OEM LCA: Buy New or Refurbish Used

[Berty_K]

I've been running slightly off alignment for the past year due to my frozen control arms.

I'm finally taking the plunge. I'll be buying JBA upper control arms and OEM lower control arms. I was initially going to buy all new equipment for the lower control arms, but am getting some serious sticker shock. I want to do this job correctly, but would also love to spend less.

I poked around on Ebay and found lower control arms for 100 a piece, including shipping.

Any thoughts on buying used lower control arms and pressing in new bushings?

Also, do I need to refusbish anything else (like the lower ball joint)?

 

[Inv4drZm]

I bought used OEM LCA's on ebay and pressed in new Moog ball joints and cut out the rubber bushings and installed Energy Suspension bushings. This was a couple weeks ago.

The Energy Suspension install was a pain but I got it done, and the front end feels a little tighter with the stiffer joint material.

Unless you have a press or a good vice to hold the LCA, pressing out the ball joints with a ball joint press kit will be difficult to do with the LCA unmounted from the vehicle.

 

[07V8]

New. Paid $275 each.

 

[Berty_K]

New. Paid $275 each.

Yeah, I found them for $300 each. Plus about $100 for the hardware.

I think new is the way to go

 

[07V8]

Yeah, I found them for $300 each. Plus about $100 for the hardware.

I think new is the way to go

Agreed.

Don’t know why there is sticker shock when aftermarket (with significant improvements) UCAs cost upwards of $400 each.

Anything other than OEM LCAs are junk, especially the bushings which do not hold up.

 

[blackoutt]

You just got the two best options listed with no BS above:

1. OEM arms with poly bushings, more for if you want it stiffened up.

2. OEM arms new.

All the rest of the aftermarket arms and parts can and will work, but not as good and not as long. Take it from those of us who have done that job multiple times now. Or just once if they did it right the first go round. ^^^^^

 

[Berty_K]

Agreed.

Don’t know why there is sticker shock when aftermarket (with significant improvements) UCAs cost upwards of $400 each.

Anything other than OEM LCAs are junk, especially the bushings which do not hold up.

Yeah, no way I'm gonna take a chance on cheaper moog or febest arms.

 

[Berty_K]

You just got the two best options listed with no BS above:

1. OEM arms with poly bushings, more for if you want it stiffened up.

2. OEM arms new.

All the rest of the aftermarket arms and parts can and will work, but not as good and not as long. Take it from those of us who have done that job multiple times now. Or just once if they did it right the first go round. ^^^^^

I dont believe I have a need for stiffer bushings. Mostly highway driving with the occasional jaunt offroad.

Was also tempted by the Moog greasable cams, but dont want to take a chance with non-oem.

 

[07V8]

You just got the two best options listed with no BS above:

1. OEM arms with poly bushings, more for if you want it stiffened up.

2. OEM arms new.

All the rest of the aftermarket arms and parts can and will work, but not as good and not as long. Take it from those of us who have done that job multiple times now. Or just once if they did it right the first go round. ^^^^^

The only aftermarket LCA component I tried was the slotted studs and bolts to prevent seizure. As an engineer, I did not like the looks of the hardware and swapped it to OEM.

Make sure you put a nice thick coating of anti seize in the bushing sleeves and new hardware to prevent seizure...by far the most common cause for LCA replacements.

 

[blackoutt]

The Moog or SPC bolts and cams SUCK! OEM only there for sure.

 

[SeanWN86]

You just got the two best options listed with no BS above:

1. OEM arms with poly bushings, more for if you want it stiffened up.

2. OEM arms new.

All the rest of the aftermarket arms and parts can and will work, but not as good and not as long. Take it from those of us who have done that job multiple times now. Or just once if they did it right the first go round. ^^^^^

+1
If you don't go OEM, plan and budget to constantly replace them. I've gone through 3x sets of aftermarket in a year(King all 4x corners, street driven 100% of the time, and no offroad gear/weight).

And need to replace again. :dammit: I'm gonna suck it up and finally buy OEM. Could've saved money and time if I'd have listened.

 

[4RunnerIdiot]

I had my LCAs, UCAs and rear links replaced under the used car warranty that I got with my 4Runner. They put all moog stuff in. Reading this thread I'm really regretting not keeping the OEM parts after they took them out, and tossing new ball joints and bushings in, especially the lowers, for when these moog ones apparently inevitably fail.

 

[Berty_K]

I had my LCAs, UCAs and rear links replaced under the used car warranty that I got with my 4Runner. They put all moog stuff in. Reading this thread I'm really regretting not keeping the OEM parts after they took them out, and tossing new ball joints and bushings in, especially the lowers, for when these moog ones apparently inevitably fail.

Yikes. That would bother me. Did a toyota dealer do the work?

 

[4RunnerIdiot]

Yikes. That would bother me. Did a toyota dealer do the work?

No, this was basically a third party warranty for used vehicles with over 130k miles when purchased. There's a lot of fine print, but they did spend like $2k to replace it all so I'm not complaining. Part of the fine print is that it has to be done at an ASE certified mechanic that will warranty the parts and labor for 12 months. So a local mechanic did the work. It is kind of annoying that for an extra $200 more these could be OEM lowers and 90% of the cost is labor which wouldn't change at all. But hey, if they fail quickly... still covered. The uppers I'm going to replace with JBA UCAs anyway.

 

[Berty_K]

No, this was basically a third party warranty for used vehicles with over 130k miles when purchased. There's a lot of fine print, but they did spend like $2k to replace it all so I'm not complaining. Part of the fine print is that it has to be done at an ASE certified mechanic that will warranty the parts and labor for 12 months. So a local mechanic did the work. It is kind of annoying that for an extra $200 more these could be OEM lowers and 90% of the cost is labor which wouldn't change at all. But hey, if they fail quickly... still covered. The uppers I'm going to replace with JBA UCAs anyway.

Nice, I just bought a pair of JBAs. They're in the mail as we speak!