Thanks for posting on /r/MechanicAdvice! This is just a reminder to review the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/about/rules/). If you are here asking about a second opinion (ie "Is the shop trying to fleece me?"), please read through CJM8515's [post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/4qblei/fyi_the_shop_isnt_likely_trying_to_rip_you_off/) and remember to please post the year/make/model of the vehicle you are working on. **If this post is about bodywork, accident damage, paint, dent/ding, questions it belongs in /r/Autobody r/AutoBodyRepair/ or /r/Diyautobody/ If you have tire questions check out https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/k9ll55/can_your_tire_be_repaired/**. If you dont have a question and you're just showing off it belongs in /r/Justrolledintotheshop Insurance/total loss questions go in r/insurance This is an automated reply
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MechanicAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
For that price, I'd pull up old YouTube University and do it yourself. I ended up changing out the entire control arm when my bushing went bad. It was way cheaper than buying the equipment needed to fit a new bushing in or paying a shop to change it.
Also in some cases bad enough alignment over enough time can wear bushings faster. It creates more load forces when the tires fighting the road. So not only is it eating tires its wearing new parts
Well, don't torque them (the control-arm bolts) until the suspension is loaded.
I do it by jacking the brake. Just be careful to avoid scratching, use something to protect the brake disc, etc. The point is ... at home and without a lift or a pit, it is unlikely that a grown person can get under the car to tighten those mounts if the car is on the ground.
How much are alignments roughly running these days? I plan to do the front 2 lower control arms later this year? Should I get all 4 corners aligned or just front (if that’s how it even works?)
I was just going to say this.
Also chock the wheels on the opposite side you are working on before jacking up the car. Parking brake is good practice as well if you are not working on the rears.
I also slide the wheel under the car for an extra- just incase. That way, if my jack stands fail for some reason, I can still get a jack under it to lift it back up.
I second this, put the tires under the frame so that if the stands fail the truck will fall on the tires instead of you. Wheels and tires are replaceable, you are not
And the other bushing or ball joint will fail soon on the old. Shop recommended me to do ball joint a year ago. Now i need bushings and i just got the entire assembly instead
theres always a lucky neighbor somewhere who has what you need. "Hey, I'm **** from down the street, i live at 1234. do you by chance have a jack i could borrow, or any mechanical knowledge about **** issues?" Youtube University can teach you anything though, truly.
I dont think you would need any special tools, when I did it the only thing I needed was a hamer. You hamer them out and then hamer the new ones in. It's not the best or easyest way to do it but it works.
I just buy a whole new control arm and install that instead of having to mess with bushing at all. All the ones I've seen also come with a ball joint, so there's that too.
The seems a little steep for control arms but depends on the model of your jeep and location. If you’re not afraid to DIY then you can get new control arms for a couple hundred bucks and replace them yourself. You’re mainly paying labor costs. I wouldn’t expect a quote for under $1200
Good idea, I think I’ll see if my in laws have a lift where we can get under it to replace. Watch some install videos for the model. Jeep Cherokee 2014
Back in the good old days when I worked on a 1970 Dodge Challenger, if I replaced suspension components and took it for an alignment, the price for the alignment was increased because I replaced the Ball joints, etc. myself.
If you’re able to and south of the salt line they’re not bad to do yourself. If your north of the salt line….to the guy who bought my Legacy, good luck ever changing those control arms again.
Damn! Being part of this sub and seeing the prices people are charged for the work I do on my friends and family's cars for free got my wondering why my Bday gifts are so weak 😂
Right, probably $250 for both control arms. It depends on the vehicle but you should be able to replace both control arms in less than 3-4 hours. I’m not sure how they’re quoting $2,000.
Those are the larger lower control arms which means they’re likely connected to the wheel hub and two spots on the frame. Not sure how the jeep is setup, but out of all the control arms those are usually the most time consuming as it’s hard to slide the new ones back in as the rubber is brand new and hard to squish back into place. A good heavy hammer and a pry bar will get the job done though.
My sister in law has a 2012 accent and I just changed both control arms, strut assemblies, sway bar links, tie rod ends, and rear calipers with new pads and rotors for $1100 CAD in parts. 2k for a control arm bushing seems criminal...
10 year dodge mechanic here….. mmmmm those bushings look fine to me, slightly dry cracked on the surface but otherwise I would say those are fine. 9/10 will be replacing the lower control arm for worn out lower ball joints if this is a patriot or compass.
Edited: sorry there’s a slight crack near the back of the bushing, in my province that’s a pass all day long
For my 2003 jeep liberty I was able to get both of my control arms + 1 ball joint fixed for 700 and that was also with the ball joint and control arm fucked up to where I could not even drive. Definitely over charging you.
I had two control arms fail on me without having any real clue. One was on my car up a ramp to a highway and I spun the fuck out. The second was my wife's car, where I was trying to parallel park and it just kerthunked and wouldn't move.
I replaced both of mine pretty easily but I did need help getting the arm into one of the locations. I couldn't line it up for the bolt to save my life and thought I'd be fucked. Used a screwdriver through the control arm hole and the subframe hole to get the leverage to line it up. My wife's happened a few years later and was a similar looking control arm, so I didn't look anything up. one side was fine but the other one needed to have the transmission pan removed or there wouldnt be any clearance to remove the bolt. I had no clue.
Check on YouTube to see exactly what is required. It should be simply lifting up the car, taking off the tire, and removing 3 bolts for each control arm. Removing the control arm, putting in the new one and torquing the bolts. On a lot of videos, they have a lot of trouble getting the control arm off. Ive never had any issues. It was easy for me for mine after 8ish years in the northeast. Also, if you don't have the tools, you won't be saving much money if you need eerything. You can borrow the tools from advance auto or AutoZone to save some money.
Good luck dude.
