Need lower control arms

[Nitr0Racing21]

Well my brother just told me I need the lower control arms and I'm wondering where I can look it up online I cant seem to find it and everything on google that comes up is not the right thing

[rixGAphx]

That's not the right thing.

Lower control arms don't fail or go bad (unless you're in a nasty accident that bends them, in which case a '99 would be 'totaled') or in the rust belt with SEVERE salting/rusting.

Rather, there is a rubber bushing at the front and rear of each control arm (one control arm each side of the front suspension).
These dry, crack, and generally deteriorate.
So your brother said (or meant to say) you need new control arm BUSHINGS.
Aftermarket bushings of polyurethane are a little firmer than OEM rubber, and give a 'sportier' feel and better handling to the GA.

Checker/AutoZone/NAPA all carry OEM rubber; some may carry polyurethane.
Many online companies offer aftermarket poly bushings, for mebbe 50% more than stock black rubber bushings; sorry, I don't have any links.

Replacing them involves removing the entire front suspension, including using a rental spring compressor to compress the spring and remove the strut assembly.
One of the bushings is easy to DIY replace, the other is an absolute mutha; it's best to take the control arms and new bushings to a machine shop.
The machinist will press-out the old bushing and press-in the new, for about $15 each.

Based on the age of your car, the front struts are prolly well-worn, and so are the lower ball joints.
Do you have a nasty little 'clunking' in the front, when you turn sharply at low speed while hitting a bump (like driving into your driveway)? That would be the broken plastic strut bearing plate, and removal of the strut is necessary to replace it/them.
While everything's apart, this would be a good time to replace this stuff.
But now we're talking some bigger bucks.

Anyhow, whenever the struts or control arms are removed, you need to finish the job with a professional 4-wheel alignment of the steering/suspension.
doing all this stuff at oncemeans you only hafta pay for this service once.

Good luck,
-Rick

PS: I go to the Checker/Schucks/Kragen website at http://www.partsamerica.com/

There were some rare all-aluminum control arms used on some late-'90's GA's, 99+ I *think*.
These are more susceptible to bending and salt corrosion tha standard steel control arms, so this may indeed be your case.
You would get replacements either from a junkyard or a dealer (mucho $$$).
But I'll bet your brother meant control arm BUSHINGS.

[Nitr0Racing21]

Well The struts were just replaced and the car has had 2 tenths of a mile since they were put on, could you recommend me a brand for a after market bushing to get me a sportier feel? the car is scheduled for a alignment right before it has its inspection, so all I need is a bushing or should I also invest in a bearing plate? or something that you said

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by Nitr0Racing21
Well The struts were just replaced and the car has had 2 tenths of a mile since they were put on, could you recommend me a brand for a after market bushing to get me a sportier feel? the car is scheduled for a alignment right before it has its inspection, so all I need is a bushing or should I also invest in a bearing plate? or something that you said Do you have the clunking?

You shouldn't have the noise or need the plates, since the mechanic who did the struts should have noticed the bearing plate if it were broken, and asked for more money to replace it at that time.

Try that checker website, they might have poly's.

[Nitr0Racing21]

HA my brother did the struts, and on the drive over from when we bought the car we did notice the clicking in the front right side. He was a mechanic at a body shop for about 11 years until he switched to auto glass, We have not had the chance to put a mile on the car yet lol.

What bushing should I get, I havent found anything except moog?

[jonnythan]

Autozone seems to have them for under $10 each.

Definitely take the control arms off and take them and the new bushings to a machine shop. I have a NAPA machine shop about 10 minutes away and they did the whole job (both sides) for $20.

I just used the basic Duralast bushings.

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by Nitr0Racing21
HA my brother did the struts, and on the drive over from when we bought the car we did notice the clicking in the front right side. He was a mechanic at a body shop for about 11 years until he switched to auto glass, We have not had the chance to put a mile on the car yet lol.

What bushing should I get, I havent found anything except moog? Moog is a fine brand, they'll last 100k.

[Nitr0Racing21]

But will they be sporty? I dont care how long they least as long as it is within reason



EDIT: I just called to talk to him he is saying I need the whole arm. so it looks like I'm going with OEM parts, YAY for a hole in the wallet

[jonnythan]

What the hell did he do to the arm?

It's a big piece of steel. Actually two pieces of steel welded together back to back on my 98, but... damn. You'd have to seriously try to do something bad in order to bend it in some way.

