# Detroit Axle lower control arms **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** pontiac\ **Created:** [January 25, 2021, 6:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470 "2021-01-25T06:55:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mrbreezeet1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@mrbreezeet1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mrbreezeet1)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 6:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/1 "2021-01-25T06:55:28Z")
Going to need lower control arm bushings. Thought I would just get the whole control arm, However, the ball joints are good. Any personal experience with Detroit Axle? Have been googling but as usual reviews are mixed. ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 9:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/2 "2021-01-25T09:58:02Z")
Never heard of them but I suggest you buy your parts at [rockauto.com](http://rockauto.com). ---
**Author:** ![mrbreezeet1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@mrbreezeet1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mrbreezeet1)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 2:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/3 "2021-01-25T14:11:02Z")
Yes RockAuto has some pretty good prices however I tend to like Amazon’s no hassle returns. No one has any personal experience with Detroit axle? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 2:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/4 "2021-01-25T14:29:39Z")
I for one would not buy vehicle parts from Amazon . Breeze , don’t you live in an apartment complex ? Are they going to allow you to do this work in the parking lot ? And if they do what if you run into problems and can’t finish the job will they have your vehicle towed ? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/5 "2021-01-25T14:35:34Z")
Detroit Axle has been manufacturing and sourcing replacement auto parts for 20 + years. Likely just fine. I have been buying auto parts from Amazon for quite a while. Their parts lookup is AWFUL but… If you use RockAuto or another source to determine which part to buy and THEN price it on Amazon, you get a price comparison. If you are a Prime subscriber, that free shipping alone can swing the deal from RA to Amazon. This is especially true with heavy stuff like brake rotors… very pricy shipping from RA. ---
**Author:** ![mrbreezeet1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@mrbreezeet1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mrbreezeet1)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 3:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/6 "2021-01-25T15:36:25Z")
No I don’t live in an apartment complex and no they’re not going to tow it ---
**Author:** ![mrbreezeet1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@mrbreezeet1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mrbreezeet1)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/7 "2021-01-25T15:42:35Z")
I have pretty good luck with Amazon and yes I have prime. One comment on YouTube said that the ball joint failed in short order, and pulled the axle out. So I got worried about the quality. ---
**Author:** ![BikeGuy88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@BikeGuy88](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BikeGuy88)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 4:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/9 "2021-01-25T16:20:27Z")
I wouldn’t buy from them, but it has nothing to do with the quality. They’re yet another suburban Detroit business co-opting the Detroit name without actually locating in the city (they’re just across the border in Ferndale). Without taking this too off-topic, I (a white male) cannot begin to tell you the amount of racist BS that the suburbs around here have pent up with Detroit. Not just recently, but over decades. Everything from Detroit getting screwed out of a rail transit system in the 80s because the suburban communities refused to sign on to a system that would make it easier for “those people” to get to their towns, to me having to call 20 different contractors for home repairs, because many refuse to work in the city out of an overblown fear of being carjacked or robbed at every single traffic signal. News flash: Detroit is not a bombed-out warzone, there are many safe and high-income neighborhoods. Okay, off my soap box 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mrbreezeet1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@mrbreezeet1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mrbreezeet1)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 5:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/10 "2021-01-25T17:22:19Z")
Detroit axle, K80538, and K80539 Drivestar, and Moog share the same part numbers. Seems to confirme the application. I know if l still had a place to work and my tools, I could just air chisel the bushings out and press them back in. I do have an arbor press but everything is just tied up in storage. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 4:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/11 "2021-01-26T04:34:26Z")
I used Detroit Axle pads , rotors and hardware for the front brakes on my 2012 Camry. They were extremely inexpensive, fit well, the rotors were just as heavy as the factory orWagner I had used before. ( I have seen cheap rotors where they increased the webbing area and thinned the disc material.) they are quiet and the other onght I was coming home with a grocery order and had to make a panic stop because a pickup stopped suddenly in front of me and I did not immediately realize it because his brake lights were not working. It stopped well. If I drove like I used to when I was under 40, I would still buy brakes with the most stopping power I could get with street livability. Back when it was all drum brakes, I used to buy Gray Rock linings and have them arc ground to the drums. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 7:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/12 "2021-01-26T07:11:15Z")