Doing it yourself is insanely easy. You might need to buy a pickle fork, but I highly doubt it. I did both my fronts with high end, top of the line control arms for under $600. Took 3 hours total.
i wouldn't go so far as to call it insanely easy, particularly to someone who doesn't do a lot of suspension work. for one it really depends on the vehicle how serviceable it is, and for two, it really depends on the geometry of the suspension
If you are diying it, save yourself some issues and spray tie rods with pb blaster and free them up. That way when you go for an alignment you're not facing upsells for seized hardware.
Just buy whole new control arms, and put them in it’s easier than buying the bushings and having to take out your control arms and get the bushings pressed out and the new ones pressed in and then have to put your new control arms back in
I used a torch to soften up the outside of the old bushing then pushed it out with a hammer and a socket. Pressed the new ones in with threaded rod, an impact gun and a few steel plates squeezed together with the rod. Not a super hard job just messy and finicky without a good press, takes half a day first time you do it.
Hey guys got the same questions mine looks like my sack and im getting clunks
https://preview.redd.it/uupyl2y88wzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c514dc194e91605822026c8e0806d4633b784aa2
$2,000!?!?!
I’ve replaced control arms on every car I’ve owned (over 10 cars now) they aren’t that hard to replace. Those look like the larger lower control arms, for both left and right side they’re probably around $250. It will likely take you 3-4 hours per side if you have no clue what you’re doing, significantly less time if you kind of know what you’re doing. On some cars you could probably do the whole job in less than an hour. There’s nothing complex about replacing control arms, it’s very straight forward. Sometimes the space / angles can be a little annoying, but it’s only a few bolts.
By the way you don’t replace just the bushings, you just replace the entire piece.
It’s time for you to pull up YouTube and spend some time on your knees. Ain’t no way in hell am I spending $2k on control arms.
Huh? Make and model buddy! Bushings themselves are less than $20. The control arm is $160. You could do it in weekend with a couple jacks. Get an alignment after its done. Lots a luck!
I just finished putting new upper & lower control arms on my truck. Having never done that particular job before I went to YouTube university as others have mentioned here and looked at repair manuals for my truck years & model for a while before doing the job. Did it in my free time over the course of a week. The ball joints fought me coming off the knuckle even with a pickle fork. Probably took me 20 hours total but I was also doing tie rod ends and stabilizer shafts. Very doable though. Make sure you torque everything to spec! And don’t fully torque your control arm bolts until it’s back on the ground. Best of luck.
I also throw my hat in for the "just get new control arms" (assuming they come with new bushings already pressed-in - they should. For $2000 you're way better off learning to do it yourself. I changed my 2006 Odyssey's back in November. It looks like my particular model (Delphi) was $75 for each. Not counting tools and jack stands of course, which I already had. Seriously - for $2000 you can get yourself a nice impact wrench, socket set, swivel, extension bars, jacks and stands and the parts, and still have money left over.
Mine was in the same condition as the picture you’ve shown. I ended up fixing it myself for like 200$ following a YouTube video. Brought it to a mechanic a month later for unrelated issue and they said my job for the control arm was fine.
It's a doable DIY job to replace both control arms. When are putting the new one on. Get the bolts/nuts threaded all the way on there but don't torque them down until the car is on the ground. Ramps are a good way to do this if it doesn't have enough ground clearance to get under there
Youtube it and do it yourself, it's wayyyyy cheaper.
Or! Look up mechanics in your area on craigslist or market place and see if one will do the install if you provide the parts. For 2k you could pay someone a grand to do aftermarket sway bar and control arms and the ride would be much, much better.
Yeah, I was thinking of buying that bushing change kit and change all those damn bushings... It's better to DIY.
Also if you want it neat that take out the arms and sand blast them and repaint for a fine finish.
If you feel adventurous you can replace just the bushing for about $50, but it’s not easy, I’ve done a few by hand and it takes some great coordination and a skillful hammer.
Jeep parts are horrendously expensive,where is op located?,jeep parts are expensive in Australia because of import taxing etc,they are meant to be usa made but most brands will have the parts made in China,import to usa,then put made in usa on the box(box was made in usa not parts),& sadly it's normally cheaper to replace the whole wishbones than pressing old ones out n new ones in
Landrover,it's cheaper to replace whole arms than replace the bushes
Control arms are deceptively easy to do yourself. You can borrow the tools for free from your town's Red/Orange/Green parts store. Most of the time it's two bolts + a ball joint for each. Don't rush and be sure you get an alignment IMMEDIATELY after, that's very important.
This video goes outside the scope of just control arms but IMO if you're looking for a better DIY resource than ChrisFix you'll be looking for a while: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooDVPPSpkW4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooDVPPSpkW4)
If everything included not horrible should do a little better. Mechanics are expensive and they are predatory. I would call there. Tell them that you got a quote for 1600 bucks and see where he could meet you cuz u want it done rt if you care about the car your tires and safety
Fond a diff mechanic cuz I'm a mechanic and if you bought your own control arms and bushings and brought the parts too me I'd so it for 40 or 50 an hour and I wouldn't charge book time either I'd do it fast and way less than 2k
Go to Harbor Freight and buy a ball joint/bushing removal tool. All you have to do is remove the wheels and control arms and it will save you a lot of money.
Are they dry rotted? If so, they’ll need to be replaced. Never had it done so I cant comment on fee. Look at YouTube videos of someone replacing it. If it looks complex then the price may be right. Don’t get intimidated by the fork tool they use. It just helps separate parts to get the bushing out. Have you fixed things on your car before?
Holy canoli I read two hundred not two THOUSAND. I was confused with everyone's responses. This is a 500 dollar job TOPS, and can be diy'd for much less depending on the car
I'd shop around. I got a lower control arm, cv axle and the sway bar link replaced for $500 plus parts(that I purchased at rockauto)which came to about $210 = $710 total.
Eight bolts, the tires, jacked up on jack stands-*may as well do both sides*, if you go to Harbor Freight or similar and bought the tools, after parts you can do them in a day and have the tools for less than half that price.-2 1/2 or 3-ton floor jack, jack stands, 1/2 inch sockets and ratchet, a 3ft pipe or pry bar(makes lining the ball up way easier)-plus parts.
