I was just going to say the same thing,but now 8 years later. My exact issue with my Pacifica & this video made it less painful than I thought it would be
I took my Pacifica in to have the motor mounts replaced for the 5th time and they told me I needed new control arms for both sides rather than new motor mounts. They quoted me a bit over $1500 for parts and labor. I found the parts for under $150 and replaced them myself with the help of your video in about an hour. Many thanks for helping me save over a grand!
Jon Van de Riet when I first got my cibic, I went to the local repair shop and they said a "rod sleeve" in the rear was bent so I ordered a new control arm and when took the old one out the bushings were still good and nothing was bent. I now pay a little extra to get services at big brand places like NTB but they still try to upsell on extras. bought 2 cheap &50 tires and ended up paying $170 out the door price but they did what I paid them to do and they didn't try to pull a trick on me like that shop I first visited.
Lou, I'm on my 3'rd Pacifica. (wife keeps crashing them!) I love em! Just got an 06 limited down south, clean as a whistle..They do go through motor mounts but if you get good parts they're not too bad. The 07 and 08 are not as bad as the previous years as far as the mounts go. There is a way to chain the mount bracket to the frame preventing excess motor movement which will prevent the mounts from blowing. The mounts are hydraulic, but you can get solid ones from Rock auto for the 06 and earlier. Use MOOG front end parts too. The pac front end parts are easy to replace too. Motor mount not so much! Go for the car, You'll love it. I love the 19" wheels much better than the 17's too. Much better handling. I'm 6'5" and I'm very comfortable driving for hours on end in these things..Limited's are the best..Go for it!.
Same thing for me, only the total for mounts, inner tie rods and right lower control arm and bushing was $2500. Had some other shop do the mounts for $500, and ordered the other things for about $150. Can't wait to do this repair and save myself thousands!
The morale value of this video far outweighs the technical ability demonstrated by Mr. O. And that is saying a lot due to his superior mechanical proficiency. Great job,Sir.
always find your information easy to listen to and video clear and complete. Anyone who watches can tell if they can do the work or need to get to a garage. The best thing is if they have to go to a repair shop they know what's going on.
Keep em coming, your channel is going to make me cut off my cable T.V! Also I believe those control arm bushing need to be tightened at vehicle ride height otherwise the bushings will be in a twist when vehicle is lowered, thanks
mrexecutive1 Lol I knew I would get busted on that and I got caught up in the moment but I did off camera reach under there with the gun loosen and re-tighten. I knew I should have recorded it..ughhh I was hoping I didn't get caught but you and an other guy got me :/
I used to watch ericthecarguy and got tired of no repair videos and in one video south main auto left comment saying he has a repair channel so I checked it out and loved it i to am a tech it is nice to come home and watch other people do this work and makes me feel good in knowing I ant the only one that Hates Dorman hahaha lol great videos keep it up eric
Chris blankenship ETCG does more talk than work since getting the new shop. At his old place it was definitely the opposite. Forced me to go looking elsewhere for my weekly dose of automotive educational videos.
Yeah, ETCG went from a mechanic to accura tips & tricks + autozone commercials. Then to move towards just installing prefabbed parts on foxbodys.. Never had Doorman stuff, Sweden has mostly german carparts in the aftermarket if you buy cheap, and they mostly hold up well. I get kicks out of watching a fellow rust wrencher hammer away with endless knowledge. SMA For the win.
I appreciate you taking the time to making this videos eric big thumbs up on every video I found your channel and won't leave it i make it a point to check it out every day I know it double work on you but man we love it your subscription is going up everyday thank you again eric and family
Just wanted to say that I find your videos to be a good mix of entertaining and informative. Keep putting out awesome content and I'm sure you'll continue to be successful, I'm really glad I stumbled across your channel!
I just want to say you have saved me $$$ with your pacifica videos. I been able to replace my control arm and radiator thanks to your videos. def sub and like
Thank you thank you thank you. Perfect. Thought my steering posit sensor was bad. Boy when these bushings go bad that sensor will steer you all over the road. dANGEROUS. Again showed me exactly what I needed. My car wrenching started when I was 15. First car 1952 ford old school. Sometimes the new dangled auto a pain in the arse. 2007 Chrysler Pacifica. Last Chrysler I owned I swore never buy another. Lesson learned.
My new morning routine is coffee and SMA videos. Nighttime? Water and SMA. You're right, the RUclips is dangerous! I listen to SMA vids while I'm driving to work...but I only *watch* in heavy traffic...
Great video. I notice your daughters art work on your box. My granddaughter decorates mine. You had a double danger going swivel and extension . After mine exploded I bought a 21mm swivel socket and locking extension. Lot less painful :)
I like watching your videos! You know different from you compared to every one else! For one you have your own style of technique you don't copy from other ppl to try an act smart An your very entertaining! You need a TV show man!
Eric you cheat we feel robbed we like to see you having a punch up pressing a new bush in and out keep up the good work im addicted to your channel your sense of humour is great
Sure hope your internet speeds have improved in the last 7 years :) I remember the times of multi-day uploads. These days I can upload long HD videos so fast I question whether they actually went up or not.
Try using the "Handbrake" program to still keep the HD but reduce the size of the file and optimize for the web. I use this program all the time to reduce the size of the videos to upload to youtube. Once you learn how it works you will always use it. Great program.
Yeah, I use handbrake as well for all the videos on my channel with the default settings plus the 'encode for web' checkbox checked (or some name close to that). Very good compression without any noticeable loss in video quality. And it's free. I encode the video at the highest quality my video editing software will do. Then run it through handbrake to convert it to MP4 (MPEG4). Cuts the file size down to a quarter of the original size without any noticeable loss in quality. Smaller file size means faster upload times because there is less to upload.
