Gooner86

Hey everyone, I was told my control arms are bad this past weekend. So I'm planning on replacing them. Would it be best to buy the whole control arm kit or just the control arms? Money is a little tight with Christmas right around the corner

TheSauceBoss

I assume you're talking about the lower control arms? Though I'm slightly confused as to how the lower control arms themselves are bad, unless they got damaged, bent, corroded or something...

Very commonly, people refer to the lower control arm bushings, which are rubber bushings that tear over time and can give you a bit harsher ride if they aren't in good shape. These are common wear and tear items.

Did a mechanic tell you this? If this is the case, you would just need to replace the bushings, which is a bit more labor intensive than the average job, but entirely do-able. There are a ton of threads for that job on these forums.

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide when/if to replace them. If your car is seemingly driving fine, I honestly wouldn't worry about it. I have 253k on my original bushings and the car feels and handles fine (though i know some are torn). Really isn't urgent in my case, but it's subjective.