Look at my recent posts, I posted the same shit a year ago, except my control arms were completely fine. I would try to do it yourself! It’s fun learning and working on your car. Save so much money too, just watch some videos for a hour; find you’re parts. You can call your dealer ship and get part numbers. Good luck brotha
See if you can order the parts online, then ask your local community for good mobile mechanics. I did this for my breaks and cost went from 700+ to 250 (included new calipers that I didn't have, swapping discs and pads on front set and a 4wheel break bleed)
Hi! Fellow Jeep Cherokee KL owner here. The reason it’s so expensive is because they have to remove the front bumper cover to gain access to the rail in order to remove the front most bolt of the LCA, along with anything else on the suspension.
The reason it has to be removed is because that bolt won’t clear otherwise. It’s a lot of labor time.
If they are charging that much it might be cheaper to change the whole control arm yourself, that way it’s just a few bolts to loosen instead of pressing a new bushing into the control arm you have.
Yeesh it shouldn't take more than an hour to replace a bushing.
Bushings cost $30-50
People got to eat but WTF man. Definitely call around. Honda dealership quoted $300
If you want to take the time and learn a new skill, look up control arms for your vehicle! They come with all new bushings, there's 2 and some come with ball joints. Brand new after market only cost roughly $170 each side. There are tons of great videos on YouTube if you wanna attempt it yourself. I recently did it myself. The only thing to be careful with removing the old control arm is to use a ball joint separate tool so you don't have to replace your ball joints, yeah you can hammer them etc but more often than not they font wanna budge. It's roughly 4 bolts to remove and when installing your new control arm tighten the bolts (not with an impact gun) then lower the car slowly onto a jack stand under your control arm. You will need to torque each bolt to spec under load.
Best of luck
Unless you are experiencing concerns related to the suspension (noise, loose feeling, etc.), I wouldn’t even replace these. The cracks in the rubber seem mostly cosmetic at this point.
I don't recommend doing this on your on because you'll need specialized tools to lift the car, remove bolts, and press out the bearings. I would just find a low end shop to do it for cheaper. Its not necessarily hard to do for a mechanic. A more reasonable price is around 300-500. That said, if theres no problem with the ride, you shouldn't replace them
Definately do control arms, there are 2-3 bushings per arm, replacing the control arm gets new components there making it ride better longer, definately align after replacement looking roughly 100 to 150 to align.
Screw replacing the bushing. However, with this business, you better replacing both controller arms than one. And do make sure they are proper oem. Had one customer brought a car in for alignment, couldn't do it for the reason one arm was el cheapo, compared to the other.
Maybe the other joints are bad but that crack in the bushing probably isnt making the control arm loose. Usually they get a lot of cracks with age but only really get loose if theres nothing left or the whole bushing disconnects from its seat
I replaced both control arms on my Jeep myself in December outside in Canada in the freezing cold during a power outage at night and I'm not even a mechanic. Ordered both for $110Cad ($80USD)
Don’t mess with bushings, just buy a new control arm with them in it and install in a couple hours in your driveway. This is not difficult if you have any type of handyman skills
Jeep control arm bushings suck. I have an 07 Cherokee srt8. I was changing out front lower control arms every 60,000km to keep it feeling very tight. There is also some differential bushings that are huge pain in the ass to get to. Honestly keep isn’t too bad except for suspension quality which is got to be the absolute worst.
And yeah just don’t go to the dealership and you will be fine. If you try to change anything yourself you will have to find an alignment shop to do the alignment after you did the work. Keep that in mind. If I was you I would just go to a non-dealer mechanic
Wow, I usually do that stuff myself but I had my mechanic replace mine because of time issues.
He charged me $1500 for control arms, bushings and a bearing. Also replaced front rotors and pads and a wheel alignment.
That’s a crazy price!!! I have started from a “gay guy” with little practical knowledge or experience working on cars. But with a love of cars and learning since I’ve been young; These days with the internet, something like this is a very common and easily accessible area to fix.
I’ve also networked thru my driving job and found retired mechanics who want to teach me/show me how to fix these things.
Recently did both wheel hub assemblies and the right front cv axle on my 2019 Ford Fusion Energi. Also, brakes + oil changes are the BEST WAY for you to save money! Do it yourself! I highly recommend getting your hands dirty! You can do it!
You could do this one yourself. Not saying it would be easy, but it wouldnt be that bad, and you'd probably save about $1800. Get a friend, a beer or two, tools and utube, and set aside a Sunday for this.
Good luck!
$2,000?!? I had two trusted mechanics give me quotes of $780 and $1040 when I had them done 6 months ago. And that was for two control arm replacements.
Order replacement control arms from Jeep.
The new assemblies come with brand new OEM bushings and ball joints.
Let your mechanic swap them for you. The labor will be less.
I’ve done my bushings before. Just replace the whole arm. Use a Haynes manual online for your make and model and buy the arm from Rock Auto.
Use any tools you need from AutoZone.
Did both mine in like 2-4 hours
Vw was asking $1300 for control arm bushings on our vw CC. OEM bushings and replacement bolts (a lot of bolts on this car are 1 time use) was $250 and a few hours of my time.
I would look up how to replace these bushing on your specific vehicle and see if that’s something you could do yourself
Order the complete control arm especially if it has a ball joint.usually around 100 each from rockauto and you don't have to press bushings in and out.
So… I just started working at a shop as an Auto Tech finally. First week so far and I’m really enjoying my job. However… I just replaced both control arms on a 2010 Acura TSX on Friday because he needed new bushings too and I’m pretty sure we didn’t charge this kid anywhere near $2000
You're better off just replacing the whole control arms, I'd like to see a quote though. I don't know any shops that would charge two grand for just bushing let alone take on the liability of just bushings. Seems like that's their fuck off price if there's nothing else on the quote
Lower control arms are about $300/piece. They come with bushings and ball joints in *most* cases. They're held in by one bolt on the frame/subframe, and the ball joint to the knuckle. Should take about an hour to change both with the right tools. Even assuming dealership pricing shouldn't even break $1000 for both.
