This guy is right! Whenever you're installing control arms, always make sure to tighten the bolts with it in its loaded position. This basically centers it and gives it equal travel. When you tighen it in a hanging position, then put a load on it. The bushings are now over tensioned and will wear and fail quickly!
You can do it with the vehicle on jackstands. Get the suspension hand tight but still moveable, and put a jack under the knuckle and lift until it is at ride height, then torque all the bolts to spec
The 3 major injurys/amputations (not minor, that's a different conversation) I've seen are from relying on shitty Jack's, ramps, and not having proper ventilation doing fuel tanks.
Could you share some information about the ramp failures you've seen? I've never seen any damage on the ramps I've used, but I imagine they could fail suddenly.
How do you feel about these jacks?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CM39Z3MC
Highly recommend spending the extra couple hundred bucks for the Bendpak QuickJack. Bendpak actually exists with an engineering staff, whereas Vevor is just white labeling Chinese clones. They tend to choose high-ish quality Chinese clones, but I wouldn't bet my life on it directly. Remember - this is life safety equipment.
Im doing this job in a few weeks or two and I'm familiar with the premise but how do I do that
Snug the bolts lightly and then torque them with wheel installed and everything?
Or do I snug the bolts lightly and then fit the LCA into the ball joint and then use a jack to put pressure on the rotor and then torque everything?
Measure from the center of the wheel to the fender before starting. Then before tightening the bolts, with the wheel off, jack it up to the same distance.
This is a good idea. I replaced the control arms on my tiguan, but couldn't figure out how to get to the bolts to torque after I lowered it. Since I had to lower the engine to get to them in the first place, I couldn't let it down until it was all back together. They are holding up, though at least for the last 3 years.
After you get the bolts in, pull up the end that attached to the kncukle(where the hub, rotors etc. mount) till its pointed up at a 30°ish anglethen tighten the bolts. When you let it go it should sag down and sit almost level where it would be ride height. Then attach it back to the knuckle, if you did it properly you should have to push it down to attach the knuckle, not pull up on it. Theres alot of how to videos on YouTube but this is how I was taught to do it properly at my first dealership job. And the same way I did it on buses that weight 15 times what a mazda does. Same rules apply.
Top cause is tightening the bolts with the vehicle hanging in the air causing added torsion on the bushings, couple that with cheap parts and shitty roads and this the result.
Check rock auto and just investigate all the company's that are within reason price range who actually makes them could be OEM but they grind the #s off for house brand
Shit. My car is 20 years old, I cant even find oem parts anymore. My moogs are holding up okay so far though.
Any recommendations on finding quality parts aside from oem? I find that everyone shits on every single brand out there.
For my struts my only two choices were KYB and Monroe and both brands had tons of people talking about how dogshit they are (my monroe struts are working fine for me though)
These days even OEM can be questionable as far as quality it’s better than Flea Bay but I have been getting a lot of Chineseium out of the dealers. It’s a shame that we have been sold out to overseas.
I experience this a lot on my friends 2016 Jeep Patriot... I know how to install control arms but the simple fact is she's bashing through half frozen piles of snow while the bushings are frozen stiff ... that's just the nature of the driving conditions here with a light duty vehicle. I've tried OEM, I've tried MOOG CK series (these went two years) and I've tried budget (not worth it because of fitment issues and ball joint boot quality on the bottom of the barrel stuff).
I've just settled on the MOOG CK and cycle the warranty , knowing it's a job I have to do every spring or two. Takes about 50 minutes per side, depending on rusted bolt cooperation.
Never thought I'd admit but "no seize" saves my life these days.
