recently installed the cheaper versions of the moog full control arms on my 01 AE with 146k. they came with all new bushings and ball joints. I also installed the moog outter tie rods. it has been about 500 miles on the new setup and the car rides like total crap. before it was super comfortable and smooth on the OEM control arms. now the car rides very rough and bouncy with the moogs. it rides worse than a car on blown shocks and bounces up and down on every bump like a civic on cut springs. there's just way too much rebound on the front end and its super annoying and uncomfortable. anyone else experience this?

 

How was the travel in the arms after you bolted them down? I just did control arms on an '01 and I must have really over-tightened the driver's side as it was frozen into place. I had to redo that nut to get some travel.
I used the ebay cheapies ($75/pair) and they're performing well.

 

Which nut are u refering to? I have go double check the travel

 

Idk **** about control arms, but there's really not much that can go wrong since we only have a lower. Just spit-balling here
The new bushings should make it feel firmer and more responsive, but definitely not ****ty.

If you got the struts bolted up without jacking up the arm, then they have to be fine.

 

I might have definitely over torqued that nut since i used a long pipe on my breaker bar. guess it could have put extra preload on the arm since I tighten it down without the car on the ground. Ill loosen it and put the car back down then tighten it again. Hope that works

 

I would just loosen them up and retorque. Although...this would be the way to test it. Loosen and just make it really snug, then go for a drive.

This might actually be the problem. Check out the install instructions below and tq numbers LOL.

I also used synthetic grease on that sucker. I had to beat the old ones off.

 

 

Awesome thanks. What software is that? FSM didn't have that info

 

AllData.

I need to get Mitchell running.

 

The key is not only torquing it correctly, but torquing it while the arm is in the ride height position. That places the bushing in a neutral position, allowing the arm to move freely throughout it's travel. If you torque the arm while it's hanging down, once you lower the car, the busing is now under load and torquing upward, effectively changing the ride characteristics of the suspension. Most good installers know this trick.

 

without having a "bay" under the car how do most dyi installers torque the suspension when the car is at ride height?

 

I'd put the front tires up on those plastic oil change ramps and put the rear end on jack stands. This way the whole car's level with the ground and the front end's in the loaded neutral position. You now have enough room to slide under with a wrench and torque the LCA to spec.

 

Jack up under LCA's.

 

so i jacked up the front end and put it on jack stands, loosened all six 22mm bolts and the 27mm nut. put the car back down on the ground and tightened everything to spec with a torque wrench.

the car still rides the same and like crap. nothing changed. I don't think tightening the 27mm nut with the wheels hanging on the car or on the ground makes any difference whatsoever because I clearly remember the bracket that the 27mm nut bolts onto freely rotates inside the bushing with plenty of room. there's also a washer behind the 27mm nut so its not possible to "lock" the control in place and prevent it from rotation. and even if you were to "lock it" in place with the wheels hanging then how would the suspension be able to compress ?

I have yet to get an alignment since I had to remove the outter CV joint from the knuckle and also did the outter tie rods. my alignment feels ok and is probably very close to spec and i doubt its bad alignment causing such ****ty ride. im lost now....


and the 27mm nut goes on the transverse pic that has the holes for the four 22mm bolts for anyone that cares...

 

It was worth a shot.

I couldn't move it by hand from over-torquing, so it was the only thought I had on this (perhaps the cheapie's manuf is a little off, idk). I wouldn't expect it to be able resist moving with the weight of the car, but I suspect that it could be more rigid and resist free travel.

 

what did u torque the 27mm to?
per FSM the specs are 87-108 and i torqued it down right in the middle to 100ft-lbs. maybe ill try 70 ft-lbs or something but as of right now my car might as well be a civic on cut springs and blown shocks.

 

Idk I don't use the tq wrench unless it's necessary. The 1st time i just know I overdid it. I smacked the wrench with a mallot.

 

Moog quality has been crap for several years now, go back to OEM.

 

I'm honestly considering swapping them out to beck/arlney.

 

The LCA's aren't causing the ride problem.
What did you do to the end links?

 

B/A doesn't make any parts, they're just a reboxer. You could end up with a high quality Made in Japan or Germany part or some garbage from Taiwan. They have good customer service and can tell you where the parts are made for your application.

 

both are good ideas...thanks for sharing.