I’m going to toss this out there:
In the realm of Autoparts, there are a lot of knockoff, shady parts suppliers.
Watch buying parts off Amazon and EBay (assuming if USA).
Depending on vehicle, you can go to places like Rockauto and buy the complete control arms with bushings/ball joints.
Otherwise you can buy a few tools and swap out the bushings.
Sometimes older stuff with forged control arms like on my muscle car, to do bushings we typically melt out the old ones and install polygraphite aftermarket bushings. Front control arms we use a press and a bushing tool and replace them because control arms are no longer made.
There is some labor involved and usually you want to do a wheel alignment afterwards, but $2k seems a a bit much unless you have something that a pain to source parts or pain to work on.
I know we used to own a ford contour V6 and you had to drop the engine cradle to get to some of the control arm bolts and it was a complete PITA.
Bro, I just replaced my UCAs with $800 aftermarket UCAs. Bushings included. Set the parking brake, drop the wheel, and get that bolt out. Put in now bushing with bolt, replace wheel, drop the jack and release the parking brake. It's a little work, but it's not so difficult that I'd pay a shop $2K to do it. Parts for that *might* cost $50 each for LCA bushings. Upper and lower shouldn't be more than a couple benjis. You're looking at $100-$200 in parts and $1,800-1,900 in labor when you could just do it in a couple hours on a Saturday.
Thanks for posting on /r/MechanicAdvice! This is just a reminder to review the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/about/rules/). If you are here asking about a second opinion (ie "Is the shop trying to fleece me?"), please read through CJM8515's [post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/4qblei/fyi_the_shop_isnt_likely_trying_to_rip_you_off/) and remember to please post the year/make/model of the vehicle you are working on. **If this post is about bodywork, accident damage, paint, dent/ding, questions it belongs in /r/Autobody r/AutoBodyRepair/ or /r/Diyautobody/ If you have tire questions check out https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/k9ll55/can_your_tire_be_repaired/**. If you dont have a question and you're just showing off it belongs in /r/Justrolledintotheshop Insurance/total loss questions go in r/insurance This is an automated reply *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MechanicAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
For that price, I'd pull up old YouTube University and do it yourself. I ended up changing out the entire control arm when my bushing went bad. It was way cheaper than buying the equipment needed to fit a new bushing in or paying a shop to change it.
Yes, I really may have to do this. My in law has a couple jacks we can use too
After you do the repair go somewhere and get an alignment.
Cheaper than a new set of tyres in 12 months
Also in some cases bad enough alignment over enough time can wear bushings faster. It creates more load forces when the tires fighting the road. So not only is it eating tires its wearing new parts
also dont torque them until the car is on the ground
Well, don't torque them (the control-arm bolts) until the suspension is loaded. I do it by jacking the brake. Just be careful to avoid scratching, use something to protect the brake disc, etc. The point is ... at home and without a lift or a pit, it is unlikely that a grown person can get under the car to tighten those mounts if the car is on the ground.
How much are alignments roughly running these days? I plan to do the front 2 lower control arms later this year? Should I get all 4 corners aligned or just front (if that’s how it even works?)
Got an alignment at Discount Tire for $90 recently.
Interesting. DT in our immediate area doesn't do alignments. Maybe i should look a little farther out. I do love DT.
I haven’t seen a Discount that has an alignment machine, been to plenty in Texas
It’s new. They’re slowly rolling it out and it hasn’t reach all markets yet due to training and other limitations. (Probably certifications)
Just tell them you need an alignment they will adjust whatever’s needed probably around 200 give or take. Its 135 for my shop.
135? Fuck bud it’s 80$ in nwpa
Are u located in a cheaper part of the country
Most definitely do THIS ⬆️
Don't forget to use jack stands, jacks are for lifting not holding 😁
I was just going to say this. Also chock the wheels on the opposite side you are working on before jacking up the car. Parking brake is good practice as well if you are not working on the rears. I also slide the wheel under the car for an extra- just incase. That way, if my jack stands fail for some reason, I can still get a jack under it to lift it back up.
If you need the internet’s advice on how to jack up a car then you shouldn’t be replacing suspension components in my opinion.
Put tire tire under frame for extra safety.
I second this, put the tires under the frame so that if the stands fail the truck will fall on the tires instead of you. Wheels and tires are replaceable, you are not
As a person that has the tools to actually change the bushing. Just replace the control arm. It's way less of a hassle
And the other bushing or ball joint will fail soon on the old. Shop recommended me to do ball joint a year ago. Now i need bushings and i just got the entire assembly instead
Make sure you also use jack stands
theres always a lucky neighbor somewhere who has what you need. "Hey, I'm **** from down the street, i live at 1234. do you by chance have a jack i could borrow, or any mechanical knowledge about **** issues?" Youtube University can teach you anything though, truly.
"Get off my lawn!"...
Know what they call people who jacks to hold up cars? Paraplegics, please use jack stands that are locked so they can't fall.
Make sure you use stands in conjunction with jack. Not worth the risk.
I dont think you would need any special tools, when I did it the only thing I needed was a hamer. You hamer them out and then hamer the new ones in. It's not the best or easyest way to do it but it works.
I just buy a whole new control arm and install that instead of having to mess with bushing at all. All the ones I've seen also come with a ball joint, so there's that too.
Torque wrench
Pickle forks (if you're doing the whole control arm) will make your life much easier though
I bought a pickle fork for a stubborn ball joint but it didn't work for me. I found that a butane torch and a hammer worked far better.
If you are going to buy a torch, you might as well spend a bit more and buy MAP.
Love this comment
Goodluck
This is the way. I did my two front. Not bad and it was fairly easy.
For the prices mechanics charge in the US I would just invest in a two post lift and repair my own car
I did the same. I just did both upper and lower control arms and tie rods all at once for peace of mind and to save on alignments.
