Lower Control Arm Bushings

[Gary]

2 or 3 years ago we restored a couple of 70 Chargers for a guy. One he did for himself, the other for his brother.  In the course of rebuilding the front suspension we found a source for pretty good priced parts.  I don't know if I'm allowed to name names, so I'll call them company Y.  The parts were the same brand as my local parts house(We'll call them brand X)so I ordered 2 front rebuild kits. We were about a week from delivering the first Charger when we got a letter from Y saying they were recalling the lower ball joints. Because of time we replaced them with our parts house ball joints and returned the recalled ones to Y at a show we were both at later that summer.  They told us that they had found some that they thought had hairline cracks in the ball joints and even though they could not get X to agree, they recalled them on their own dime.  Last year I tried to order another kit from Y and was told thy no longer carried X and were working on developing their own line. This morning I get an e-mail from the Charger owner saying he had spent the weekend replacing his lower control arm bushings and maybe we should find a different source for our parts. I called him up to see what was going on. He told me the car was starting to wander all over the road and he found the lower bushings were shot.  One had even worked its way half way out of the control arm.  He said also the tie rod boots were checked cracked and falling off.  This in only 700 miles since we had rebuild them.  He said as he took the bushings out, the inner sleeve was split.  Not broke, but manufactured that way. The split sleeve had opened up and chewed up the rubber and was working its way off the arms.  He also told me his brothers car was starting to show the same symptoms so probably had the same issues.  He told me the bushings he bought at his parts house did not have the inner sleeve split. Anyone else out there run into this problem

[anlauto]

I use MooG parts, never had an issue

[Shane Kelley]

I use MooG parts, never had an issue

  Same here. I often wondered about those complete front end rebuild kits I see advertised.

[Gary]

MOOG is what they were supposed to be. I talked to my parts runner and asked him how the same brand name parts could be sold so much cheaper. He told me MOOG makes 2 different quality  parts, one is OE quality and the other is better than OE  standards.  I assumed than that what we bought was the cheaper quality but 700 miles? I too have never had any problems with the parts I get local.  But than we always buy the best quality.  Are we the only people who got an obviously bad set of bushings.

[Shane Kelley]

Regardless if it's their top of the line or value line it's ridicules that they failed. Not to mention what a big pain in the ass it is changing those. I hate those the most.   

[Cuda Cody]

I've used a lot of Moog parts with great success.  Lately I've heard of a couple people having issues with them and I went with AC Delco on the one I'm doing now.  But it really doesn't matter to me if it's Moog or AC Delco, they both should hold up for decades with the amount of miles we put on these cars.  700 miles is flat out wrong on so many different levels.  It's a shame. 

[Gary]

So I guess it's true what everyone always tells me.  That's never happened before.

[1 Wild R/T]

I've done four sets of lowers in the past year, always MOOG  none have had any issues...  For a guy who doesn't work on cars for a living I sure work on allot of cars...

[Cuda Cody]

I'm still running Moog on server cars and our work trucks.  I personally have not have any issues with them.   

[RUNCHARGER]

I've always used Moog as well, I always buy the best quality brake and front end stuff available though. It's not a place to save a few bucks.

[mopar jack]

I bought some lower control arm bushings to replace my  urethane bushings. I bought moog  k791 bushings and the quality is not good. Had to buy three to get two that look good enough to work. The rubber is stamped with Harris on the ends? One bushing is way off center and the two shells are at two different angles.

[1 Wild R/T]

I bought some lower control arm bushings to replace my  urethane bushings. I bought moog  k791 bushings and the quality is not good. Had to buy three to get two that look good enough to work. The rubber is stamped with Harris on the ends? One bushing is way off center and the two shells are at two different angles.

Someone swapped parts... Harris is low end low $$$ parts....

[mopar jack]

I have 3 bushings from 2 parts stores and all have harris on the rubber.

[1 Wild R/T]

I have 3 bushings from 2 parts stores and all have harris on the rubber.

Just spent half an hour poking around the web.... Looks like Moog has been doing some reboxing.... I've done allot of bushing & haven't run into it yet but I'll be aware of it now for sure......   

Found this picture showing the quality of Harris crap....  The job is way to much work to install a low quality part.......

[Shane Kelley]

Damn. I sure hope that's not what I used in mine. I never paid that close enough attention to them. I guess I will find out in 700 miles or so.