I know a good trick for when the bolts freeze in the bushings instead of going right to the torch. For starters ram the bolt all the way tight and then take a wrench on the bolt head, not the nut, and put some muscle and work it back and forth moving the bolt head a little. With it tight like that it sometimes holds the metal sleeve and lets just the bolt turn and break loose. Has saved me from a lot of cutting.
Hi Eric, the balljoints and bushings on my lower control arms were worn out thus I just replaced the two front lower control arms myself with the help from this video. Car is a 2007 Pontiac Montana SV6, and all bolts and nuts were torqued to specs. After the replacement, I noticed that my steering wheel is off center (about 10 degrees to the left). Could a front end alignment fix this or did I do anything wrong? Thank you!
This is a great video- but my 2008 town and country's has a 4.0 v-6, and its seems the drivers side lower control arm front bolt hits the lower engine upon removal. do I have to lower the sub frame to get that bolt out?
when you find something like this. Do you Eric find it cheaper to change the whole part out instead of changing out the damaged part. Love your videos and been a fan for years. Love your style, the way you value your customers. The apprenticeship program your apart of. Your a good man Eric O!
Hey, great videos! Can you comment on torching out bolts that are seized into bushing sleeves? I've encountered this a couple of times as a DIY-er and it always kicks my ass. Each time, I've had to cut the bolts out with a reciprocating saw.
Yep that's what i'm doing on YT right now when I should be out changing my lower control arms and that vibrating Transmssion, and videoing it to, but I find this more relaxing right now. Thanks for the laugh and the video. Unfortunately it's not a 2002 so I can't use the video except for a laugh. LOL. So Best Wishes n Blessings Keith
Did my first set of control arms last year on a Ford Fiesta started on the drivers side couldn't have gone smoother. So I had high hopes of doing the passenger side in 30 minutes.... Nope had a stuck nut that no amount of penetrating fluid was budging even when soaked over night so had to get the trusty angle grinder out and chop it in half. Planning to do the Volvo this year looking at the underside of this compared to the Ford it seems to be made out of better stuff so hopefully rust won't be such an issue.
Hey, thanks for the info and video. I got an oil change done at AAA car care and they told me the lower arm bushings were shot on my 04 Pacifica. The written repair quote was 578.96 for just that one control arm with new ball joint entacted. The cost of the parts they quoted were 268.95 but I found the control arm at Auto Zone for 78.99! So they wanted to charge me TRIPLE the actual cost of the parts!!! I think I can do this myself. Quick question, do any of those bolts need to be torqued to a specific amount(Spindle in particular) or just get em as tight as possible? Thanks again.
I have a Kia sephia 2000 which I believe has a rusted lower control arm for the front passenger side wheel. the rust caused the control arm to crack and is unsafe to drive. I'm looking to get a estimate on how much it would cost to replace it since i'm pretty sure thats the issue with my vehicle. What would be reasonable price to get it fixed? I wanna make sure im not getting ripped off.
I'm curious. Newer cars have aluminum control arms to save weight. Let's say a pickle fork or any other specialized tool weren't available,would you still hit where it goes through or worry about bending the control arm?
You don't load the suspension before tightening the two bushing bolts so that the bushings would be in a relaxed position when carrying the weight of the vehicle?
rusco321 If you read down through the comments, I did and knew better that I should have recorded it. I was in a hurry with the vid and didn/t show it but knew better and wish I did now ... oh well hind sight is always 20/20 right :)
I don’t know if you covered your recipe for your homebrew penetrating oil. Id like to give it a try. can you mention what brand and grade ATF Fluid and Acetone do you use and what ratio? Thanks Id love to brew some up🤣
Hey Eric, what is your take on tightening the control arm bushings down while the car is in the air vs. letting it compress the suspension before the final torque-down? I know it's a pain in the butt to let the car down and then crawl under it with a wrench, but seems like the bushings would then be in their neutral "happy place" and maybe last longer?
whew! I knew you were too good of a mechanic to let that slide...just didn't want to call you out on it straight up haha :) Yeah I would have nightmares of torn bushings too!
Hey Mr O! Just wanted to make sure, but it IS important to have some tension or close to vehicle weight on the lower control arm like you did in the video, before torquing down the bolts, right? I’m about to replace the lower arms on my wife’s 2006 Sequoia and I really respect your car knowledge. Just wanted to double check that with you. Thanks and keep up the great videos!
Love your channel. You were saying in the video if the bolts are seized you would torch them out? Basically heat the bushing up to release the rusted bolt, is that correct?
fargobrad Actually I would cut the arm were it encases the bushing, then cut off the rubber bushing, then cut off the metal sleeve around the bolt then remove the bolt. There is no way to just heat the arm to break the rust . Ya know what I mean?
you should torque the inner control arm bolts with the weight of the car on them. now when the car goes to normal ride height the bushings will be twisted not at rest.
I had the same question. My Mustang manual has me tape off the rear shock absorber to the dust sleeve position and then when bolting back on, jack up to that position and then torque.
Yes i agree with you Eric! i watch your videos on my computer and my computer works great with 720 and 1080 is no different in quality change. 1080 is great on the tv but it doesnt make a difference on the computer
Awesome video again love your channel I have all my friends watching now it's addicting channel you mention you tube starts with twenty mins and turns in to hours that's me and you channel lol awsome
2 Days to upload , wow you are a trouper. Next you will want running water! :) When I first started getting on line 1985?, 120k baud rate (modem) no WWW at all. We have come a long way. That Jam looks good.
Charles Miller Explain this running water thing to me? I have hear this is folk out there with what the radio guy calls "flush toilets" what the heck will they think of next.... prolly something crazy like pre-sliced bread...
