I'm with you silverone.
I'm just over 38000 myself, and just took mine in to have them all replaced. I've got the extended warranty though so I'm only out $100.

 

I just replaced mine under warranty for $150.00. They lasted about 40K.

 

No need to support anything above. It'll all just hang there.

 

Thanks a lot. I think I read a thing or two by you Todde, with regards to this issue. Doesn't look like the brake assembly has to be removed. This all kinda looks like the arms on a PT/Neon. Again, I appreciate the info.

 

My front ones need doing on a UK CRD, warranty repair at 34000 miles

 

Jonno - lucky you made it before 36K.
I did get a fast return call from Jeep today, a couple of hours after I memo'd them. The path they were establishing just added up to more time and expense than think any adjustments by them would make worthwhile. I applaud the gesture and attitude, but the hoops were getting just too small for me to jump thru.

 

what'd you pay for the control arms?

I just bought lower ball joints for $120 shipped to Canada. (see Moog thread in main forum)

 

I found the arm/joint assemblies for 104 each. From macautoparts, on ebay.
They claim to be OE quality. We'll find out. I've wondered why the originals have a short life span. Hopefully it's a bad batch of something as opposed to some deeper design problem that makes any ball joint fail in this applicaton.

 

Ball Joints

I wouldnt even bother replacing the control arms..I just put on the moog ball joints and tie rods that are for the compass/patriot. grease fitting and collar makes it a way better and cheaper option that putting on oem garbage control arm with new ball joint.

 

New Front End...

I just want to follow-up, after the new moog ball joints and tie-rods i am really really happy with the overall feeling of my jeep and how it drives. It actually feels like an suv now rather than a car when i go off the road a little bit. I would highly recommend that when your ball joints and tie-rods go, replace them with the moog components.

 

Installed both assemblies today. Replacements looked, weighed and measured the same as originals. Took 4 hours to do them, pads, and rotate tires. Two biggest time takers were forking the joint pin from the spindle
(don't be shy with the PB Blaster) , and lining the rear mount sleeve up with the holes in the sub frame. For the latter, I used a bullet nosed brass drift, the same diameter as the bolt, and also put a 15 degree taper on the last 4 threads of the bolt itself.
I'll keep the originals and stick better joints in them for the next time. Thanks all for the info I needed.

 

I just got my driver's side MOPAR LCA. The shop wants $70 to install it, and since I want to replace the struts too and needing alignment, I will let them do it. I will save the old one and use a Moog if the new one dies on me. I am near 100k miles. The other side is still tight.

 

My biggest inspiration to do it my self was the cost of having just the right side replaced. 220 for the part, and 105 for the labor. Ouch.

 

I got my MOPAR control arm for $170 from here:

http://www.hendrickmoparparts.com/


I also bought a new gas cap which seems to have solved some other issues I was having.