Desmondo

Hey everyone,

I was at the official Ford dealership here in RI, and during a maintenance they told me my lower control arms were "showing play" - and that replacement would be a whooping $1090.00!

I guess my questions are:

How serious is the issue?

Is there a generally cheaper way to go about changing parts? (Order online, take to dealer, etc)?

If anyone is from around Rhode Island, a reference to a specific car repair shop that gives good deals would also be much appreciated.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

-DP

JimC

If you need new lower control arms just buy aftermarket ones (I have the HotPart.com set). It will be a lot less money than they are quoting you, will give you a much tighter back, and you can do the install yourself with jack stands in your driveway.

Desmondo

I'm pretty car-repair clueless, and I don't have a garage here in college unfortunately - I'm a foreign student here in the US.

I guess my best bet is to buy the part - or some compatible variant of it online? Then take it to the shop, and just get them to quote me for the man-hours required for repair?

Kona6Stang10

I would find a friend in school to do it for you bc they are anally raping you on that price....you can get the VERY VERY BEST LCA's for MUCH less....and installation is an absolute breeze. Just find a friend that has seen mustang suspension before and can turn a wrench and read directions lol

it's that easy and you don't need a garage...just a flat parking lot or piece of concrete

satur9poet

I see the LCA replacement as a very, VERY common item on nearly every low-mileage Mustang I've Carfaxed...why is it such a common problem and how do I know if mine are going bad?

schapman

Are they referring to the front LCA or the rear LCA? Back are cheap and easy to install...front will cost more and are harder to install.

shoe48

There is a noticable clicking sound when the brakes are put on ,, it seems the bushings wear out kinda fast on them , That is how you know you should be looking at them for replacment

legendlime05

i have che, theyre good not too expensive either. ebay is your friend in this matter also. any regular car repair shop should be able to do this.

chronos

You mean like what a CV joint sounds like when it goes bad?

07WhiteV6

You didn't say what year and how many miles, but there is a TSB on lower control arms. TSB 09 24 16 replaces both lower control arms to eliminate (hopefully) a clunk noise in the front end.

I've been battling a the front end clunk on my 07 since I bought it and I'm hoping this is the fix for it. I just picked it up yesterday and came straight home (to avoid the snow moving in) so I can't tell if it's fixed once and for all or not.

I think I'd check with the dealer and see if your car is covered. If it is...it's a freebie. $1090 sounds steep for for this job - then again, I believe both control arms are about $600 (just the parts).