I have a 2007 Pacifica. I think i may have made a huge mistake on this job. I should have watched the video first. When I disconnected the lower arm from the spindle, there was a very loud bang. Don't know what caused that. Then when I went to re-install the control arm to the spindle, it wouldn't line up. I tried disconnecting the strut from the spindle, but no luck. Re-connected the strut, but now the wheels are not aligned it appears and I still can't get the ball joint stud to line up for the hole in the spindle. What did i screw up? Maybe i did it the hard way and just need to keep working to get everything in place, but the alignment issue is a huge problem it appears. Maybe i need to replace the entire arm and not just the ball joint ????
Ahhhhh nice and smooth. Do you ever replace just the bushings? Probably not cause the labor time would equal or surpass a new control arm. On my own vehicles, I just change the bushings. Was that only half a sandwich?
Michael Herbert Yeah I do the bushings on some but not all...depends on the labor vs arm price and such... yeah it was only a half sandwich... don't wanna spoil lunch.
hey dude i like ur video ,I did the job on my pacifica but after finish my tire looks like a angle , why is my tire look like that, I have to do something else like take it to do alignment or something
I am trying to replace my lower control arm on my 07 Chrysler 300 and the nut is spinning and the other side I can't see anything to hold on what should I do. I am replacing everything upper lower. control shock and ball joints.
I need to do this to my 1999 Caravan LE. I was quoted $320 for both lower control arms. I found a new pair from an online auto parts shop for $104. Is this too good to be true? They are a popular Internet retailer. Is it possible or too difficult to just replace the worn bushings? Thanks!
Hey Eric! Great vid! Was wondering if you have any experience with a 2003 Mazda Protege DX (Base Model). Every time I refuel whether it be $10 or all the way to full, the car runs rough and idles rough, nearly stalling. The problem goes away after driving for about 5 min, but then randomly comes back during day to day driving. Acceleration from a stop is very herky jerky, but once it gets above around 10mph the car is fine.. I replaced my EGR Valve, but the problem persists.. Any ideas? I assume it has something to do with a purge valve or the fuel system, but no idea what to check! Thanks, Kevin!!
Unfortunately not, don't have the equipment to do so. I actually took it to a shop for diagnosis, told them my symptoms and suggested a fuel issue. Got the car back and was told the car was fine. The symptoms are so random it is hard to catch, but it is kinda scary when you get on the gas pedal at an intersection and sometimes it hesitates! For what it is worth, the car has 60k miles, and no CEL's.
Great video dodge caliber control arms are fast to do FYI had a caliber today water pump leak 2.0 engine part came from Napa with housing and the pump give you a heads gonna look up now why pump came with housing
Hey man having a lot of trouble getting the front right bolt off broke breaker bar hour and a half late final removes the but then bolt still won’t break free tried torch and penetrator but won’t budge
Ha !! Geeeese I think I could do that one :) you got time for a true funny story Eric. 2010 new F150 thought I would undercoat it and lube up everything I was every going to take apart over the next 30 years. Well out comes your copper never seize and I put it on the exhaust manifold shield bolt heads. Well 1-1/2 years later I'm driving up to go deer camping and all I can hear is a rattle under hood. The copper anti seize had reacted to the galvanized shields and melted a 3/4 hole around every bolt. Nice people at Ford never seen a warranty claim like that before and it was covered of course. I did the same back in 2002 to my chevy and the shield bolts are still fine but I used the silver anti seize . The End :)
No no no more Mrs Miller, you work real hard making vids and fixing cars all day long for us non stop so the next time Im shipping a T shirt not sure the size , when you get a chance let me know what size Vanessa takes :)
Balance is only needed for rotating parts which on cars are the wheels, drive shafts and in some cases the CV axles, alignment is needed when you change the steering rack often after you change shocks or struts.. So the answer to your questions is nope :P Hope this was helpful.
lol ive been trying to do mine for 2 days i heated the control arm and still cant get the bolt out but then i found there was so much heat i melted the cv boot. im working on the drivers side bought 2 new front bolts and i havent found out what that little line is sitting ontop of the frame so i hope i dont damage it. a friend is coming over to cut it out,
I'm doing the arms on my mom's 07 but the bolts were seized and my torch was broke so I cut the bolts out that were seized (the main two mounting bolts. Well 4 really if you count both control arms) but I really should have known that of course since it's me were talking about, those bolts have been discontinued and are basically impossible to find. The nuts that are tac welded on the piece of oval steel too need to be replaced as well but like the bolts have also been discontinued and I cant find any on any part stores site. The specifications of these nuts and bolts aren't online either. So I have no idea how to obtain them. Other than checking junk yards which is my next step I suppose...unless someone on here has any better ideas or ways to get it done. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!!!
Good morning from freezing California. I noticed u tightened the bolts when the control arm was in the unloaded position. So when the car comes down, the bushings will twist. I know how persnickety u usually r. Perhaps it was the jam or peanut butter. Just commenting. U would b mad if we didn't. Thanks for all your hard work. For making things turn easily and for penetrating, WD-40 is the best. And I fill my aerosol bottle with gasoline. Cleans great and evaporates nicely. Also handy if u want to add a little excitement to the fire.. Just my humble opinion. Wonder if Toyota tech in jolly old concurs?
If you read the disclaimer he notes refer to workshop manual. This is because these old cars often have replacement bolts that have been replaced with different sizes. At 5.22 he mentions that he will use a 21 with a swivel on the knuckle bushing ends. The other bolt with the tie rod end is an 18 on my car. However after changing the inner and outer tie rods the new ones come with larger different size nuts.
I like to leave all the fasteners loose until the vehicle is sitting with the tire on the ground before tightening them, so the bushing will not be stressed while the car is at normal drive height.