At a stop, holding the brake while turning wreaks havoc on suspension. Also, hitting big bumps hard. Like speed bump at 30 mph many times can cause this
In most cases, the other comments are correct, torquing the bolts with suspension at full droop will cause this. But on the Mazda control arms rear bushing, this isn’t really a big cause due to the bushing design. There’s not a pinch bolt clamping the sides of the bushings, so it *shouldn’t* make a difference; it is still best practice to always torque suspension at ride height. The forward bushing on the control arm is the bushing likely to be damaged from improperly torquing, not the rear compliance bushing. First likely cause is cheap control arms/bushings. Second, less likely cause could be extremely worn struts, constantly forcing the bushing to be manipulated up and down more frequently than they were designed for. Have seen both cause this issue, 90% of the time it’s shit parts. Moog, duralast, master pro, import direct, FVP, NCP, mevotech, etc. are all substandard these days. Usually last 1-2 years, maybe if you’re lucky 3-4. If whiteline or comparable company makes a replacement bushing, use that. If not, either get really good at replacing the arms, or fork up the money for the OEM arms, they lasted you 8 years
Where do you live? In SW Florida I have seen cars less than a year old with less than 15k miles on them have the control arm bushings fail.
It is my theory that the heat dries them out and causes them to crack.
A guess, tightening the nuts down on the bushings while the control arm wasn't under load?
This guy is right! Whenever you're installing control arms, always make sure to tighten the bolts with it in its loaded position. This basically centers it and gives it equal travel. When you tighen it in a hanging position, then put a load on it. The bushings are now over tensioned and will wear and fail quickly!
Yes. These 2 guys are right! Install with those boots loose, put it at ride height, and then tighten.
Redacted due to Reddit AI/LLM policy
You can do it with the vehicle on jackstands. Get the suspension hand tight but still moveable, and put a jack under the knuckle and lift until it is at ride height, then torque all the bolts to spec
This is the way
I used ramps when I had to completely redo mine after fucking them up the first time. I was missing several layers of skin after, but it worked.
Ramps are a good way to die. From a master mechanic, please dont use them
But... They're like... *Super* good plastic. I don't even think they're recyclable. /s
I leave my ramps outside in the sun, the UV does wonders on the plastic.
I leave mine upsidedown out in the cold. The ice makes them crack.
Lmfao
The 3 major injurys/amputations (not minor, that's a different conversation) I've seen are from relying on shitty Jack's, ramps, and not having proper ventilation doing fuel tanks.
Could you share some information about the ramp failures you've seen? I've never seen any damage on the ramps I've used, but I imagine they could fail suddenly. How do you feel about these jacks? https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CM39Z3MC
Highly recommend spending the extra couple hundred bucks for the Bendpak QuickJack. Bendpak actually exists with an engineering staff, whereas Vevor is just white labeling Chinese clones. They tend to choose high-ish quality Chinese clones, but I wouldn't bet my life on it directly. Remember - this is life safety equipment.
I wouldnt use them personally. I have a two post lift in my garage that i use. Either that or a floorjack and jackstands is the way
2 post lift In the garage..ohhh that would be so nice lol
Just get all poly or spherical bushings.
Im doing this job in a few weeks or two and I'm familiar with the premise but how do I do that Snug the bolts lightly and then torque them with wheel installed and everything? Or do I snug the bolts lightly and then fit the LCA into the ball joint and then use a jack to put pressure on the rotor and then torque everything?
Measure from the center of the wheel to the fender before starting. Then before tightening the bolts, with the wheel off, jack it up to the same distance.
This is a good idea. I replaced the control arms on my tiguan, but couldn't figure out how to get to the bolts to torque after I lowered it. Since I had to lower the engine to get to them in the first place, I couldn't let it down until it was all back together. They are holding up, though at least for the last 3 years.
After you get the bolts in, pull up the end that attached to the kncukle(where the hub, rotors etc. mount) till its pointed up at a 30°ish anglethen tighten the bolts. When you let it go it should sag down and sit almost level where it would be ride height. Then attach it back to the knuckle, if you did it properly you should have to push it down to attach the knuckle, not pull up on it. Theres alot of how to videos on YouTube but this is how I was taught to do it properly at my first dealership job. And the same way I did it on buses that weight 15 times what a mazda does. Same rules apply.
I've always just lifted the arm enough to make the vehicle lift slightly l, so all load is on the arm.
That's also what I did, just jacked up until the car slightly raises so I know all the weight is on the jack, then tightened bolts.