I'm not sure he knows quite what he's talking about. Find out why he thinks he needs the whole arm. He might just not have a clue how to get the bushings out.

As for the brand, I can't imagine that different lower control arm bushings will make much of a difference in handling. I wouldn't worry about it....

[Nighthawk243]

Originally posted by rixGAphx
That's not the right thing.

Lower control arms don't fail or go bad (unless you're in a nasty accident that bends them, in which case a '99 would be 'totaled') or in the rust belt with SEVERE salting/rusting.



In Phoenix, that would be true, but he lives in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania has a nasty road salt type that eats the hell out of these cars. My 1995 had the rear part of the control arm actually rust away and completely break, letting the bushing become seprated from the control arm. The damage was so bad, there was no replacing the bushing, the actual control arm itself was compromised.

Nitro, I was able to get the control arm from Mac Auto Parts. This fits 1995-1998 GA's.

D/S: http://www.macautoparts.net/ProductInfo.aspx?id=2913451&categoryid=0

P/S: http://www.macautoparts.net/ProductInfo.aspx?id=2913450&categoryid=0

Both come with the ball joint.

[Nitr0Racing21]

He has plans on calling his guy at the warehouse tomorrow, my brother definitely knows what he is doing, he has been working on cars since he learned to talk.

[homerjfong]

If you want, rockauto.com has the entire control arm with bushings and new ball joint for $100 for your car.

Not sure if you want or need the whole arm but there ya go.

[homerjfong]

Originally posted by Nighthawk243
In Phoenix, that would be true, but he lives in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania has a nasty road salt type that eats the hell out of these cars. My 1995 had the rear part of the control arm actually rust away and completely break, letting the bushing become seprated from the control arm. The damage was so bad, there was no replacing the bushing, the actual control arm itself was compromised.

Nitro, I was able to get the control arm from Mac Auto Parts. This fits 1995-1998 GA's.

D/S: http://www.macautoparts.net/ProductInfo.aspx?id=2913451&categoryid=0

P/S: http://www.macautoparts.net/ProductInfo.aspx?id=2913450&categoryid=0

Both come with the ball joint.

Thanks for the link on this. Wish I woulda seen it yesterday. I just ordered my control arms at $100/side

[Xplod]

To replace the control arms you actually don't have to remove the strut, but you do have to remove the two bolts that connect the strut assembly to the hub.

What was easiest for me was to take the hub assembly off of balljoint, caliper and all. Be careful to hang it nicely onto your spring if you don't want to mess with bleeding the front calipers by removing the brake hoses. I had to hang my hub as high as i could so it could be out of my way, maybe it would just be easier to remove the whole strut, but i had to bare with it. Working smarter is better than harder.

But to remove the control arm, you need to remove the sway bar linkage. If you break off a bolt, no worry because they are less than 10 dollars each at autozone. I would recommend just getting new ones beforehand because of the age of your car. For the front nut and bolt of the bushing I needed a universal and an impact if available. I defiantly recommed a friend to hold the nut towards the rear of the car. The nut and the bolt are different sizes if i remember right. Also be carefull if you need to pound the bolt out, i ended up sending it up into the cradle and had to retrie ve it by means of a magnet, while removing all that dirt from the threads. The rear hockey-puck type bushing is much easier, it just needs a wrench on the top with a socket on the bottom. Now just hammer it out.

Replacing is harder than removing because trying to align it into the cradle right. I ended up lubing the bushings and cradle with grease. From there i carefully tapped it into place. I started with the rear bolt first. From there on, its the best part of R&r.

In total, it took me around 1.5 for each side. Its easier with access to air for removal, replacing the bolts is always easier than breaking free. I replaced the whole control arm because OE control arm's ball joints are riveted in, and is not fun removing from thin control arm steel, and then having to take it somewhere to having the old bushings taken out was too much b.s. for me.

I probaly forgot something, but i hope I could be helpful from my experience.

[Nighthawk243]

The biggest pain in the ass, as Xplod said, getting the new arms in... You will probably offend everyone in a 50 mile radius.

Btw, a heat wrench comes in handy for getting off old bolts. ;).

[Nitr0Racing21]

we did it tonight got the parts from the warehouse today(now thats service) its OEM the passenger side tok 10 minutes but the driver side took 40 we slacked off a lil and he was tired but not bad for 2 hours works considering all we got done