Anyone ever used the AC Delco front lower control arms?

Kumba

Kumba

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I'm finally overhauling the suspension in my car. Ordered a set of AC Delco Professional front lower control arms for $212/ea off of amazon. Also using a Raybestos Professional wheel hub and ball joint with motorcraft upper control arms.

Moog has been kind of a disappointment in the last couple of cars I had so i'm trying something new. They also only seem to be offering their "KR" line anymore which is their cheaper chinese knock off stuff. I know that Raybestos is Spicer suspension components since they bought them so I have zero issues with that. From everything I can see AC Delco likes to just repackage parts from the various OEM suppliers so with any luck the lower control arms were actually made by lemforder and AC Delco is just distributing them. Hopefully this all takes care of that annoying vibration I get in my car around 75-mph.

For the rears my cheapest option is buying from tascaparts.com it seems. I need the uppers and OEM is the only way to go for them anyways.

Hopefully I can find someone who will press in the new ball joint and rear wheel bearings without being scared off by the aluminum. :)
 
I have not heard any bad stories with the AC Delco's. Other forums recommend them so you should be safe.

I just ordered the Moog RK80734/5 and have one in my hand... it looks to be okay... no better or worse than the Motorcraft UCA's I got last year (that said Jaguar on them). Bushings match stock as far as I can tell. The casting looks like good quality. Decent finish and normal looking color. Clean machining on the shock mount and ball joint stud area. I'll take good pictures of it and compare it to my OE coming off and post back here... hopefully within a couple weeks. Aside from weighing and material analysis, I don't think there's much else to do to compare. RK is suppose to be affordable version, but I think this really only applies to their parts that have ball joints or grease fittings, etc. That was my impression anyway
 
3.9-LS said:
Have you considered buying the spindles since they have the ball joint already installed?
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Mevotech knuckle is $104 on rockauto. I've not heard much good about Mevotech ball joints. Everything seems to indicate the boots tear quickly.

Motorcraft knuckle is $300+. For that price I'll buy the $60 ball join and hopefully find a machine shop to press both of them in for $100 or less. If so then I'll be around the same cost as the Mevotech's with a better reputation ball joint.

I do miss working in a machine shop. Would just press them in myself.
 
Yeah that makes sense. Don't the front lower ball joints usually last a long time though? Do yours have play in them?
 
Look the AC Delcos over closely. They've been doing outsourcing over the last few years but they are such a friggin huge operation I don't know if they've done everything or not. Problem is, you don't know when they make the switch on what.

On the MOOG, if that's the case that's a huge disappointment if true. Been using MOOG for years, and I don't buy their KR line. If they are now making it all in China, won't be buying their stuff anymore.
 
3.9-LS said:
Yeah that makes sense. Don't the front lower ball joints usually last a long time though? Do yours have play in them?
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Eh, depends on who you ask, where you live, the kind of driving conditions, blah blah blah. I've got 113K-mi so I'm just replacing everything. Why wait for something that should for all practical purposes be marginal to go bad. I'm just getting a jump on it all by just replacing it all.
 
Kumba said:
I'm finally overhauling the suspension in my car. Ordered a set of AC Delco Professional front lower control arms for $212/ea off of amazon. Also using a Raybestos Professional wheel hub and ball joint with motorcraft upper control arms.

Moog has been kind of a disappointment in the last couple of cars I had so i'm trying something new. They also only seem to be offering their "KR" line anymore which is their cheaper chinese knock off stuff. I know that Raybestos is Spicer suspension components since they bought them so I have zero issues with that. From everything I can see AC Delco likes to just repackage parts from the various OEM suppliers so with any luck the lower control arms were actually made by lemforder and AC Delco is just distributing them. Hopefully this all takes care of that annoying vibration I get in my car around 75-mph.

For the rears my cheapest option is buying from tascaparts.com it seems. I need the uppers and OEM is the only way to go for them anyways.

Hopefully I can find someone who will press in the new ball joint and rear wheel bearings without being scared off by the aluminum. :)
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Could you explain some more on just what it is you think causes " that annoying vibration I get in my car around 75-mph "
or do you thinks it's "all" of the worn components causing it ?
first time today i had my car up to 75 and same thing.
could grip the wheel hard and stop it,,annoying.
i dont like it :(
tnx for any reply.
 
I've never used that part before, but I've had good luck with various things from them in the past. My AC Delco battery in the CTS lasted 8 years. It wasn't bad when I replaced it either. Still running the factory spark plugs too at 200K.
 
roncoinc said:
Could you explain some more on just what it is you think causes " that annoying vibration I get in my car around 75-mph "
or do you thinks it's "all" of the worn components causing it ?
first time today i had my car up to 75 and same thing.
could grip the wheel hard and stop it,,annoying.
i dont like it :(
tnx for any reply.
Click to expand...


That's the big question. Your standard dealer response is to sell you $80-120 alignment and tire balance/rotation and send you on your way. I do not know what causes the vibration but it has always been there. If it's still there after this suspension work then I am going to say it's the Center Support Bearing or Drive Shaft.
 
Kumba said:
That's the big question. Your standard dealer response is to sell you $80-120 alignment and tire balance/rotation and send you on your way. I do not know what causes the vibration but it has always been there. If it's still there after this suspension work then I am going to say it's the Center Support Bearing or Drive Shaft.
Click to expand...

Thank you.
my car has been aligned.
will try the balance and rotation.
.
 
roncoinc said:
Thank you.
my car has been aligned.
will try the balance and rotation.
.
Click to expand...

That didn't fix my issue, but it's what they always say to do cause the spreadsheet the mechanics use to diagnose a vehicle says to. The mechanics who actually try to figure out the problem don't suggest that.
 
Ehh, just tell them that you want it written on the order that if the balance, rotation and alignment doesn't solve the problem that you don't get charged for it. See what they say. If they aren't willing to guarantee that the work will fix it, then why are they recommending it?
 
Telco said:
Ehh, just tell them that you want it written on the order that if the balance, rotation and alignment doesn't solve the problem that you don't get charged for it. See what they say. If they aren't willing to guarantee that the work will fix it, then why are they recommending it?
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Yeah, that's what I started doing, and that's when they quit recommending it. One service manager was so intent that it was the tires themselves that It old him that I'll pay for ANY tire he wants to pick out, even if they cost $300/tire, but that if it does NOT fix the problem, he can take the tires off and put my old ones back on for free. He decided that he didn't want to take the bet.

Funny how when you ask them to back up their diagnosis they all run and hide.
 
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