The control arm , I have the same car every time I put in brakes or take off there is a piping sound and the steering wheel moves on it on. How do I test the control arm bushing and the rest of the front . There is something wrong just don't know t Know what it is. All the popping.😕
Hey Eric, what brand wrench was the extra long box end you were using in the beginning before switching to the ratchet wrench? It seemed pretty long, longer than standard XL wrenches.
Thanks, found my clunk because of this. ...let's see if mine changes as easy as yours...no lift.....less powerful impact gun....but I have a fork and a sledge
Great videos. Can you post a video on how to reprogram a module using j2534 or perhaps utilizing a factory scan tool? That would be great. Thanks and love the videos.
***** Well I don't have any OE scan tools just my Verus from Snap-on. We have several dig dealers near by so if I need any flashes I usually just skoot down there to get it done. Have been tossing around the idea of getting a carDAQ interface module but have been to busy to really do my research on it.
South Main Auto Repair Drew Technologies makes the best J2534 tools. Problem is you're going to have to buy the manufacturers subscriptions and these ain't cheap.
Actually, they are cheap. Each manufacturer offers short term subscriptions. I just don't know how these shops survive without tooling up. Stay up to date or be a parts changer.
I think Drew is who makes the carDAQ. For a while I think some manufactures had yearly only but I see most offer daily, weekly or even 3 day options. Problem is often when I have needed it other than PCM updates the carDAQ wouldn't work it was still very limited. Couldn't do the BCM, TCM, DDM's, FCM's... so many modules besides the PCM the aftermarket can not do. Hard for me to buy every single OE scan tool too. I am jst a tiny shop in a hick town. Economically it does not make sense.
2004 PACIFICA bought BOTH control arms brand new with all bushings etc for $78 on ebay from "DETROIT" store. shipping was free got them in about a week.
You made that look way to easy, where was the torch and air hammer? lol. Jam does really make everything better doesn't it. When those bushings go bad on any control arm, I prefer to replace the arm, but some times my only option is to just replace the bushings. Do you do many of them? I know on chev cavaliers and cobalts I do control arm bushings on those things all the time.
South Main Auto Repair Seems like at least half the control arms I have to take out, require the torch, whether its cutting a small hole to access the nut inside the sealed body or heating/cutting the bolt it self. I really hate having to cut those small holes so I can access the nut, but seriously another brilliant example of engineering stupidity. Put the nut inside the body, and wrap it in a little piece of tin to keep it from turning, when we all know as soon as it rusts and breaks loose from that tin, and starts spinning.
Usually the encapsulated nuts I grab a whole saw. just looks a little cleaner :) Then if I am real fussy I wld the piece right back in and a little undercoat and I was never there haha
7 years later and this video is still helping. Thank you!
I was just going to say the same thing,but now 8 years later. My exact issue with my Pacifica & this video made it less painful than I thought it would be
I took my Pacifica in to have the motor mounts replaced for the 5th time and they told me I needed new control arms for both sides rather than new motor mounts. They quoted me a bit over $1500 for parts and labor. I found the parts for under $150 and replaced them myself with the help of your video in about an hour. Many thanks for helping me save over a grand!
+Jon Van de Riet Wow lets split it you can send me $500 ok !? Haha
Jon Van de Riet when I first got my cibic, I went to the local repair shop and they said a "rod sleeve" in the rear was bent so I ordered a new control arm and when took the old one out the bushings were still good and nothing was bent. I now pay a little extra to get services at big brand places like NTB but they still try to upsell on extras. bought 2 cheap &50 tires and ended up paying $170 out the door price but they did what I paid them to do and they didn't try to pull a trick on me like that shop I first visited.
Lou, I'm on my 3'rd Pacifica. (wife keeps crashing them!) I love em! Just got an 06 limited down south, clean as a whistle..They do go through motor mounts but if you get good parts they're not too bad. The 07 and 08 are not as bad as the previous years as far as the mounts go. There is a way to chain the mount bracket to the frame preventing excess motor movement which will prevent the mounts from blowing. The mounts are hydraulic, but you can get solid ones from Rock auto for the 06 and earlier. Use MOOG front end parts too. The pac front end parts are easy to replace too. Motor mount not so much! Go for the car, You'll love it. I love the 19" wheels much better than the 17's too. Much better handling. I'm 6'5" and I'm very comfortable driving for hours on end in these things..Limited's are the best..Go for it!.
Damn...1000$ for labor? I'm doing control arms on a Mercedes and quoted 200$.... seems like you were going to be overcharged
Same thing for me, only the total for mounts, inner tie rods and right lower control arm and bushing was $2500. Had some other shop do the mounts for $500, and ordered the other things for about $150. Can't wait to do this repair and save myself thousands!
The morale value of this video far outweighs the technical ability demonstrated by Mr. O. And that is saying a lot due to his superior mechanical proficiency. Great job,Sir.
always find your information easy to listen to and video clear and complete. Anyone who watches can tell if they can do the work or need to get to a garage. The best thing is if they have to go to a repair shop they know what's going on.
just did mine an hour ago was $77 for driver side arm.your tips was the best thank you so much.{brake hit and a clunking sound happen no more}
Jose Santiago Cool:)
Did this job myself in the driveway and this was a great help to see what tools I needed thanks for the good work
Keep em coming, your channel is going to make me cut off my cable T.V!
Also I believe those control arm bushing need to be tightened at vehicle ride height otherwise the bushings will be in a twist when vehicle is lowered, thanks
mrexecutive1 Lol I knew I would get busted on that and I got caught up in the moment but I did off camera reach under there with the gun loosen and re-tighten. I knew I should have recorded it..ughhh I was hoping I didn't get caught but you and an other guy got me :/
I used to watch ericthecarguy and got tired of no repair videos and in one video south main auto left comment saying he has a repair channel so I checked it out and loved it i to am a tech it is nice to come home and watch other people do this work and makes me feel good in knowing I ant the only one that Hates Dorman hahaha lol great videos keep it up eric
Chris blankenship I thought it was common among us mechanics that we all HATE Dorman.