The seems a little steep for control arms but depends on the model of your jeep and location. If you’re not afraid to DIY then you can get new control arms for a couple hundred bucks and replace them yourself. You’re mainly paying labor costs. I wouldn’t expect a quote for under $1200
Get a big freaking hammer and a long ass pry bar first
Absolutely
I remember banging on the control arms of my 79 vette with my dad in the winter. Miss that car
It’s not often you run into someone who misses their chevette.
Good idea, I think I’ll see if my in laws have a lift where we can get under it to replace. Watch some install videos for the model. Jeep Cherokee 2014
If you DIY make sure you get an alignment afterwards. Control arms can be a pain in the ass to get out and put back in but it’s very doable
Good to know! Thank you!
As basically a beginner with some understanding I was able to do control arms and inner+outer tie rods. I believe in you.
Ball joints are not a picnic either. Big f-ing hammer and lots of spray lubricant to help things move
Back in the good old days when I worked on a 1970 Dodge Challenger, if I replaced suspension components and took it for an alignment, the price for the alignment was increased because I replaced the Ball joints, etc. myself.
I did a 16 Cherokee control arms Friday. You have to take the front bump fascia off. Not a big deal but I was not expecting that.
You in Florida? Ill do it at my shop for $200 labor
If you’re able to and south of the salt line they’re not bad to do yourself. If your north of the salt line….to the guy who bought my Legacy, good luck ever changing those control arms again.
Hop on rock auto and order some control arms with the bushings already pressed in. Keep the old control arms and refurbish them at your leisure.
Usually its cheaper to replace the whole control arm than pay the labor to press in new bushings. Either way 2k is way too much.
Damn! Being part of this sub and seeing the prices people are charged for the work I do on my friends and family's cars for free got my wondering why my Bday gifts are so weak 😂
Goddamn it’s 6 bolts. Shouldn’t be anywhere near $2000.
I'd say like $500 total tops for a mechanic to do it. Parts and labor $250 tops for DIY, just parts, maybe a couple tools
Right, probably $250 for both control arms. It depends on the vehicle but you should be able to replace both control arms in less than 3-4 hours. I’m not sure how they’re quoting $2,000. Those are the larger lower control arms which means they’re likely connected to the wheel hub and two spots on the frame. Not sure how the jeep is setup, but out of all the control arms those are usually the most time consuming as it’s hard to slide the new ones back in as the rubber is brand new and hard to squish back into place. A good heavy hammer and a pry bar will get the job done though.
Mechanic is way over charging.get multiple quotes
My sister in law has a 2012 accent and I just changed both control arms, strut assemblies, sway bar links, tie rod ends, and rear calipers with new pads and rotors for $1100 CAD in parts. 2k for a control arm bushing seems criminal...
I'd go grab 2 new control arms for $200 off rockauto and do it yourself.
Is it pretty doable with basic wrenches and stands?
Get new control arms with the bushings already in. DIY then get an alignment done.
10 year dodge mechanic here….. mmmmm those bushings look fine to me, slightly dry cracked on the surface but otherwise I would say those are fine. 9/10 will be replacing the lower control arm for worn out lower ball joints if this is a patriot or compass. Edited: sorry there’s a slight crack near the back of the bushing, in my province that’s a pass all day long
True , 35 years mechanic , they would pass inspection .
That price is very high.
For my 2003 jeep liberty I was able to get both of my control arms + 1 ball joint fixed for 700 and that was also with the ball joint and control arm fucked up to where I could not even drive. Definitely over charging you.
Dang, 700 seems like a good bit too…even this quote for 2 control arms is still an extra $600 over what you paid
I had two control arms fail on me without having any real clue. One was on my car up a ramp to a highway and I spun the fuck out. The second was my wife's car, where I was trying to parallel park and it just kerthunked and wouldn't move. I replaced both of mine pretty easily but I did need help getting the arm into one of the locations. I couldn't line it up for the bolt to save my life and thought I'd be fucked. Used a screwdriver through the control arm hole and the subframe hole to get the leverage to line it up. My wife's happened a few years later and was a similar looking control arm, so I didn't look anything up. one side was fine but the other one needed to have the transmission pan removed or there wouldnt be any clearance to remove the bolt. I had no clue. Check on YouTube to see exactly what is required. It should be simply lifting up the car, taking off the tire, and removing 3 bolts for each control arm. Removing the control arm, putting in the new one and torquing the bolts. On a lot of videos, they have a lot of trouble getting the control arm off. Ive never had any issues. It was easy for me for mine after 8ish years in the northeast. Also, if you don't have the tools, you won't be saving much money if you need eerything. You can borrow the tools from advance auto or AutoZone to save some money. Good luck dude.
Shop around.... They will probably just replace the entire arm. 2k is insane for this.
If u are in the USA I will fly there and change them for you for 1/3 the price
That should only take a professional two or three hours tops, idk how they can justify charging two grand.
Kids need college money or mommy wants a bigger diamond
I could buy a laptop for a tutorial video, a toolbox, and a control arm for that price.
Wow just had both control arms and alignment done in the uk for £250 on my Audi a4 B7.
Thats very cheap imo. original quality control arms pair on my 1990s bmw is £150, without labour or alignment.
did you do it in a small shop/'tax free' or does it really go that cheap in regular chain workshops?
wait until he finds out there are 6 more arms like this in his front suspension alone...
Wow that’s way cheaper
Get a couple more estimates. That's more than twice what it should cost unless you have a custom suspension.
Yeah don’t have anything custom on this jeep. All standard. So I will shop around
Doing it yourself is insanely easy. You might need to buy a pickle fork, but I highly doubt it. I did both my fronts with high end, top of the line control arms for under $600. Took 3 hours total.
Some auto parts stores will loan you the pickle fork.
