 6 o'clock and see if there's any play in the ball joints. Then inspect the bushings for cracking or wear.

As for my SPC rear arms, I don't know what happened. They definitely failed prematurely. When I contacted SPC they told me to pound sand (buy new ball joints) so I dumped them and went back to original. OEM ball joints can't be beat.

Yeah I tried the 12-6 and 9-3 shakes from underneath and couldnt really detect play in either the ball joint or the tie rod ends. My rear rubber LCA bushings are definitely cracked. I can't really see into the front bushings because they are positioned vertically and harder to see in. May be that everything is just starting to get old and loose and thus when driving over rough pavement it gets enough play to wiggle everything around. It doesn't feel excessively sloppy on smooth pavement or drive like a "hooptie" like in the other post nearby.

Honestly could prob live with it like it is but it is annoying enough, and I am curious to see if replacing LCAs will make it tight again. And it will only continue to get worse over time

John, is it possible for a DIYer to buy just the bushings and ball joint and press them into the existing LCA? I certainly wouldn't think it is worth it vs spending 100-125 per side for brand new aftermarket LCA, BUT if it meant spending 75 bucks in parts could we get OEM Honda ball joint or bushings and then that would be much better than 325 each for OEM LCAs? Guessing Honda doesnt sell the bushings and ball joints separately though

 

[surgeon]

LCA does not have bushing OEM part numbers... Gotta get whole thing which has bushing and joint. Old style LCA had a bushing/joint that could be pressed but not these 3rd gen OEM ones. Aftermarket ones might... Wonder which other LCAs are same dimensions as this that would fit 3rd gen.

Ref to poly bushings here.

Front lower control arm bushing replacement

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I've done a couple searches but I haven't found any information on replacing the bushings on the front lower control arm. I've found one source for them online. Has anybody pressed the bushings out and replaced them? Orielly's told me that you can't replace the...

www.odyclub.com