Hahaha you got that right where do you buy most parts just wondering I seen a lot of advance stuff I use auto zone and Napa and koi
Chris blankenship ETCG does more talk than work since getting the new shop. At his old place it was definitely the opposite. Forced me to go looking elsewhere for my weekly dose of automotive educational videos.
Yeah, ETCG went from a mechanic to accura tips & tricks + autozone commercials. Then to move towards just installing prefabbed parts on foxbodys.. Never had Doorman stuff, Sweden has mostly german carparts in the aftermarket if you buy cheap, and they mostly hold up well.
I get kicks out of watching a fellow rust wrencher hammer away with endless knowledge. SMA For the win.
I appreciate you taking the time to making this videos eric big thumbs up on every video I found your channel and won't leave it i make it a point to check it out every day I know it double work on you but man we love it your subscription is going up everyday thank you again eric and family
Chris blankenship Appreciate that thanks :)
Just wanted to say that I find your videos to be a good mix of entertaining and informative. Keep putting out awesome content and I'm sure you'll continue to be successful, I'm really glad I stumbled across your channel!
Also Mrs. Miller does know how to make some pretty good jam.
I just want to say you have saved me $$$ with your pacifica videos. I been able to replace my control arm and radiator thanks to your videos. def sub and like
Thank you thank you thank you. Perfect. Thought my steering posit sensor was bad. Boy when these bushings go bad that sensor will steer you all over the road. dANGEROUS. Again showed me exactly what I needed. My car wrenching started when I was 15. First car 1952 ford old school. Sometimes the new dangled auto a pain in the arse. 2007 Chrysler Pacifica. Last Chrysler I owned I swore never buy another. Lesson learned.
My new morning routine is coffee and SMA videos. Nighttime? Water and SMA. You're right, the RUclips is dangerous! I listen to SMA vids while I'm driving to work...but I only *watch* in heavy traffic...
U the man captain. Your camera, you,fun,fun,fun. And clean too. :). Note: i done automotive for 18yrs . I enjoy it Dude. Thanks
Thanks for watching :)Dallas Stevens
Great video. I notice your daughters art work on your box. My granddaughter decorates mine. You had a double danger going swivel and extension . After mine exploded I bought a 21mm swivel socket and locking extension. Lot less painful :)
***** I swear every time I am near one and they cut loose I get a fat bloody lip lol. Yeah Trinity keeps the box art up to snuff..
South Main Auto Repair I'm going to fix this problem for you. Look in the box that's coming your way.
I love surprises :)
OMG I can't stop watching Dr O,s videos lol
One of the best, how to videos i have seen, You are awesome
I like watching your videos!
You know different from you compared to every one else!
For one you have your own style of technique you don't copy from other ppl to try an act smart
An your very entertaining!
You need a TV show man!
I like the Andy Griffith style "commercial" at the beginning and end.
Always appreciate the practical clear video. Thank you.
Eric you cheat we feel robbed we like to see you having a punch up pressing a new bush in and out keep up the good work im addicted to your channel your sense of humour is great
Sure hope your internet speeds have improved in the last 7 years :) I remember the times of multi-day uploads. These days I can upload long HD videos so fast I question whether they actually went up or not.
Try using the "Handbrake" program to still keep the HD but reduce the size of the file and optimize for the web. I use this program all the time to reduce the size of the videos to upload to youtube. Once you learn how it works you will always use it. Great program.
Here is the link: download.cnet.com/HandBrake/3000-2194_4-10808250.html
MAC T Ok bill I'll check it out when I get a moment thanks :)
Yeah, I use handbrake as well for all the videos on my channel with the default settings plus the 'encode for web' checkbox checked (or some name close to that). Very good compression without any noticeable loss in video quality. And it's free. I encode the video at the highest quality my video editing software will do. Then run it through handbrake to convert it to MP4 (MPEG4). Cuts the file size down to a quarter of the original size without any noticeable loss in quality. Smaller file size means faster upload times because there is less to upload.
Love your stuff, it's comprehensive and very helpful.
Talk about RUclips videos being addicting you have me hooked on your channel, but that's a good thing.
You should do a video on how you check a vehicle front to back when it comes in for service.
Jason Graham Yeah I could good idea thanks.
I know a good trick for when the bolts freeze in the bushings instead of going right to the torch. For starters ram the bolt all the way tight and then take a wrench on the bolt head, not the nut, and put some muscle and work it back and forth moving the bolt head a little. With it tight like that it sometimes holds the metal sleeve and lets just the bolt turn and break loose. Has saved me from a lot of cutting.
+Nick Palmer Hmmm, I will have to try that thanks
It has saved me a ton of time when I do the lower control arm bushings on the GMs
Sorry to hear that you'll be dropping the quality but I understand your frustration.
Keep up with the awesome videos.
Derek Vermette :)
great video, you just showed what I been hearing on my truck. thanks.
Hi Eric, the balljoints and bushings on my lower control arms were worn out thus I just replaced the two front lower control arms myself with the help from this video. Car is a 2007 Pontiac Montana SV6, and all bolts and nuts were torqued to specs. After the replacement, I noticed that my steering wheel is off center (about 10 degrees to the left). Could a front end alignment fix this or did I do anything wrong? Thank you!
Old Pacifica 's are awesome when we'll maintained. Especially if you are a tall guy.
This is a great video- but my 2008 town and country's has a 4.0 v-6, and its seems the drivers side lower control arm front bolt hits the lower engine upon removal. do I have to lower the sub frame to get that bolt out?
Another great video.
