Thread: Lower Control arms

Originally Posted by Tombie

To understand how they move - Look under your vehicle (from safely away from being squashed ) and ask someone to raise to full height and then lower to minimum and watch the fore and aft movement that the bush caters for...

These are the style of bush..



As you can see there is room for fore and aft plus some off axis movement.

The centre of the bush is usually filled with oil...

..and consider what that movement is doing to your wheel alignment. I think LR have built a lot of compliance in to cope with the loadings at different heights, but it does beg the question of how accurate the wheel alignment is with everything ducking and weaving like it does.

Actually if you film underneath under load they are always forward.... And the hydro bush is quite stable in normal use by design.

Afternoon,

Well after thinking I had a blown shock the LR dealer in Perth diagnosed the clunking at low speeds as worn out lower control arm bushes = need replacing (140,000kms). Good thread BTW.

So I got a quote to replace ...$1,600... is that right? I can re bush the John Deere header for about that. Anyway - any advice grateful (can it be done easily myself) or see if I can get someone else to do it?

Thanks

I ordered lower arms from the UK (Duckworths) and got a mobile mechanic to fit them (Dave Dover) and then took it for an alignment, worked out about $900 all in. This was about 18 months ago so exchange rate has moved against us slightly.

Whole arms are usually more cost effective due to labour time involved in putting new bushes in.

If your ball joints are okay and you have the tools to re-bush the arms yourself you could just order some new bushes and pop them in and go get an alignment - a much cheaper option.

[QUOTE=gotaflat;2370754]

So I got a quote to replace ...$1,600... is that right? I can re bush the John Deere header for about that. Anyway - any advice grateful (can it be done easily myself) or see if I can get someone else to do it?
[y/QUOTE]

I need to do mine also. Was quoted $1650.00 for OEM D4 arms fitted and alignment included at local independent. He said He only fits D4 arms as they are upgraded and last much longer than D3 arms.

Having said that, I think I'm going to buy them and do them myself.

Cheers David

Hey all,

My front lower rear bushes are shot, the rest are all fine, I've pulled all bolts ect today and inspected everything. Why does everyone replace arms?? The bushes are only 60 bucks? I rang a local supplier and asked if they could press them for me as I don't have a workshop job to access a press or a shed worth buying one for (5.5 x 5.5) wtf! and they said I'll need arms they always bend in the press.!! Wtf is wrong with the world I'm only a young bloke but Ive pressed thousands of things and never bent anything, has anyone heard of heat or a die grinder or setting up a press correctly. What is everyone else's opinion on the issue. I'm thinking about asking for all there old arms so I can bush and sell on eBay

it's always five o clock somewhere

Not sure Josh?? I've just ordered arms as by all the reading I've done everyone says it's more economical labour wise. Now I've talked to an independent garage and he says I was silly to ordered the whole arms as well. I spoke to another independent and he said they generally are easier to just replace if they seize up and are hard to remove. So let's say 60 for bushings after market or genuine? How much labour to remove them and press in new ones?? Who knows right. I've got new arms with poly bushes, 3 hrs to pull out old ones and put in new ones plus wheel alignment. Not sure if there is or isn't an advantage, but we live in a throw away world. I guess at the end of the day I know my vehicle will only be at the garage for half a day max, I also know what my bill will be and won't be getting a call saying we can't get your bushes out and need to order new arms and that'll take two weeks but they've already cut the old ones out. Well then I'd be up the creek and since I live in a rural area my option was the easiest for me.

Hope this helps

Remember that with the new arms you also get a new ball joint. Add the cost of a new ball joint plus time and labour to remove and install.


I done a how to replace the arms a few years ago , its in the tutorial section.


Cheers Ean