wgcooley Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 My 05 LGT has 52k miles. The tire shop indicated my front strut is blown and recommend new struts and control arms, quoting me $1200 just for the fronts. Instead, I will save $900 and do it myself, including the rears. I need your help to determine best practices and capture the collective lessons learned. Keeping the car stock, I plan on KYB GR2. I will also replace the lower control arm bushings. 1) Should I change the front and/or rear strut/shock mounts? 2) Should I use stock LCA bushings and accept they will rip again? 3) Should I change the ball joint? 4) Should I change the strut boots if they are not torn? 5) Is there any bushings in the rear that need to be changed? 6) Do I need any specialty tools? I purchased a ball joint separator and impact wrench, and will borrow a spring compressor. I will hire somebody to install the bushings. What am I missing? I appreciate your recommendations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Donated broknindarkagain Posted July 25, 2012 I Donated Share Posted July 25, 2012 1) Should I change the front and/or rear strut/shock mounts? That depends. Why do you want to replace them? 2) Should I use stock LCA bushings and accept they will rip again? That depends. Why do you want to replace them? 3) Should I change the ball joint? That depends. Why you you want to replace it. 4) Should I change the strut boots if they are not torn? That depends. Why would you want to? 5) Is there any bushings in the rear that need to be changed? That depends. Are any damaged? 6) Do I need any specialty tools? I purchased a ball joint separator and impact wrench, and will borrow a spring compressor. I will hire somebody to install the bushings. That depends on what you consider special. -broknindarkagain My Current Project - Click Here COME AND TAKE IT "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Donated broknindarkagain Posted July 25, 2012 I Donated Share Posted July 25, 2012 On a second note - get a second opinion. They were likely just trying to sell you stuff. Blown struts, bad control arms, ball joints, etc are almost unheard of at 50k miles. -broknindarkagain My Current Project - Click Here COME AND TAKE IT "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWSPECB Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 1) Not unless they need to be replaced. Not likely. 2) They ripped once after only 52k. 3) Why? 4) This one doesn't make sense to me. 5) That depends on the conditions of the bushings. Check them and if they are damaged then replace. 6) Sounds like you got what you need. My question. You say the quote was $1200 and you are going to save yourself $900. Where are you getting all these parts for $300? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgcooley Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share Posted July 25, 2012 Thanks for the quick reply. The LCA rear bushing is torn. Based on other threads it seems be a common problem. Some people recommend poly bushings while others are going for group n oem bushings. The shocks/struts are $60 each, delivered, on Amazon. I'm struggling to determine if the mounts and bellows are a common fail item and should be replaced as preventive maintenance. The items will double the repair bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWSPECB Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I would just do the LCA's with aftermarket bushings and the struts/shocks. Wouldn't really worry about doing anything else unless it is busted already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 If you can do all this work yourself...you should know if the shocks are bad without them telling you. Get a second opinion. The bushings are common. I'd be suspect of anything else being bad. Where do you live ? may be one of us know a good shop 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgcooley Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share Posted July 25, 2012 I live in Vegas. Probably why the rubber bushings rotted so fast. The car still drives fine and there is no indication of reduced damping. The strut is leaking oil so I suspect it will fail any day. Some people are using STI bushings ($25 each) vice oem legacy bushings ($10 each). How can I tell if strut mounts are worn? If I buy the parts, I won't need. Your know how that game goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Strut leaking, that's the missing piece of the info. I would guess you could be able to reuse the hat's, most guy's do the Koni inserts for a upgrade. There are different way's to go. If you want look at m sprank's site, I'm sure he has good info there. He's in CA. http://www.infamousperformance.net I had my LCA bushings replaced with AVO and Whiteline. Keep doing your reserch before you buy. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesA Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 My suggestion would be to just replace the shocks and keep all the other hardware. That is your immediate need. Save your money to replace parts that wear out later. No need to over-maintain. Get a second opinion on the bushings. They may not be worn out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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