1 question - does the front end need to be aligned?
when you find something like this. Do you Eric find it cheaper to change the whole part out instead of changing out the damaged part. Love your videos and been a fan for years. Love your style, the way you value your customers. The apprenticeship program your apart of. Your a good man Eric O!
Hey, great videos! Can you comment on torching out bolts that are seized into bushing sleeves? I've encountered this a couple of times as a DIY-er and it always kicks my ass. Each time, I've had to cut the bolts out with a reciprocating saw.
Yep that's what i'm doing on YT right now when I should be out changing my lower control arms and that vibrating Transmssion, and videoing it to, but I find this more relaxing right now. Thanks for the laugh and the video. Unfortunately it's not a 2002 so I can't use the video except for a laugh. LOL. So Best Wishes n Blessings Keith
Informative and good dose of comedy too! Thanks.
You got to work on a Chrysler , and the right part the first time, oh what a great day . those parts guy are on their toes today.
wtbm123 Oh amen on that one lol... and it was the "cheap" one too
Did my first set of control arms last year on a Ford Fiesta started on the drivers side couldn't have gone smoother. So I had high hopes of doing the passenger side in 30 minutes.... Nope had a stuck nut that no amount of penetrating fluid was budging even when soaked over night so had to get the trusty angle grinder out and chop it in half. Planning to do the Volvo this year looking at the underside of this compared to the Ford it seems to be made out of better stuff so hopefully rust won't be such an issue.
Matt Bartholomew Ya never know when that bear is gonna sneak out and get ya :)
Hey, thanks for the info and video. I got an oil change done at AAA car care and they told me the lower arm bushings were shot on my 04 Pacifica. The written repair quote was 578.96 for just that one control arm with new ball joint entacted. The cost of the parts they quoted were 268.95 but I found the control arm at Auto Zone for 78.99! So they wanted to charge me TRIPLE the actual cost of the parts!!! I think I can do this myself. Quick question, do any of those bolts need to be torqued to a specific amount(Spindle in particular) or just get em as tight as possible? Thanks again.
+John Smith I have to answer this with always torque all fasteners to factory specs...
Looks good but is it really worth it on your down loads I know it drags it out a while
I have a Kia sephia 2000 which I believe has a rusted lower control arm for the front passenger side wheel. the rust caused the control arm to crack and is unsafe to drive. I'm looking to get a estimate on how much it would cost to replace it since i'm pretty sure thats the issue with my vehicle. What would be reasonable price to get it fixed? I wanna make sure im not getting ripped off.
Really enjoy your video.Educational and Funny.
I'm curious. Newer cars have aluminum control arms to save weight. Let's say a pickle fork or any other specialized tool weren't available,would you still hit where it goes through or worry about bending the control arm?
Nick Nicu Well I might be a little cautious.. I rattle the knuckle with the air hammer most of the time.
You don't load the suspension before tightening the two bushing bolts so that the bushings would be in a relaxed position when carrying the weight of the vehicle?
rusco321 If you read down through the comments, I did and knew better that I should have recorded it. I was in a hurry with the vid and didn/t show it but knew better and wish I did now ... oh well hind sight is always 20/20 right :)
What does this mean im looking to do my pacifica ball joint like this cause it costs 408$ to have it done
I don’t know if you covered your recipe for your homebrew penetrating oil. Id like to give it a try. can you mention what brand and grade ATF Fluid and Acetone do you use and what ratio? Thanks Id love to brew some up🤣
Good video those were the worst I've seen in a while
Hey Eric, what is your take on tightening the control arm bushings down while the car is in the air vs. letting it compress the suspension before the final torque-down? I know it's a pain in the butt to let the car down and then crawl under it with a wrench, but seems like the bushings would then be in their neutral "happy place" and maybe last longer?
motoYam82 HA! I new I would get busted!! I did :) I really should have recorded it. I got caught up in the moment DANG IT! I knew I would get popped!
whew! I knew you were too good of a mechanic to let that slide...just didn't want to call you out on it straight up haha :) Yeah I would have nightmares of torn bushings too!
I should have recorded it my bad :/ I loose sleep over stuff like that too haha
motoYam82 Yeah I totally thought Eric just slammed those bolts in too lol. Should have known better than to doubt haha...
Hey Mr O! Just wanted to make sure, but it IS important to have some tension or close to vehicle weight on the lower control arm like you did in the video, before torquing down the bolts, right? I’m about to replace the lower arms on my wife’s 2006 Sequoia and I really respect your car knowledge. Just wanted to double check that with you. Thanks and keep up the great videos!
Like that ole mac tools half inche rocks bolts well great vlog
Ur a nut 😂. But that's why we love you education and entertainment. I love your channel man. Keep up your good work..
how do you remove the subframe bolts that go thru floor on a 2005 Chrysler Town & Country when the nut inside frame is floating around?
Love your channel. You were saying in the video if the bolts are seized you would torch them out? Basically heat the bushing up to release the rusted bolt, is that correct?
fargobrad Actually I would cut the arm were it encases the bushing, then cut off the rubber bushing, then cut off the metal sleeve around the bolt then remove the bolt. There is no way to just heat the arm to break the rust . Ya know what I mean?
South Main Auto Repair Thanks for clarifying that. I'm really enjoying the videos
You are the Best. .think you.. think you. .
you should torque the inner control arm bolts with the weight of the car on them. now when the car goes to normal ride height the bushings will be twisted not at rest.
I had the same question. My Mustang manual has me tape off the rear shock absorber to the dust sleeve position and then when bolting back on, jack up to that position and then torque.
They will spin/turn. Should spin... might spin..
big blzr94 When he put the home made jack under the control arm and lowered the lift, he was simulating what you're talking about.