 

what kind of the front struts do you have? Are they original? Its now happened to me twice with 5th Gen Maximas. The car is jacked up to do a brake job or something else similar and the front struts are completely unloaded and that was the final straw for one of the shocks. Once the car was lowered back to the ground, the car drove like crap because one of the front struts was now blown. It there was no dampening with one of the struts.

 

Curious....so could this nut be an issue I am having w/ acceleration vibes between 20-30mph and cruising freeway is smooth? Ever since I put on my new arms last year I have it. Annoying. If I re-did the nut would that help? Or not bother w/ it?

 

Good point. I've heard of the same thing happening. The stress of a dangling front (or rear end) is often the final nail in the coffin for a wheel bearing or other suspension component already on its last leg.

 

I have Beck arnley, my right side(where I hit most hard hits) last 30K miles, left side still going and yes they back their 3yr 36K mile warranty especially from Rock auto.

 

so what could it be? replaced the end links with new beck/arnley

I see but i never had any issues with any of their parts

hmm this is interesting. but would both go out at the same time? I want to say they are still the factory installed shocks that have 146k now. but i've had the car since 82k miles on the same shocks so even if they arent factory, they're still 65k & 5 years old at the minimum. it DOES feel like blown shocks though !

hmmm, time for new shocks?

 

End links need to be tightened when car loaded, not having the wheel hanging.
Any fluid seen on the strut body near the rod.

 

Yea it's pretty hard to tighten endlinks and control arms without an alignment rack

 

I went and pushed the front end down and it felt pretty soft and car bounced up. Im pretty sure it is the shocks. I bought a set of four KYB GR2s last night and will swap them in and report back. spent a good half hour thinking if i want to spend $300 on 4 new shocks or $600 on a set of Tein street advance coilovers. in the end I think KYBs would last me longer and i prefer the OEM ride. as much as i want the car lower, id rather have a headache free reliable DD and coilovers can't offer me that.

ill probably buy a ramp and try to tighten the end links on the ramp from below but it will be difficult. the 27mm bolt can easily be tightened with the car on the ground. all you have to do is turn the wheels to one way, take off the splash guard and you can slip a ratchet with swivel head in between the wheel and fender to access it. or a toruqe wrench with a 1/2" extension. the passenger side is harder because the oil pan/oil filter is in the way

 

Once again, jack up under LCA, remove wheel and tighten the end links.
You don't want to raise the car too high as it will alter the pressure on the
links, just high enough to lift the tire off the ground. Then if you want to
get it perfect, lower it slightly until level, then do the tightening.

 

I tried this already. Car lifted off the jackstand way before the suspension was compressed enough to normal ride height

 

Not certain as to what you're stating.
Car on ground, just raise the car under the LCA until the tire
just clears the ground, and let it remain on the jack.
Jack up under the LCA, remove wheel and do the work.
You can place a stand under the car for safety, but don't let
the car rest on the stand.

 

Oh I thought u meant jack the LCA when the car is on stands so the wheels arent hanging. Will try that as well

 

Never heard of them. what can you tell me about them.

 

^Don't know what you need to know, but:
BECK/ARNLEY 1024931 Left
BECK/ARNLEY 1024932 Right

 

just a quick update on this.


got 4 brand new KYB GR2s and finally had a chance to swap them in last night. car is back to running smooth as OE. the shocks that came off the car were the factory installed ones with 146k on them. never really had an issue with ride quality untill after i did the control arms and i guess as you guys mentioned that was the end of the OE shocks. ride quality was poor immediately after installing the control arms but it gradually became horrible with the blown shocks leaking.

the GR2s and KYB top mounts are direct OE replacements but their bumpstops and dust booths are worthless and not really a direct replacement. if I had to do it all over again I would probably choose the monroe complete shock/strut assembly for ease of installation, and they're $50 cheaper. but I don't think monroe is as good as KYB

 

Don't do the monroe quick struts, yea super easy install, but my car floats like a carnival cruise line lol, way to soft setup.

 

June of last year, I purchased a Moog control arm for my 6th gen Maxima. It has already needed to be replaced but luckily under warranty, I still have to pay for labor again though. It seems Moog has 2 levels of their control arms, RK and CK. RK is their "value driven" line and CK is their premium line. Unfortunately, they only made a RK for my Maxima or at least that's what I found. I have had luck with all other Moog parts but will definitely be wanting my money back if the replacement breaks.