I doubt there will be any issues with them. Regarding the complaint online about a prematurely broken ball joint keep in mind that every single item manufactured since the dawn of man has had complaints lodged against it. I’m sure some caveman was cursing a lousy spear before he got trampled by a woolly mammoth… Did that ball joint break because of shoddy material? Who knows. It could have broken because someone improperly tightened a self locking or castellated nut which makes it an installer error; not a shoddy part error. The always missing in action details can change the story a 180 degrees instantly. ---
**Author:** ![Marnet](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marnet/32/41_2.png) [@Marnet](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marnet)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 7:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/13 "2021-01-26T07:39:46Z")
> [@ok4450](#): > > every single item manufactured since the dawn of man has had complaints lodged against it. I’m sure some caveman was cursing a lousy spear before he got trampled by a woolly mammoth… Priceless! 🤣🤣🤣 ---
**Author:** ![bloody\_knuckles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@bloody\_knuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bloody_knuckles)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/14 "2021-01-27T19:39:11Z")
I used a Detroit Axle wheel bearing and hub on my daughter’s Nissan Versa and it popped right in, fit perfectly, and got rid of the terrible bearing noise. No vibrations either. ---
**Author:** ![hormel09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7c8e57/32.png) [@hormel09](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hormel09)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 10:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/15 "2021-01-27T22:16:49Z")
I bought inner and outer tie rods from Detroit Axle. Both outer tie rods were completely worn out after a 1.5 years. The rubber bushings/boots were completely torn up and all the grease had leaked out. I’m sure their parts that don’t have soft rubber components are fine, but I’d cautious of any part that does. ---
**Author:** ![mrbreezeet1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@mrbreezeet1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mrbreezeet1)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 10:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/16 "2021-01-27T22:42:24Z")
Oh dear, in other words, like a lower control arm? ---
**Author:** ![hormel09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7c8e57/32.png) [@hormel09](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hormel09)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/17 "2021-01-27T22:50:35Z")
Exactly ☹ To add insult to injury, not only did I have to replace the tie rods, I had to have the front end aligned again. The second time around I spent the extra money and got Moog parts. They look to be higher quality than the Detroit Axle parts. The metal was heftier and the rubber bushings were larger. If you were planning on buying on Amazon, you could buy both Detroit Axle and another brand. Do your best in determining which part seems to be the higher quality and return the other one. ---
**Author:** ![mrbreezeet1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@mrbreezeet1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mrbreezeet1)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/18 "2021-01-27T23:50:43Z")
Well, reviews pretty well mixed here too.lol… Wonder if the Dormans are better? About the same price. > **[Amazon.com: Dorman 520-168 Front Right Lower Suspension Control Arm and Ball...](https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-520-168-Control-Arm/dp/B002WHABH6)** > > Buy Dorman 520-168 Front Right Lower Suspension Control Arm and Ball Joint Assembly for Select Buick / Pontiac Models: Control Arms - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases > **[Amazon.com: Dorman 520-167 Front Left Lower Suspension Control Arm and Ball...](https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-520-167-Control-Arm/dp/B002WH7AP2)** > > Buy Dorman 520-167 Front Left Lower Suspension Control Arm and Ball Joint Assembly for Select Buick / Pontiac Models: Control Arms - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases ---
**Author:** ![mrbreezeet1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@mrbreezeet1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mrbreezeet1)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 1:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/19 "2021-01-28T01:06:36Z")
Moog are about $50.00 each. [https://www.amazon.com/Moog-RK80538-Control-Joint-Assembly/dp/B007ZLNQZS](https://www.amazon.com/Moog-RK80538-Control-Joint-Assembly/dp/B007ZLNQZS) [https://www.amazon.com/Moog-RK80539-Control-Joint-Assembly/dp/B007ZLNRDO](https://www.amazon.com/Moog-RK80539-Control-Joint-Assembly/dp/B007ZLNRDO) ---
**Author:** ![mrwqualls\_170412](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@mrwqualls\_170412](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mrwqualls_170412)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 1:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/20 "2021-01-28T01:42:10Z")
Have used Detroit axle for both my 04 and 02 ram 1500 front ends, 04 was full rebuild minus lower arms (just ball joints) 02 was complete upper lowers sway links tie rods, basically entire thing, and just replaced front driveshaft on 05 2500 diesel with Detroit axle one…zero problems with all parts, exact fits, all parts arrived ahead of delivery date…all good in my book, happy with them and prices are comparable to others ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 4:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470/21 "2021-01-28T04:53:30Z")
In my previous Lincoln I had to replace the upper and lower ball joints as the roads here are total garbage. Just ball joints on the lowers and control arms on the uppers; both sides. Within 6 months both uppers were on the way out and another 6 months saw the lower right become downright dangerous. All of those parts were MOOGs. Still under warranty as far as the parts go but an aggravation to have to go in so soon and redo it all. After that I just quit using MOOG and stuck to the store brands (AutoZone and O’Reillys) which have actually worked out quite well. Auto parts sources locally are pretty limited here as those 2 and NAPA is it unless one wants to make a near 200 miles round trip to someone else. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/detroit-axle-lower-control-arms/174470.md?page=2)