Yes i agree with you Eric!
i watch your videos on my computer and my computer works great with 720 and 1080 is no different in quality change. 1080 is great on the tv but it doesnt make a difference on the computer
uprednecked Perfect thanks :)
Awesome video again love your channel I have all my friends watching now it's addicting channel you mention you tube starts with twenty mins and turns in to hours that's me and you channel lol awsome
Chris blankenship Oh man this YT like sucks you n and erases time haha
South Main Auto Repair So what were you watching that sucked you in? :D
usually car stuff... drag racing, mall cars with huge engines.. that type of thing lol
2 Days to upload , wow you are a trouper. Next you will want running water! :)
When I first started getting on line 1985?, 120k baud rate (modem) no WWW at all. We have come a long way. That Jam looks good.
Charles Miller Explain this running water thing to me? I have hear this is folk out there with what the radio guy calls "flush toilets" what the heck will they think of next.... prolly something crazy like pre-sliced bread...
Thanks for the video. Great help thats why i like to whatch your videos
I have a 2007 Pacifica. I think i may have made a huge mistake on this job. I should have watched the video first. When I disconnected the lower arm from the spindle, there was a very loud bang. Don't know what caused that. Then when I went to re-install the control arm to the spindle, it wouldn't line up. I tried disconnecting the strut from the spindle, but no luck. Re-connected the strut, but now the wheels are not aligned it appears and I still can't get the ball joint stud to line up for the hole in the spindle. What did i screw up? Maybe i did it the hard way and just need to keep working to get everything in place, but the alignment issue is a huge problem it appears. Maybe i need to replace the entire arm and not just the ball joint ????
I saw you using an wishbone type control arm tool. I bought one. It’s almost as good as Jelly
Hello! What size and length is the extra long wrench used to remove the ball joint nut please? Thank you!
Ahhhhh nice and smooth. Do you ever replace just the bushings? Probably not cause the labor time would equal or surpass a new control arm. On my own vehicles, I just change the bushings. Was that only half a sandwich?
Michael Herbert Yeah I do the bushings on some but not all...depends on the labor vs arm price and such... yeah it was only a half sandwich... don't wanna spoil lunch.
hey dude i like ur video ,I did the job on my pacifica but after finish my tire looks like a angle , why is my tire look like that, I have to do something else like take it to do alignment or something
when I was watching the video you had a hose to the ball joint. I'm assuming it was to put air in the ball joint correct?
no.....grease
What size wrench did you use for the nut on the lower control arm knuckle joint?
Love your vid's u make them so interesting!
I am trying to replace my lower control arm on my 07 Chrysler 300 and the nut is spinning and the other side I can't see anything to hold on what should I do. I am replacing everything upper lower. control shock and ball joints.
Have you ever changed and oil pressure sending switch on a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica and do you have a video ?
I need to do this to my 1999 Caravan LE. I was quoted $320 for both lower control arms. I found a new pair from an online auto parts shop for $104. Is this too good to be true? They are a popular Internet retailer. Is it possible or too difficult to just replace the worn bushings? Thanks!
Hey Eric! Great vid! Was wondering if you have any experience with a 2003 Mazda Protege DX (Base Model). Every time I refuel whether it be $10 or all the way to full, the car runs rough and idles rough, nearly stalling. The problem goes away after driving for about 5 min, but then randomly comes back during day to day driving. Acceleration from a stop is very herky jerky, but once it gets above around 10mph the car is fine.. I replaced my EGR Valve, but the problem persists.. Any ideas? I assume it has something to do with a purge valve or the fuel system, but no idea what to check!
Thanks,
Kevin!!
Kevin Anyway to watch the fuel trims when it is acting up to see if it is going rich or lean on you?
Unfortunately not, don't have the equipment to do so. I actually took it to a shop for diagnosis, told them my symptoms and suggested a fuel issue. Got the car back and was told the car was fine. The symptoms are so random it is hard to catch, but it is kinda scary when you get on the gas pedal at an intersection and sometimes it hesitates!
For what it is worth, the car has 60k miles, and no CEL's.
I am thinking about getting one of those blue tooth OBD II plug in's that sync to your smartphone to monitor the car when it acts up when funds allow.
Great video dodge caliber control arms are fast to do FYI had a caliber today water pump leak 2.0 engine part came from Napa with housing and the pump give you a heads gonna look up now why pump came with housing
Christopher Barone Havent done one of those ... yet...
Great video,
Thanks Eric
Hey man having a lot of trouble getting the front right bolt off broke breaker bar hour and a half late final removes the but then bolt still won’t break free tried torch and penetrator but won’t budge
Another great video EricO.
🤣
Ha !! Geeeese I think I could do that one :) you got time for a true funny story Eric. 2010 new F150 thought I would undercoat it and lube up everything I was every going to take apart over the next 30 years. Well out comes your copper never seize and I put it on the exhaust manifold shield bolt heads. Well 1-1/2 years later I'm driving up to go deer camping and all I can hear is a rattle under hood. The copper anti seize had reacted to the galvanized shields and melted a 3/4 hole around every bolt. Nice people at Ford never seen a warranty claim like that before and it was covered of course. I did the same back in 2002 to my chevy and the shield bolts are still fine but I used the silver anti seize . The End :)
Steve Rob Oh haha so are you saying these control arms might react and fly off?!!? Oh crap haha I am gonna need some more Mrs.Millers for that one :)
No no no more Mrs Miller, you work real hard making vids and fixing cars all day long for us non stop so the next time Im shipping a T shirt not sure the size , when you get a chance let me know what size Vanessa takes :)
She wears a lg in a woman's and a med in a mans
I'll get back to work making videos...
Does the car need alignment and balance after changing this part?
Thanks for your videos. They have been extremely helpful.
