Control Arm : Reviews on replacement parts please

Hello

The bushings on the 01 SR5 , 4WD upper control arms are toast.

Am considering buying a new control arm and wondering what sources are to avoid and which ones are desired. I will only keep the truck another couple of years tops, as I don't really use it or have a use for it..

This is a city commuter truck with very little demand put on it. Its only going to do a few interstate hauls with a motorbike trailer..

What are you parts quality experiences?

thanks

 

Does it really matter? I get the feeling you really don't care and are only going to keep it for 2 or so more years, so you're just getting it by until you unload it. If that's the case, buy the cheapest shit you can find and slap it on. I'm sure you can find some Chineseum on scAmazon that will serve your purpose. Personally, I'd go with OEM.

 

Hello

I have seen qwing fang whang stuff fail in a year. And actually do care about quality. There is a middle ground in this and a survey would be helpful.

thats all foks

 

Your best bet is going to be ordering something middle ground from RockAuto. Most UCAs don't come with ball joints installed, so don't forget to order those as well.

 

No survey needed. Lots of aftermarket part win/fail over here: https://www.tundras.com/threads/1st-gen-parts-corner-of-shame-oem-minus-or-plus.122591/

Aftermarket bushings (and anything aftermarket rubber, for that matter, after tons of experience) are shit. Expect aftermarket arms to be fine, but the bushings to fail within a couple years.

The sad truth of the matter is, aftermarket parts these days are only engineered to last 3-5 years, maybe because that's the average timeframe people are expected to own a used car or something? You'll get another 20 years if you spend twice as much on OEM. You'll get 3-5 (or less) average if you opt for aftermarket. Take it or leave it, this has been the collective experience after years of people working through it on this forum.

The OEM parts 25% off sale for Independence Day ended yesterday. You could've had OEM uppers reasonably cheap, with no tax and free shipping, if this had come through 36 hours earlier.

 

I went OEM on mine. They weren't terribly expensive, there was a sale at the time. I'd probably grab a set during the next sale.

 

this is the sad truth, not only with aftermarket parts but rebuilt parts as well, they can offer lifetime warranty on stuff, but they are gambling on you not owning very long

 

That's just it though ... It's just another case of "throwing around reputation".

One example of this, take Moog. Moog hasn't been producing top-quality parts for more than a decade now, probably damn near two. They've been riding on their reputation as top-quality for more than 10 years, and it works. I still hear people talk them up, despite all the clear, documented evidence of what shit parts they make these days. Reputation goes a long way.

Likewise, "lifetime warranty" once had a reputation. It used to be up until about 20, maybe 30 years ago, "lifetime warranty" was synonymous for "this will last you a lifetime, and if not, we will replace it for free". These days, it only means "we'll replace it for free". Aftermarket car part manufacturers know goddamn well people still have a positive memory of "lifetime warranty" and they're riding on that reputation.

Nowadays when I see "lifetime warranty", it's a red flag. If someone puts a lifetime warranty on it, they already know it'll fail, and they're gambling on you losing the receipt or getting rid of the vehicle.

 

And, you have to ask yourself: "Do I really want to tear into this thing and replace it more than once?" My answer is always a hard "no". That's why if at all possible, I'll cough up the dough and go with OEM.

 

KSP has been doing fine for me and @VR6T

they don't break the bank either and come with their own ball joints.

but that's if you're trying to get a quick replacement. If you're trying to keep/add value to the truck. I'd suggest OEM or one of the more reputable brands.

 

He tells no lies

 

What is KSP? I must have missed the memo.

 

https://www.kspmotor.com/products/toyota-control-arm-293066

Not an endorsement, just an FYI. Pretty sure it's the same as the Freedom Offroad part, same warehouse in China, different branding.

 

I see...Thanks, Shifty