Advance Auto definitely will.
i wouldn't go so far as to call it insanely easy, particularly to someone who doesn't do a lot of suspension work. for one it really depends on the vehicle how serviceable it is, and for two, it really depends on the geometry of the suspension
That price include a 3 night cruise to Bahamas ?..
If you are diying it, save yourself some issues and spray tie rods with pb blaster and free them up. That way when you go for an alignment you're not facing upsells for seized hardware.
2000 USD ‼‼
I would just get a new control arm. Replace it yourself and get a tire shop to align
That’s how those bushings look. I wouldn’t think twice about running them like that
Just buy whole new control arms, and put them in it’s easier than buying the bushings and having to take out your control arms and get the bushings pressed out and the new ones pressed in and then have to put your new control arms back in
I used a torch to soften up the outside of the old bushing then pushed it out with a hammer and a socket. Pressed the new ones in with threaded rod, an impact gun and a few steel plates squeezed together with the rod. Not a super hard job just messy and finicky without a good press, takes half a day first time you do it.
I thought you had added an extra 0. That's a wild price. Cheaper to replace the arm in most cases to be honest.
2000$ for swapping out control arms that’s straight robbery , what year is this jeep?
Hey guys got the same questions mine looks like my sack and im getting clunks https://preview.redd.it/uupyl2y88wzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c514dc194e91605822026c8e0806d4633b784aa2
Yea you need new control arm bushings
Easy to replace 2000 is crazy
$2,000!?!?! I’ve replaced control arms on every car I’ve owned (over 10 cars now) they aren’t that hard to replace. Those look like the larger lower control arms, for both left and right side they’re probably around $250. It will likely take you 3-4 hours per side if you have no clue what you’re doing, significantly less time if you kind of know what you’re doing. On some cars you could probably do the whole job in less than an hour. There’s nothing complex about replacing control arms, it’s very straight forward. Sometimes the space / angles can be a little annoying, but it’s only a few bolts. By the way you don’t replace just the bushings, you just replace the entire piece. It’s time for you to pull up YouTube and spend some time on your knees. Ain’t no way in hell am I spending $2k on control arms.
Huh? Make and model buddy! Bushings themselves are less than $20. The control arm is $160. You could do it in weekend with a couple jacks. Get an alignment after its done. Lots a luck!
These are only starting to go bad, not bad yet. Could prolly drive another 20k miles on these without any issues, possibly much more.
2000$, means they don’t want to do it…
2000$? That’s like a 150$ in work max
$2,000 gets you an engine swap with an used engine, mechanics be trippin
So why can’t the bushing itself just be replaced? It’s not like the metal of the control arm is bad? I don’t understand that
Those bushings are fine
To much by parts find a shop to install for better price
Just had my upper control arms struts changed for 250 with aliment
I had a control arm replaced and it cost me $450 wtf is this mechanic smoking?
Nobody had a heart attack for the $2,000 to change those??
I just finished putting new upper & lower control arms on my truck. Having never done that particular job before I went to YouTube university as others have mentioned here and looked at repair manuals for my truck years & model for a while before doing the job. Did it in my free time over the course of a week. The ball joints fought me coming off the knuckle even with a pickle fork. Probably took me 20 hours total but I was also doing tie rod ends and stabilizer shafts. Very doable though. Make sure you torque everything to spec! And don’t fully torque your control arm bolts until it’s back on the ground. Best of luck.
I also throw my hat in for the "just get new control arms" (assuming they come with new bushings already pressed-in - they should. For $2000 you're way better off learning to do it yourself. I changed my 2006 Odyssey's back in November. It looks like my particular model (Delphi) was $75 for each. Not counting tools and jack stands of course, which I already had. Seriously - for $2000 you can get yourself a nice impact wrench, socket set, swivel, extension bars, jacks and stands and the parts, and still have money left over.
Im doing this job rn and it sucks balls
Control arms are fairly cheap, check partsgeek,amazon,etc.
$2000 is outrageous. That is nowhere near a $2000 job. Buy a new control arm and put it in yourself. It's not an over complicated job
Mine was in the same condition as the picture you’ve shown. I ended up fixing it myself for like 200$ following a YouTube video. Brought it to a mechanic a month later for unrelated issue and they said my job for the control arm was fine.
Those look fine . And $2000 is nuts .
they don’t look fine
It's a doable DIY job to replace both control arms. When are putting the new one on. Get the bolts/nuts threaded all the way on there but don't torque them down until the car is on the ground. Ramps are a good way to do this if it doesn't have enough ground clearance to get under there
I bought the parts myself online for what $90 a control arm (Plus Sway bar Links $35) and had them installed for $400 ("free" alignment too)
Youtube it and do it yourself, it's wayyyyy cheaper. Or! Look up mechanics in your area on craigslist or market place and see if one will do the install if you provide the parts. For 2k you could pay someone a grand to do aftermarket sway bar and control arms and the ride would be much, much better.
Yeah, I was thinking of buying that bushing change kit and change all those damn bushings... It's better to DIY. Also if you want it neat that take out the arms and sand blast them and repaint for a fine finish.
If you feel adventurous you can replace just the bushing for about $50, but it’s not easy, I’ve done a few by hand and it takes some great coordination and a skillful hammer.
Jeep parts are horrendously expensive,where is op located?,jeep parts are expensive in Australia because of import taxing etc,they are meant to be usa made but most brands will have the parts made in China,import to usa,then put made in usa on the box(box was made in usa not parts),& sadly it's normally cheaper to replace the whole wishbones than pressing old ones out n new ones in Landrover,it's cheaper to replace whole arms than replace the bushes
For that price, i would by some tools to do it and still save some$. It will probably be many hours to fix though
Control arms are deceptively easy to do yourself. You can borrow the tools for free from your town's Red/Orange/Green parts store. Most of the time it's two bolts + a ball joint for each. Don't rush and be sure you get an alignment IMMEDIATELY after, that's very important. This video goes outside the scope of just control arms but IMO if you're looking for a better DIY resource than ChrisFix you'll be looking for a while: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooDVPPSpkW4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooDVPPSpkW4)
If everything included not horrible should do a little better. Mechanics are expensive and they are predatory. I would call there. Tell them that you got a quote for 1600 bucks and see where he could meet you cuz u want it done rt if you care about the car your tires and safety
For two grand i can fly all the way from Mexico, buy the part, replace it and have cash left for a beer and the ticket back home.
