Replaced My Front Lower Control Arms
#1
Replaced My Front Lower Control Arms
At 85,000 miles I've replaced just about everything in the front suspension of my 2007 FEH except the lower control arms, so I wasn't surprised to hear they were shot, too.
The estimate was $650, but the Moog Problem Solver arms were only $120 at Rock auto, so I decided to give it a go, myself. There are only 6 bolts that hold on these arms, but four of them are threaded into blind holes in the subframe and if the bolt breaks off, you are hosed.
The good news is that I replaced the left arm in about an hour, after soaking the bolts in penetrating oil. The bad news is that the front bolt on the right side snapped off in spite of my best efforts to avoid it (penetrating oil, vibration from an impact gun, alternately loosening and tightening the bolt.
So, I limped it to the repair shop where I got charged $180 to remove the broken bolt and install the arm.
Conclusion, crappy design but the job is doable with just a floor jack and a big breaker bar if you are lucky.
The estimate was $650, but the Moog Problem Solver arms were only $120 at Rock auto, so I decided to give it a go, myself. There are only 6 bolts that hold on these arms, but four of them are threaded into blind holes in the subframe and if the bolt breaks off, you are hosed.
The good news is that I replaced the left arm in about an hour, after soaking the bolts in penetrating oil. The bad news is that the front bolt on the right side snapped off in spite of my best efforts to avoid it (penetrating oil, vibration from an impact gun, alternately loosening and tightening the bolt.
So, I limped it to the repair shop where I got charged $180 to remove the broken bolt and install the arm.
Conclusion, crappy design but the job is doable with just a floor jack and a big breaker bar if you are lucky.
Last edited by travelover; 05-15-2016 at 02:45 PM.
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