Problem with Aftermarket Control Arms.

[Blacklab467]

I had installed some Lower Control Arms this spring from Rock Auto, I think the brand was Mevotech or similar generic Chinese supplier.....they were cheap. For the last few months I have been trying to track down an annoying clunk on the passenger side, present at slow speeds and rough surfaces only like gravel roads or alleys, or when entering parking lots. I've always had the car jacked up when inspecting things and couldn't find any issues.
Today I inspected it with the car on the ground and found the problem! The front part of the control arm had some wear on the very bottom where it had been contacting the subframe. The bushings had softened in less than 6 months such that they are sagging enough that the control arm frame is banging on the subframe.
I just ordered Original Volvo brand lower control arms and balljoints from Volvo Toronto Online this morning. After I change these out there will be no more aftermarket Chinese parts in my front end!
The lesson here is: Don't bother with cheap aftermarket junk parts! It's a tough pill to swallow paying what the OE stuff costs but in the end, the engineering and materials are far superior and worth the money. I'll also add that I've been down this road before with Quick struts, End Links, Ball Joints, and CV shafts.........all failed within 1 year and I had to change parts back to OEM Volvo.

[jonesg]

I paid $178 for a control arm, still good 3 yrs later. From a part store, don't think it was real volvo.

[Blacklab467]

I got a real smoking deal from Volvo of Toronto $189CDN ($147 Usd) per side and Ball joints for $91 ($70 Usd), genuine Volvo parts. I won't take a chance on aftermarket parts anymore.

[Blacklab467]

New parts arrived today, nice cast aluminum control arms made in Sweden. Ball joints from Germany in Volvo boxes.......this is where quality parts should come from! I noticed that the Chinese control arms always are painted silver, and much heavier.........I wonder what kind of mystery metal they are made of?

[abscate]

Affectionately called, “silver cheese” here.

[Blacklab467]

I agree, and the rubber in the bushings is the same material that they make bicycle tires out of. The Volvo hardware is strangely reminiscent of fine jewelry!

[oragex]

You will notice how stiff those new bushings are, it will take force to pass the ball joint, but also the ride may feel stiff at first, until the bushings soften a bit

[Blacklab467]

Looking forward to it, the old ones (not so old) are flexing so much they're banging the subframe. I don't know if it's verboten to suggest this but the price where I got them here in Canada was much cheaper than anywhere else that sells genuine Volvo parts, same with some other Volvo parts I recently ordered. It would be an even more lucrative for American customers with their US dollar.

[Blacklab467]

So here's the lower control arm that was hitting the subframe after 6 months, also the ball joints that were so cheap that the fasteners ( nut on bottom) rounded when I tried to loosen it and had to use a pipe wrench. I think the actual ball joint was made of the same material and wore out in less than a year. The control arms were not even the same geometry as the Genuine Volvo ones, I measured them after removing them, about 2mm longer to the balljoint centre point. Both parts were Chinese aftermarket from Rockauto.

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[MoVolvos]

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Looks like the bushing should be inserted in the opposite direction?

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