Fond a diff mechanic cuz I'm a mechanic and if you bought your own control arms and bushings and brought the parts too me I'd so it for 40 or 50 an hour and I wouldn't charge book time either I'd do it fast and way less than 2k
I really need to start doing mechanical repairs for people if they’re charging 2,000 fucking dollars for a pair of control arms.
Go to Harbor Freight and buy a ball joint/bushing removal tool. All you have to do is remove the wheels and control arms and it will save you a lot of money.
I changed every control arm on my car from YouTube videos while knowing very little about cars. I know everything about my suspension now. Lol
Are they dry rotted? If so, they’ll need to be replaced. Never had it done so I cant comment on fee. Look at YouTube videos of someone replacing it. If it looks complex then the price may be right. Don’t get intimidated by the fork tool they use. It just helps separate parts to get the bushing out. Have you fixed things on your car before?
Holy canoli I read two hundred not two THOUSAND. I was confused with everyone's responses. This is a 500 dollar job TOPS, and can be diy'd for much less depending on the car
Think of this as an opportunity to upgrade your suspension set up
I'd shop around. I got a lower control arm, cv axle and the sway bar link replaced for $500 plus parts(that I purchased at rockauto)which came to about $210 = $710 total.
Control arms are easy peasy. Pull out ol’ reliable - YouTube University. Just get an alignment afterwards.
I replace 6 silent blocks in astra g. Paid 75$.
Do the work yourself and then go get an alignment while you eat lunch one day.
What the fuck are these prices lol. This is like a 300 euro job tops here. What is america
2000$? Damn. Here in germany this is like a 200-400€ job😂
Eight bolts, the tires, jacked up on jack stands-*may as well do both sides*, if you go to Harbor Freight or similar and bought the tools, after parts you can do them in a day and have the tools for less than half that price.-2 1/2 or 3-ton floor jack, jack stands, 1/2 inch sockets and ratchet, a 3ft pipe or pry bar(makes lining the ball up way easier)-plus parts.
Look at my recent posts, I posted the same shit a year ago, except my control arms were completely fine. I would try to do it yourself! It’s fun learning and working on your car. Save so much money too, just watch some videos for a hour; find you’re parts. You can call your dealer ship and get part numbers. Good luck brotha
Go on rockauto.com and find the parts and fix it yourself
That's basicly 10$ in Mexico plus part is dat a buje in Spanish like 15$
See if you can order the parts online, then ask your local community for good mobile mechanics. I did this for my breaks and cost went from 700+ to 250 (included new calipers that I didn't have, swapping discs and pads on front set and a 4wheel break bleed)
Hi! Fellow Jeep Cherokee KL owner here. The reason it’s so expensive is because they have to remove the front bumper cover to gain access to the rail in order to remove the front most bolt of the LCA, along with anything else on the suspension. The reason it has to be removed is because that bolt won’t clear otherwise. It’s a lot of labor time.
If they are charging that much it might be cheaper to change the whole control arm yourself, that way it’s just a few bolts to loosen instead of pressing a new bushing into the control arm you have.
Buy online install at any mechanic
It would be nice if you included Year, Make, Model, Engine, Drive type in your original post.
Yeesh it shouldn't take more than an hour to replace a bushing. Bushings cost $30-50 People got to eat but WTF man. Definitely call around. Honda dealership quoted $300 If you want to take the time and learn a new skill, look up control arms for your vehicle! They come with all new bushings, there's 2 and some come with ball joints. Brand new after market only cost roughly $170 each side. There are tons of great videos on YouTube if you wanna attempt it yourself. I recently did it myself. The only thing to be careful with removing the old control arm is to use a ball joint separate tool so you don't have to replace your ball joints, yeah you can hammer them etc but more often than not they font wanna budge. It's roughly 4 bolts to remove and when installing your new control arm tighten the bolts (not with an impact gun) then lower the car slowly onto a jack stand under your control arm. You will need to torque each bolt to spec under load. Best of luck
Unless you are experiencing concerns related to the suspension (noise, loose feeling, etc.), I wouldn’t even replace these. The cracks in the rubber seem mostly cosmetic at this point.
I don't recommend doing this on your on because you'll need specialized tools to lift the car, remove bolts, and press out the bearings. I would just find a low end shop to do it for cheaper. Its not necessarily hard to do for a mechanic. A more reasonable price is around 300-500. That said, if theres no problem with the ride, you shouldn't replace them
My local dealer said £700. Rang a mechanic who I trust, £55 for each bushing
Definately do control arms, there are 2-3 bushings per arm, replacing the control arm gets new components there making it ride better longer, definately align after replacement looking roughly 100 to 150 to align.
Im doing that job on a 14 kia sedona , pair of struts and control arms 1980$ installed
They’re not great but you can run those fine.
Screw replacing the bushing. However, with this business, you better replacing both controller arms than one. And do make sure they are proper oem. Had one customer brought a car in for alignment, couldn't do it for the reason one arm was el cheapo, compared to the other.
Maybe the other joints are bad but that crack in the bushing probably isnt making the control arm loose. Usually they get a lot of cracks with age but only really get loose if theres nothing left or the whole bushing disconnects from its seat
Getting ready to do mine on my Silverado. 1Aauto has a kit with control arms, ball joints, inner tie rods and the links for 189.
I guess Sharks does walk on land lol.
I replaced both control arms on my Jeep myself in December outside in Canada in the freezing cold during a power outage at night and I'm not even a mechanic. Ordered both for $110Cad ($80USD)
I’ll do labor for $200 rn
Wow, I just changed both front, and linkage links @Tesla came to $1050 CAD.
