Control arm replacement--$500!!

[Bimmer Ese]

That's what I did last week. Replaced both lower control arms (got a great deal on ebay....$50.00 for both shipped). I'll see how long these control arms that were purchased from FCPgroton will last . I did have to get the X realigned though. Paid $112.50 from the dealer for a four wheel alignment.

Some may say that I took the cheap way out, but hell, the OEM ones barely lasted 70k (as well as other suspension components, such as sway bar end links and the the other lower ball joints).

Daniel

[flyingmachine]

Originally Posted by Budget M3

Why does the dealer want $250 for a part realoem lists for $70? At my inspection I last week, they quoted me:

$250 part
$100 installation labor
$150 alignment labor

I can live with the extra labor expense at the dealer just for the convenience of not having to jack up the truck, lie on my back, skin some knuckles, etc. But why the huge markup on parts?

well, price for that lower control arm on realoem is incorrect. msrp is $263.96 and $250 is about right. you can order thru some BMW online parts dep. such as morristown for less though. however, I don't think BMW service would let you bring in your parts even though it's BMW OEM parts.

but your dealer treats you fairly. at least labor cost is very reasonable considering at least $150/hr rate and also alignment cost is pretty standard too. some people here pay a bit over $200 for alignment.

I'm surprised that your dealer didn't ask you to repair both sides. I think that's the way to do it right. you will need to be prepared for some more repairs. such as tore cv boot, cracked front control arm(tension strut) bushings, ...etc.

[rba]

Sometimes parts that are on ebay or on the cheap are inferior aftermarket parts. Sometimes they are good, sometimes they are bad. You can get them cheap sometimes, but if it goes bad then you have to replace it again and them you have to figure the cost of labor to replace it again. OEM parts sometimes are better in the long run if it does not fail.

[Budget M3]

Originally Posted by flyingmachine

I'm surprised that your dealer didn't ask you to repair both sides. I think that's the way to do it right. you will need to be prepared for some more repairs. such as tore cv boot, cracked front control arm(tension strut) bushings, ...etc.

Yeah, I was surprised by this, too. It turns out the previous owner just had the other side done less than a year ago at the same dealership (again, why they did not do both at the same time is a mystery to me). They also did one CV boot, but not both...arrrgh

I am comfortable with the labor prices and know they are treating me fairly on that end. I don't enjoy DIY much anymore, especially with temps hovering below freezing...even in my garage!

Many independents will install your parts, but very few dealers will do so--liability and warranty are most often cited reasons. It's sometimes worth the extra cost just to pay someone for their knowledge in how to do a job right, too...

[vinuneuro]

Changing a control arm is quick and easy. DIY and have the alignment done at the dealer.

[Budget M3]

UPDATE: Got it all done, including install at my favorite indy.

part $175
install labor $95
alignment NONE

They laughed at me when I told them the dealer wanted to do an alignment as well with this job. They said the control arm has basically no tension on it, so does not require alignment after replacement. I decided to forego the alignment and the truck drives and tracks just fine. It really does pay sometimes to pay someone else for their knowledge.

[GmX5]

Good to hear

[ZsX5o3]

FYI the control arms on ebay are cheap asian made, not german. I had a bad experience with them.

The high quality ones are more like $150/per side.

[mtX5]

I think I paid about the same for my control arm replacement

[cowboynj]

I hear from a lot of DIYers on here about the control arms.
My two lower arms arrived Friday and I can't get that threaded spindle on the bottom to come out. I've tried a ball joint fork and hammer...any ideas?