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Control Arm


hgray14

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The ball joint on my passenger side control arm is toast. (When the car is off the ground, there is a ton of play at that joint.)

1) Should I replace the ball joint, or the whole control arm?

2) Is there any reason to replace both sides when the driver's side is still quite tight?

3) Are there any other parts that I should replace while doing this job?

4) Volvo OEM, MEYLE, Dorman, Beck Arnley, etc? ...or something else? (IPD has the Meyle HD kit (both control arms + bar ends) for about the same price as a single Volvo OEM control arm.)

Thanks

Houston

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If I recall correctly you can just do the ball joint on 850's, V70 you have to do the entire arm. Check out your control arm bushings, if they look OK just ball joints is an OK think to do. An alignment is recommended after this job, so I'd do both sides and be done with it.

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since yours is a 95, you must do entire control arm. Supposed to replace bolts too. And unless you want the control arm to just last a year or two, go with Volvo OEM.

exactly. I bought the cheapo's last year, and they are already toast. Just replaced them last week. Didn't even make it 12 months.

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IPD has Mehle HD control arms with a 4 year warranty. Anyone have experience with these specifically? This seems like an easy enough job that I'm not too worried about having to do it again if they fail in a year or two.

Also, I read that I need to wait to tighten the control arm bolts until the car is on level ground. But why can't I do it in the air, as long as I have them in the same position as they will be when on the ground? With a lowered car, it will be very difficult to get under there and tighten them down once the car is on the ground. Seems easier to connect everything up while it is in the air, put a jack under the wheel and lift it to the proper position, and then tighten down the control arm bolts before lowering the car off the jack stands.

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Meyle, from what experience I have with them, (specifically their HD components) is that they aren't all that great

With control arms the best option is to find the best deal on a set of OEM control arms or MOOG control arms and call it a day

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I'll chime in with my two cents, even though a few are going to disagree with me.

I've installed a few sets of the APA/URO control arms. I blew one out on a pothole, but the same pothole also bent a strut, bent a wheel, blew a tire and trashed everything else. Aside from that I haven't had one get sloppy or fail yet, the set with the most mileage on them is about 65k or more at this point. This is also on Michigan roads.

My s70 is lowered and I have about 25k on the set that is currently on it. They're still tight. My MIL's car has had a set for 55k, two friends have a set each, my old Platinum has them, etc.

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Where did you get them as I don't think FCP carries URO control arms anymore for the FWD X70/850?

First few sets were from FCP, the last two were through Amazon. The Dorman arms are Uro, $42.50, not from a third-party and prime eligible.

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Also, I read that I need to wait to tighten the control arm bolts until the car is on level ground. But why can't I do it in the air, as long as I have them in the same position as they will be when on the ground? With a lowered car, it will be very difficult to get under there and tighten them down once the car is on the ground. Seems easier to connect everything up while it is in the air, put a jack under the wheel and lift it to the proper position, and then tighten down the control arm bolts before lowering the car off the jack stands.

Change both side and make sure do a alignment to save the tires.

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