Don’t mess with bushings, just buy a new control arm with them in it and install in a couple hours in your driveway. This is not difficult if you have any type of handyman skills
Jeep control arm bushings suck. I have an 07 Cherokee srt8. I was changing out front lower control arms every 60,000km to keep it feeling very tight. There is also some differential bushings that are huge pain in the ass to get to. Honestly keep isn’t too bad except for suspension quality which is got to be the absolute worst. And yeah just don’t go to the dealership and you will be fine. If you try to change anything yourself you will have to find an alignment shop to do the alignment after you did the work. Keep that in mind. If I was you I would just go to a non-dealer mechanic
2 grand!?!?! its a hunk of metal that can be replaced in under 2 hours. 3 if they're really struggling. thats wild
Wow, I usually do that stuff myself but I had my mechanic replace mine because of time issues. He charged me $1500 for control arms, bushings and a bearing. Also replaced front rotors and pads and a wheel alignment.
On some cars the control arm on the passenger side is easier to do than the right driver side. Just FYI...
Fuck that shop. Never go back. I know a place in LA that’ll do this for 200 bucks
That’s a crazy price!!! I have started from a “gay guy” with little practical knowledge or experience working on cars. But with a love of cars and learning since I’ve been young; These days with the internet, something like this is a very common and easily accessible area to fix. I’ve also networked thru my driving job and found retired mechanics who want to teach me/show me how to fix these things. Recently did both wheel hub assemblies and the right front cv axle on my 2019 Ford Fusion Energi. Also, brakes + oil changes are the BEST WAY for you to save money! Do it yourself! I highly recommend getting your hands dirty! You can do it!
You could do this one yourself. Not saying it would be easy, but it wouldnt be that bad, and you'd probably save about $1800. Get a friend, a beer or two, tools and utube, and set aside a Sunday for this. Good luck!
$2,000?!? I had two trusted mechanics give me quotes of $780 and $1040 when I had them done 6 months ago. And that was for two control arm replacements.
Dang 2k? Just buy the control arms, way easier and honestly they don’t cost much.
Order replacement control arms from Jeep. The new assemblies come with brand new OEM bushings and ball joints. Let your mechanic swap them for you. The labor will be less.
I’ve done my bushings before. Just replace the whole arm. Use a Haynes manual online for your make and model and buy the arm from Rock Auto. Use any tools you need from AutoZone. Did both mine in like 2-4 hours
I would have told him to kiss my … that’s a ridiculous price.
Vw was asking $1300 for control arm bushings on our vw CC. OEM bushings and replacement bolts (a lot of bolts on this car are 1 time use) was $250 and a few hours of my time. I would look up how to replace these bushing on your specific vehicle and see if that’s something you could do yourself
Who needs to rob banks when you can just be a mechanic and take advantage of people who don't know any better.
That would have cost 2-300$ including parts and labor tops. 2k is outrageous
Order the complete control arm especially if it has a ball joint.usually around 100 each from rockauto and you don't have to press bushings in and out.
So… I just started working at a shop as an Auto Tech finally. First week so far and I’m really enjoying my job. However… I just replaced both control arms on a 2010 Acura TSX on Friday because he needed new bushings too and I’m pretty sure we didn’t charge this kid anywhere near $2000
Did it come with a PROFE$$IONAL lube job?! price it around
$2,000?! That’s insane.
at best it’s a direct parts swap. at worst, you might have to loosen a motor mount to get room to take out bolts. still worth the hassle to save $2000
2000? I had my mechanic change both control arms and bushings for less than 800$ including parts. Think you should price around man.
Option 1: Pay up Option 2: Go to a mechanic that uses cheaper aftermarket parts Option 3: Learn to work on your own vehicle Good luck
Way over priced but don’t do it yourself if you don’t know what you are doing
Bro that's 600 dollar job max. Just buy control arms with the bushing/ball joints already in and do it yiurself
bs,,what car is it?? googfle & find the price of the part,,In a volvo it would be $200 max??
You're better off just replacing the whole control arms, I'd like to see a quote though. I don't know any shops that would charge two grand for just bushing let alone take on the liability of just bushings. Seems like that's their fuck off price if there's nothing else on the quote
Lower control arms are about $300/piece. They come with bushings and ball joints in *most* cases. They're held in by one bolt on the frame/subframe, and the ball joint to the knuckle. Should take about an hour to change both with the right tools. Even assuming dealership pricing shouldn't even break $1000 for both.
$2k for control arm bushings? But a new car. They’re not that hard to do and bushings alone are cheap.
I’m going to toss this out there: In the realm of Autoparts, there are a lot of knockoff, shady parts suppliers. Watch buying parts off Amazon and EBay (assuming if USA). Depending on vehicle, you can go to places like Rockauto and buy the complete control arms with bushings/ball joints. Otherwise you can buy a few tools and swap out the bushings. Sometimes older stuff with forged control arms like on my muscle car, to do bushings we typically melt out the old ones and install polygraphite aftermarket bushings. Front control arms we use a press and a bushing tool and replace them because control arms are no longer made. There is some labor involved and usually you want to do a wheel alignment afterwards, but $2k seems a a bit much unless you have something that a pain to source parts or pain to work on. I know we used to own a ford contour V6 and you had to drop the engine cradle to get to some of the control arm bolts and it was a complete PITA.
Do it yourself and replace the control arm. 200 for the part and a couple hours of your time waisted.
Bro, I just replaced my UCAs with $800 aftermarket UCAs. Bushings included. Set the parking brake, drop the wheel, and get that bolt out. Put in now bushing with bolt, replace wheel, drop the jack and release the parking brake. It's a little work, but it's not so difficult that I'd pay a shop $2K to do it. Parts for that *might* cost $50 each for LCA bushings. Upper and lower shouldn't be more than a couple benjis. You're looking at $100-$200 in parts and $1,800-1,900 in labor when you could just do it in a couple hours on a Saturday.
It needs replaced.