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#21 · (Edited)
Metaxa said:
Ya but...from my reading here and elsewhere if you buy the Moog replacement control arms they come with a sealed ball joint.

If you buy the Moog ball joint alone it comes with a grease fitting.

Press the old one out and the new Moog one in...now you have a control arm with a zerk fitting.

Question is labour costs. For a guy like me, user not fixer, it would make more sense to get the Mevotech control arm with zerk than to pay my mechanic to punch out and press in Moogs.
Click to expand...
Exactly. This is where the replacement part industry makes little sense sometimes....You would have to remove the entire arm to press out the old ball joint if there is any corrosion at all. That being said, replacing just the ball joint(in most situations) is going to require more labor than replacing the entire arm assembly. Makes one wonder why they bother packaging the joint separately.

Or the joint is the same as some other application, perhaps.
 
#22 ·
My Patriot just failed the state inspection (Pennsylvania) due to the condition of the front right lower control arm (due to the ball joint, I assume).

My local Jeep dealership wants to charge $340 (parts and labor) to replace the LCA. They told me the part is $182, and $158 for the 2 hours of labor.

However, I am hesitant to replace it with another sub-standard OEM part. I did this with my front LEFT lower control arm about a year ago, and I know its just a matter of time before that one goes again.

So, I went to RockAuto.com and found several options. I am wondering if anyone has opinions about any of these choices. Here they are:

1) Mevotech (greasable): $93.79
2) Dorman (non-greasable): $69.79
3) Moog (non-greasable): $104.89
4) Raybestos (greasable): $109.79
5) OEM from dealership (non-greasable): $182.00 (!)

My inclination is to go with the Mevotech, as it is the best-priced of the greasable options. Additionally, I've seen a few posts on this site from people who used the Mevotech LCA, and seem pleased with it. RockAuto.com seems to indicate that the Dorman LCA is the most popular option, but that one is non-greasable from what I can tell.

I am aware that I could also simply replace the ball joint with a greasable one from Moog. I am hesitant to do this, however, as I recall seeing a post from a member of this site who had a bad experience with an install of the ball joint at an independent shop that led to a complete failure (fortunately, while driving at a low speed).

I will also contact Chrysler in an effort to see if they're willing to give me some sort of deal to replace the part with an OEM part at the dealership. If I can get a good deal from Chrysler (unlikely!), I may go with the OEM part installed at the dealership. Otherwise, I'm going with something non-OEM from RockAuto.com.

Thanks in advance for any advice! :notworthy:
 
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Discussion starter · #23 ·
Keebler72 said:
My Patriot just failed the state inspection (Pennsylvania) due to the condition of the front right lower control arm (due to the ball joint, I assume).

My local Jeep dealership wants to charge $340 (parts and labor) to replace the LCA. They told me the part is $182, and $158 for the 2 hours of labor.

However, I am hesitant to replace it with another sub-standard OEM part. I did this with my front LEFT lower control arm about a year ago, and I know its just a matter of time before that one goes again.

So, I went to RockAuto.com and found several options. I am wondering if anyone has opinions about any of these choices. Here they are:

1) Mevotech (greasable): $93.79
2) Dorman (non-greasable): $69.79
3) Moog (non-greasable): $104.89
4) Raybestos (greasable): $109.79
5) OEM from dealership (non-greasable): $182.00 (!)

My inclination is to go with the Mevotech, as it is the best-priced of the greasable options. Additionally, I've seen a few posts on this site from people who used the Mevotech LCA, and seem pleased with it. RockAuto.com seems to indicate that the Dorman LCA is the most popular option, but that one is non-greasable from what I can tell.

I am aware that I could also simply replace the ball joint with a greasable one from Moog. I am hesitant to do this, however, as I recall seeing a post from a member of this site who had a bad experience with an install of the ball joint at an independent shop that led to a complete failure (fortunately, while driving at a low speed).

I will also contact Chrysler in an effort to see if they're willing to give me some sort of deal to replace the part with an OEM part at the dealership. If I can get a good deal from Chrysler (unlikely!), I may go with the OEM part installed at the dealership. Otherwise, I'm going with something non-OEM from RockAuto.com.

Thanks in advance for any advice! :notworthy:
Click to expand...
Definitely try complaining to Chrysler Customer Care. They will often extend you a warranty repair for a $100 deductible. If not, I'd go Mevotech. They come with a lifetime...oh hang on...now it says 5 yr/100,000 km warranty. Hmmm...I could have sworn they used to be lifetime warranty. Or write/email moog and ask if there's is greaseable or not. The photo's on rockauto may not show the zerk fitting, but I'd have to bet they are greaseable.
 
#24 ·
todde702 said:
Definitely try complaining to Chrysler Customer Care. They will often extend you a warranty repair for a $100 deductible. If not, I'd go Mevotech. They come with a lifetime...oh hang on...now it says 5 yr/100,000 km warranty. Hmmm...I could have sworn they used to be lifetime warranty. Or write/email moog and ask if there's is greaseable or not. The photo's on rockauto may not show the zerk fitting, but I'd have to bet they are greaseable.
Click to expand...
I went ahead and contacted Chrysler, and they agreed to cover everything above the $100 deductible. I am pleased with this because my '08 Patriot (bought in Oct 2007) is well beyond my 3-year bumper-to-bumper warranty (although I only have 35,000 miles on it).

If I have addiitonal problems with my front LCAs in the future, however, I will have to seriously consider going ahead and replacing the OEM parts with the aftermarket greasable Mevotech parts.
 
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#26 ·
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