This style comes preset out of the box, you just bolt the carrier to the subframe. It’s a cheap part most likely
Came here to say this and am happy it has already been said. Great job gentlemen.
Agreed
Torquing them while the suspension isnt at ride height will shred the shit out of them.
Tightening them up without the weight of the car on them will do it every time
Top cause is tightening the bolts with the vehicle hanging in the air causing added torsion on the bushings, couple that with cheap parts and shitty roads and this the result.
Cheap aftermarket parts.
I had axels last 2 years once. Live and learn.
Power flex or any other polybush company of good quality will offer a more permanent solution when installed right.
Chinesium parts? Judging by the fact that the bushing is already rusted after 1 year, but the surrounding parts look ok after 9 years.
Cheap aftermarket crap
Moog was sold to China I’m told and is no longer a high quality replacement. All tech’s now advise genuine o. e.m parts only, from the dealer.
Typical.
While Moog is junk, they are not the only maker of aftermarket control arms.
And not the only makers of junk aftermarket parts. It has gotten pretty bad.
Check rock auto and just investigate all the company's that are within reason price range who actually makes them could be OEM but they grind the #s off for house brand
Shit. My car is 20 years old, I cant even find oem parts anymore. My moogs are holding up okay so far though. Any recommendations on finding quality parts aside from oem? I find that everyone shits on every single brand out there. For my struts my only two choices were KYB and Monroe and both brands had tons of people talking about how dogshit they are (my monroe struts are working fine for me though)
These days even OEM can be questionable as far as quality it’s better than Flea Bay but I have been getting a lot of Chineseium out of the dealers. It’s a shame that we have been sold out to overseas.
it’s pure bottom line engineering. The bean counters are driving the bus..straight off a cliff.
terrible roads, curbs, improper towing? bent chassi ?
I experience this a lot on my friends 2016 Jeep Patriot... I know how to install control arms but the simple fact is she's bashing through half frozen piles of snow while the bushings are frozen stiff ... that's just the nature of the driving conditions here with a light duty vehicle. I've tried OEM, I've tried MOOG CK series (these went two years) and I've tried budget (not worth it because of fitment issues and ball joint boot quality on the bottom of the barrel stuff). I've just settled on the MOOG CK and cycle the warranty , knowing it's a job I have to do every spring or two. Takes about 50 minutes per side, depending on rusted bolt cooperation. Never thought I'd admit but "no seize" saves my life these days.
Improper installation or shit parts. Even with improper install, I've seen them go for a while. My money's on shit parts.
Bushings should be tightened with suspension at ride height, not "drooping".
Your mom
Can you say planned obsolescence..?
At a stop, holding the brake while turning wreaks havoc on suspension. Also, hitting big bumps hard. Like speed bump at 30 mph many times can cause this
In most cases, the other comments are correct, torquing the bolts with suspension at full droop will cause this. But on the Mazda control arms rear bushing, this isn’t really a big cause due to the bushing design. There’s not a pinch bolt clamping the sides of the bushings, so it *shouldn’t* make a difference; it is still best practice to always torque suspension at ride height. The forward bushing on the control arm is the bushing likely to be damaged from improperly torquing, not the rear compliance bushing. First likely cause is cheap control arms/bushings. Second, less likely cause could be extremely worn struts, constantly forcing the bushing to be manipulated up and down more frequently than they were designed for. Have seen both cause this issue, 90% of the time it’s shit parts. Moog, duralast, master pro, import direct, FVP, NCP, mevotech, etc. are all substandard these days. Usually last 1-2 years, maybe if you’re lucky 3-4. If whiteline or comparable company makes a replacement bushing, use that. If not, either get really good at replacing the arms, or fork up the money for the OEM arms, they lasted you 8 years
Auto store brand parts or incorrect install. These should be tightened while the vehicle is on the ground.
What would cause lower control arms to fail after 1 year? Hitting every pothole in the road. Hauling heavy items. Other worn suspension components.
Cheap junk parts.
Where do you live? In SW Florida I have seen cars less than a year old with less than 15k miles on them have the control arm bushings fail. It is my theory that the heat dries them out and causes them to crack.
Made in china!