Balance is only needed for rotating parts which on cars are the wheels, drive shafts and in some cases the CV axles, alignment is needed when you change the steering rack often after you change shocks or struts.. So the answer to your questions is nope :P Hope this was helpful.
lol ive been trying to do mine for 2 days i heated the control arm and still cant get the bolt out but then i found there was so much heat i melted the cv boot.
im working on the drivers side bought 2 new front bolts and i havent found out what that little line is sitting ontop of the frame so i hope i dont damage it. a friend is coming over to cut it out,
Thanks for the helpful video. Perfect
I'm doing the arms on my mom's 07 but the bolts were seized and my torch was broke so I cut the bolts out that were seized (the main two mounting bolts. Well 4 really if you count both control arms) but I really should have known that of course since it's me were talking about, those bolts have been discontinued and are basically impossible to find. The nuts that are tac welded on the piece of oval steel too need to be replaced as well but like the bolts have also been discontinued and I cant find any on any part stores site. The specifications of these nuts and bolts aren't online either. So I have no idea how to obtain them. Other than checking junk yards which is my next step I suppose...unless someone on here has any better ideas or ways to get it done. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!!!
Good morning from freezing California. I noticed u tightened the bolts when the control arm was in the unloaded position. So when the car comes down, the bushings will twist. I know how persnickety u usually r. Perhaps it was the jam or peanut butter. Just commenting. U would b mad if we didn't. Thanks for all your hard work. For making things turn easily and for penetrating, WD-40 is the best. And I fill my aerosol bottle with gasoline. Cleans great and evaporates nicely. Also handy if u want to add a little excitement to the fire.. Just my humble opinion. Wonder if Toyota tech in jolly old concurs?
Love the vids, keep em coming, especially Chryslers. Lol
It would be nice if you would let you know what size wrenches or sockets you will need
If you read the disclaimer he notes refer to workshop manual. This is because these old cars often have replacement bolts that have been replaced with different sizes. At 5.22 he mentions that he will use a 21 with a swivel on the knuckle bushing ends. The other bolt with the tie rod end is an 18 on my car. However after changing the inner and outer tie rods the new ones come with larger different size nuts.
Great video i love torque specs though
Where did you get that pressurized can for your special brew? I make a special brew also and would like that can
another nice show Thxs .
Awesome vid as always.
What kind of extension you used on the lug nuts?
Rakatawhat Google Impact torque limit sticks...
I like to leave all the fasteners loose until the vehicle is sitting with the tire on the ground before tightening them, so the bushing will not be stressed while the car is at normal drive height.
The control arm , I have the same car every time I put in brakes or take off there is a piping sound and the steering wheel moves on it on. How do I test the control arm bushing and the rest of the front . There is something wrong just don't know t
Know what it is. All the popping.😕
Hey Eric, what brand wrench was the extra long box end you were using in the beginning before switching to the ratchet wrench? It seemed pretty long, longer than standard XL wrenches.
excellent video, thanks
Thanks for the video, love the hat!
wat size wrench did u use for the ball joint
Thanks, found my clunk because of this. ...let's see if mine changes as easy as yours...no lift.....less powerful impact gun....but I have a fork and a sledge
Great videos. Can you post a video on how to reprogram a module using j2534 or perhaps utilizing a factory scan tool? That would be great. Thanks and love the videos.
***** Well I don't have any OE scan tools just my Verus from Snap-on. We have several dig dealers near by so if I need any flashes I usually just skoot down there to get it done. Have been tossing around the idea of getting a carDAQ interface module but have been to busy to really do my research on it.
South Main Auto Repair Drew Technologies makes the best J2534 tools. Problem is you're going to have to buy the manufacturers subscriptions and these ain't cheap.
Actually, they are cheap. Each manufacturer offers short term subscriptions. I just don't know how these shops survive without tooling up. Stay up to date or be a parts changer.
I think Drew is who makes the carDAQ. For a while I think some manufactures had yearly only but I see most offer daily, weekly or even 3 day options. Problem is often when I have needed it other than PCM updates the carDAQ wouldn't work it was still very limited. Couldn't do the BCM, TCM, DDM's, FCM's... so many modules besides the PCM the aftermarket can not do. Hard for me to buy every single OE scan tool too. I am jst a tiny shop in a hick town. Economically it does not make sense.
I just did this today but I wasent as lucky to get the front bolt out. It was frozen in the rubber mount and ended up cutting the bolt. A real pain.
2004 PACIFICA bought BOTH control arms brand new with all bushings etc for $78 on ebay from "DETROIT" store. shipping was free got them in about a week.
Hi , is it possible to change the lower control arm of land rover lr3 on Axle stand ?
You made that look way to easy, where was the torch and air hammer? lol. Jam does really make everything better doesn't it. When those bushings go bad on any control arm, I prefer to replace the arm, but some times my only option is to just replace the bushings. Do you do many of them? I know on chev cavaliers and cobalts I do control arm bushings on those things all the time.
kenman1717 I know right no torch, what the heck!? I do bushing on certain models. Impala's, PT's, Cav's, Escapes, Malibu's etc....
South Main Auto Repair Seems like at least half the control arms I have to take out, require the torch, whether its cutting a small hole to access the nut inside the sealed body or heating/cutting the bolt it self. I really hate having to cut those small holes so I can access the nut, but seriously another brilliant example of engineering stupidity. Put the nut inside the body, and wrap it in a little piece of tin to keep it from turning, when we all know as soon as it rusts and breaks loose from that tin, and starts spinning.
Usually the encapsulated nuts I grab a whole saw. just looks a little cleaner :) Then if I am real fussy I wld the piece right back in and a little undercoat and I was never there haha
South Main Auto Repair Yeah that definitely does sound better, but I don't have any hole saws. I think I might go get some, good idea, thanks.
What size opening for the pickle boot