40,000 miles, now on third lower ball joints

K

KyleH

Registered
I just replaced my upper control arms only to take a good look and listen to my lowers and realize that they are the problem more than the uppers.

The lowers control arms say TRW so I am guessing they were replaced by the previous owner at some point and have now failed again. What brand can I get that wont fail in a few years? Do I need to get an alignment done after replacing the upper control arms and lower ball joint?

Is Moog better than TRW?
 
Moog and TRW are six on one hand, half a dozen in the other. Honestly, I cant imagine replacing any control arm etc and not getting it aligned.
 
Is there any place cheaper than RockAuto? Is there any brand better than TRW or Moog? Is Motorcraft better?

RockAuto carries Moog for $31.89 - 5% discount + shipping.
 
Last edited:
They all come out of the same place, here are some that came from FOMOCO. These are the uppers. but the lowers are also the same. I suspect if you are damaging lowers that quickly that you have some geometry issue going on (is the car lowered) have you replaced the strut rod bushings, and yes you should have an alignment done after replacement.
 

Attachments

  • 1_0462.jpg
    1_0462.jpg
    53.3 KB · Views: 0
  • 1_0460.jpg
    1_0460.jpg
    52.3 KB · Views: 0
Last edited:
No, its not lowered. Unless the factory ones are TRW, I just assumed they were replaced by the previous owner. Did your original lower control arms read TRW or Ford?

I have not replaced the strut rod bushings. I replaced the upper passengers side control arm and air bag today. Tomorrow I will replace the upper on the drivers side. Soon I will replace the ball joints in the lower. That should fix all this front end noise I am hoping.
 
kyle, all mark VIII's came out of detroit with trw stamped in the lower control arms, thats what ford put in them. chances are your are originals. use the same ones, there is nothing wrong with trw, one of the best as far as a factory replacement part. i dont know about cheaper than rockauto, but autozone and advance auto stock them for about 53 bucks per side. its a very common problem that they wear out, its a moving suspension item, they wear out, but if you change them now, you'll go years before you do it again.
 
I was hoping you'd chime in, Jamie.

I'll order the Moogs from RA for $68 shipped for both sides. Thanks.
 
just so you know moog and trw are the same company, if you order " moog " i'll garauntee when you open the box's they say trw on them. trw is moog, moog is trw, one company, all good parts!!
 
jamies98lsc said:
just so you know moog and trw are the same company, if you order " moog " i'll garauntee when you open the box's they say trw on them. trw is moog, moog is trw, one company, all good parts!!
Click to expand...


I was wondering that when I got my upper control arm. I opened up the Moog box to find a control arm stamped with TRW. Good to know someone didn't switch my part out. :)
 
KyleH said:
Is there any place cheaper than RockAuto? Is there any brand better than TRW or Moog? Is Motorcraft better?

RockAuto carries Moog for $31.89 - 5% discount + shipping.
Click to expand...

Try going to autopartsgiant.com thats the other place I get my parts cheap.
 
Looks like I could have save a few $ by going to autopartsgiant as, after their 10% off coupon, it comes to $66.23 for both for Moog compared to $68 for RockAuto. Just letting anyone in the future know. They also have a 10% price guarantee so you can probably get them even cheaper.
 
If Moog and TRW are the same....why does Advanced Auto parts charge about 10% more for the Moog labeled parts?

I know the are the same because I got a TRW labeled control arm in a Moog box.
 
MindyMark said:
If Moog and TRW are the same....why does Advanced Auto parts charge about 10% more for the Moog labeled parts?

I know the are the same because I got a TRW labeled control arm in a Moog box.
Click to expand...

The same reason Miller Brewing Co. charges double for Mickey's Malt over Colt 45 when in fact they are the same beer recipe in a different can.

Branding.
 
At least some other brands do a better job of covering the fact that they are different brands. I usually expect the brand on the box to match the brand on the item.....
 
MindyMark said:
At least some other brands do a better job of covering the fact that they are different brands. I usually expect the brand on the box to match the brand on the item.....
Click to expand...

Isn't it possible that Moog simply doesn't have a metal casting facility and made the ball joints but not the cast steel parts?
 
Early last year I needed to purchase an upper control arm for my '93. The counterman @ O'Reilly's asked if I wanted the store brand or TRW for about $22 more with a longer warranty. I asked to see one of each and found they were both TRW parts and saved myself a few dollars. This may not always be the case with rebranding but this time the quality of the cheaper part was the exact same as the more expensive part.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top