Aftermarket Performance Front Control Arms

[ixSnine]

Does anyone know if there are Aftermarket Performance Front Lower Control Arms (forward and rear) for a 1997 Eclipse RS. I have read all the forums here about the recalls for this major defect. I am looking for a more permanent fix than replacing them with OEM and praying that at over a hundred MPH they don't fail.

Please post a link here if you find a company that makes them.

Thanks

 

[autronicDSM]

Don't drive 100mph and you don't have to worry about them.

As far as I know there are only aftermarket upper arms.

 

[ixSnine]

What?!?!? Are you a real DSM owner? Just kidding man. I drive my 98 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan over a hundred miles an hour often.

These cars are made to go fast and are quite stable at high speeds as oppossed to my old VW Scirocco that raised a wheel on every turn.

 

[wret]

Does anyone know if there are Aftermarket Performance Front Lower Control Arms (forward and rear) for a 1997 Eclipse RS. I have read all the forums here about the recalls for this major defect. I am looking for a more permanent fix than replacing them with OEM and praying that at over a hundred MPH they don't fail.

Please post a link here if you find a company that makes them.

Thanks

I assume you are referring to the recall for the OEM front lateral control arms. Only the arms on the vehical from the manufacturer are covered. The replacement arms should not be defective and should last many years. I would trust them more than an aftermarket part, if such a thing were available.

 

[suicidal2af]

I assume you are referring to the recall for the OEM front lateral control arms. Only the arms on the vehical from the manufacturer are covered. The replacement arms should not be defective and should last many years. I would trust them more than an aftermarket part, if such a thing were available.

Ron, the replacement part fails too. Eagle is good about replacing as many times as necessary, but Mitsubishi won't do it unless you either have a good dealer, or threaten a lawsuit.

I know because mine were failing again...and the accident finished one off

 

[ixSnine]

OK, so it looks like I might have to make the 125 mi drive to get these looked at/fixed at a Mitsubishi dealership. I hope they are nice there so I won't have to go "Arnold" on them.

How long should I expect these replacement arms/ball joints to last? Or more respectively, how often should I have them checked? This car was originally a Texas car and I live in Iowa with all the snow and road salt. Probably a question more suited for the dealership.

I had bought this car for my son for his 16th birthday and I'm not so sure that I will give it to him now. I'll probably keep this car for myself and get him a Honda or something. If that last statement doesn't get a rise here........

Thanks for the input so far.

 

[wret]

Call them with your VIN first and see if you are covered under the recall. If not, consider replacing them yourself. The parts are cheap and easy to install. The defect on the original parts was due to damaged ball joint boots on some parts. As I understand it the original recall procedure was to inspect the parts, let go if no visible damage or wear, repair if possible (replace boot), or replace the arm. At this point in time, just about any car still covered under the recall will have worn ball joints, even if not from damaged boots, and the arms are just replaced.

That said, yes the replacement parts will wear out too but should last for years. I've not seen or heard anything that indicates that replacement arms have the same type of defect that was the cause for the recall and they are now shipped with plastic over the ball joints. I personally let mine go for years even after I got the recall notice. I know how to check for wear, so I waited for mine to show signs of age before getting them replaced. I got about 5 years out of the originals and have been on replacements for about 3 years. It's not something you need to check every other week but be aware they don't last forever.

 

[suicidal2af]

I've not seen or heard anything that indicates that replacement arms have the same type of defect that was the cause for the recall and they are now shipped with plastic over the ball joints. I personally let mine go for years even after I got the recall notice. I know how to check for wear, so I waited for mine to show signs of age before getting them replaced. I got about 5 years out of the originals and have been on replacements for about 3 years. It's not something you need to check every other week but be aware they don't last forever.

Quite a few people on this forum have had the issue arise again after the replacement part was installed(you can tell the revised part by a white sealant on the bottom of the balljoint).

I called mitsu to check on mine when I first started noticing wear, and they essentially said "Sorry, already done. You're on your own." My response was to ask if I could get that in writing so my next of kin would have proof for the lawsuit. 30 minutes later, Schaefer and Strohminger Mitsubishi gave me a call to have me come in to get the balljoints inspected. They took a look and said that it was in fact the exact symptoms the recall was supposed to fix, however the only appointments they had open didn't work for me, and since the wear wasn't significant yet I decided to wait.

Castle Mitsubishi in Kingsville is good about the recall, though. I know 2 people who have had it performed there without them giving them shit about it having been done before -- one of them they didn't even check to see if it had been done.

 

[ixSnine]

Well, I actually have a service department faxing me a copy of the "no open recalls" for my Eclipse. This is gonna get interesting.