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Lower control arm replacement

53K views 24 replies 14 participants last post by  MalibuMaxxSSguy 
#1 ·
Hello All, I am a new member with a 2006 Malibu SS. I was told during a reecent oil change that I need to replace my lower ball joint as it was getting pretty worn. I know that the ball joint is part of the lower control arm and found that replacements are about 90 dollars. My question is how hard of a job is it? i am pretty handy with tools especially older cars but these newer ones kind of throw me off. So any help would be great.
thank you
Paul
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the forum.:) I'd say it's not that difficult compared to, say, struts. You may want to get a vehicle-specific repair manual (Chilton/Haynes) or online subscription to DIY sites like alldatadiy.com or eautorepair.net for the exact procedures and torque values.
 
#6 ·
HELP!

I just picked my Malibu up from the dealership where they charged me $304.80 Canadian for a left front lower control arm assembly.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot for the life of me find any online retailers with a lower control arm for my car for more than $100 USD.

Did I just get ripped off?
 
#7 ·
Possibly, possibly not.

I'd say not since you did take it to the dealership. And most parts cost more at the dealership than anywhere else.

Now, was that just for the arm, or installed?

MSRP in the US is $238.11 for just the arm (from GMPartsDirect and the catalog they run - actual MSRP may vary.) Canadian prices tend to be higher, not even counting the exchange rate (which is close to 1:1 right now, IIRC).

OTOH, for that much, I could buy both fronts and pay for the alignment if I used Moog or TRW instead. Then again, my car is a 2000, not a 2005.

Labor would not be included - I'd do it myself.

(Actually, what I'm PLANNING on is pulling a pair of GrandAm aluminum LCAs, replacing the bushings and the ball joint, and using those. But that's not germane to your discussion ... )

RwP
 
#9 ·
Yup, I ripped myself off.

When the tech called to quote me over the phone, I didn't hear the price of the part very clearly. My wife had been quoted like $30-40 but that was for bushing replacement.
The bushings on the old control arm are fine, it's the ball joint that is shot.

So my mistake, for those new to the DIY realm, is that when I was quoted, I neglected to ask if the part I was being quoted was OEM or Aftermarket. The $300 control arm is OEM (GM made), opposed to the Aftermarket part that the Parts department at the Dealership quoted me on the phone was 169.95.

So what I should have done when I was quoted on the phone, was ask for the Aftermarket part to be installed.

A simple mistake on my part, but I only have myself to blame for being out $170 in this situation.

Yes, I would have done this myself, but my garage is too small, and I don't feel like crawling under my car on my frozen driveway at home.
Canadian winter and DIY car stuff don't mix very well with a small garage!

Oh, but I'm still going to take the wheel off to make 100% sure that the OEM part was installed... just in case. I'll update when I'm done.

Thanks for the replies everyone!
 
#10 ·
When the tech called to quote me over the phone, I didn't hear the price of the part very clearly. My wife had been quoted like $30-40 but that was for bushing replacement.
The bushings on the old control arm are fine, it's the ball joint that is shot.

So my mistake, for those new to the DIY realm, is that when I was quoted, I neglected to ask if the part I was being quoted was OEM or Aftermarket. The $300 control arm is OEM (GM made), opposed to the Aftermarket part that the Parts department at the Dealership quoted me on the phone was 169.95.
This is strictly my opinion now so take it for just that but any steering or suspension part, at least as far as a GM product, always get an aftermarket piece, a good name, yeah in my case it's Moog but by no means are they always the best or the cheapest. GM steering and suspension stuff is way over priced and in my opinion and in my experience as a tech, the aftermarket stuff is superior in quality and a lot cheaper. Idler and pitman arms, ball joints, tie rods, control arms, I always ask for an aftermarket price when I do a quote. Live and learn, that's how it goes. I don't have the same appreciation for the aftermarket when it comes to other parts of the car, like sensors for the engine and stuff like that. Some of the latest stuff as far as window regulators, window motors, door lock actuators, the quality is getting pretty good and the price is much better than OE stuff. A little surfing anymore can save you a few bucks on just about anything. Competition for the consumers dollar is a big thing anymore. Just have to look around and if time permits, do some due diligence.
 
#15 ·
i have an 01 (alero) and the control arms were a nightmare. The process is simple but having never been replaced in nearly 20 years there were some stubborn parts. Had to use neighbor's torch to burn out one of the bushings and a bolt rusted inside. Everything was a battle. However, my car feels AMAZING now after having new balljoints and tierods replaced. I did both sides.
 
#16 ·
Easy Job , there is a guy on youtube ( 1A Auto ) that shows the whole procedure , ( watch that Video ) took me three hours in my driveway and i took my time ,,,,,,Do Not have to jack the motor up ,,,,,,,Take a pry bar and pry up on the mount to Remove the single bolt in the front after taking all bolts out of the Mount ,,,,,, Don't forget Get a lineup after you are done ,,,, might have to call ahead and get an appointment to get the lineup,,,,,line up in N C from 70 to 100 bucks .Make sure ,,,,,,((((((((SAFETY FIRST))))))))) Be sure to put jack stands under the car , Never use a Hidraulic jack by itself Jacks can fail.
 
#17 ·
Hi! I just got my inspection done at Midas for my 2005 Chevy Malibu and was told I would need to replace the Control Arm and Left Outer Tie Rod and then get an alignment. The quote for all of this was $280 for parts and $435 for labor. I am not a car person and just wanted to ask if I was getting ripped off or if anyone had high recommendations for alternate places to go for parts or labor.

Thanks!
 
#18 ·
My Rule of thumb is always do both sides when doing suspension work , you can do it yourself for about 175 bucks not counting getting a line up job done, the alignment should cost no more than about 70 to 90 bucks , { will need an alignment done }. Took me an hour and a half to do mine in my driveway. Get parts online for about 130 bucks . they making a killing off of you, but i also understand that some people don't have a choice , so do they.
 
#19 ·
ask your friends if they no of any local garages that will put the parts on,, after you purchace them yourself.If you have never worked on a car , i wouldn't reccomend you to do this job yourself , as this is quite dangerous if you don't have the right equipment to be safe .
 
#23 ·
I recently tried to do this job on my 04 Hyundai Elantra and had to give up until I get someone to remove the old bolts for me because they were so rusted I could t get them off no matter what I tried. As long as you don’t have the same issue, the job should be pretty straightforward.
 
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