Hey guys,

My situation and research may help some of you, so I'm gonna share my case as I go through this (sounds weird to say this) . If you any of you got aftermarket control arms installed on your RA, I'd gladly hear your feedback, as I'm still not sure which ones to go for.

Background
I'm about to have my suspension completely replaced on my '04 RA with 130k miles on it. Not by me unfortunately, no capacity/place/skills to do it). I moved (along with my car) from Wisconsin to LA in 2011, so my poor RA has its stock suspension pretty beat up and rusty by now (see attached pics). Even back then, the rear suspension, as a lot of you have faced with our cars, has been squeaking on and off, but I decided to ignore the Mitsu dealer and all the spoiled California mechanics who panic (literally panic) when they see traces of rust on your car that 'comes from East' as they say. Still love the all-time sharp handling and stiffness of the RA. It's a stick, so you guys know

Meanwhile, I'm like, fine, it's just the bushings, they can get lubricated. I left the suspension as is, and since 2011 I did have some major maintenance done:

• timing belt and water pump
• new radiator
• new brakes
• new tires
• 3 out 4 tie rods are new

The car still runs smooth and feels mechanically sound. I can't get much money for it if I sell it here, ($3k on KBB), hence why I'd rather fix it and keep it.

The Parts
Nuts, bolts, and links
Given how rusty it is down there, I need new the nuts and bolts from Mitsu. I went on http://www.mitsubishipartswarehouse.com and made a list of all the pieces I can get there. See attached PDFs along with the diagrams.

Struts
Gonna get the KYBs from Amazon:
($72.95)
($86.19)
* ($11.51)
($37.55)
($13.99)
($13.83)

Control Arms
The aftermarket ones because they're way cheaper than the OEM ones. This is one I'm still somewhat researching, but from I've read online, these ones I'm thinking of for the front:

• Dorman front lower left 520-886
• Dorman front lower right 520-885
• Dorman 521-980 lateral link
• Beck Arnley*Control Arm - Rear Lower 17990-05217842
• Beck Arnley*Control Arm - Rear Upper 17990-05221553

Labor Costs
Ok, so I'm not a car mechanic as you can tell probably. In California as I said, they're quick to point out the rust, "I can't give you a quote, if something breaks, it will take me longer" and bla bla... I've been quoted on average that this would take 15-20 hours of work, on average at $90/hour. Having done more research (thanks to you guys on this forum), the following sounds more reasonable:

• Don't pay more than hour per control ARM (6 arms = 6 hours)
• Don't pay more than an hour per STRUT (4 struts = 4 hours)

If any of the sway bar links or bolts break off as they take things apart, allow around 2 more hours or so. Which would bring the max total to about 12 hours.

Mitsu dealer on the phone told me it would take them about 10 hours of work. I'm taking my car to them later for the more detailed estimate, but won't have this work done by the dealer of course.

So there it is. If you see any red flags, feel free to comment. Keep in my mind I probably won't get every single part listed on the PDFs, but most of it. Expecting the total for the parts to come out between $1000-$1500. Still not sure if I should get new springs and/or sway bars. I'll be updating. Thanks for reading.

 

your car has WAAAY less rust than mine, lol...


also there are only 2 tie rods.

but seriously, why are you replacing everything?

 

Dammit, I thought I got it Well it's got the tie rods replaced, you see I already put in a bit of money in maintaining the car. I'd figure if I fix the suspension it can still last for a while. As for everything, the struts definitely are due. So I'd figure if they're already taking down the control arms, and those bushings are are worn out, might as well do the arms & links too.

 

I suppose, but the pictures don't look that bad, I mean the front sway bar endlink should be replaced, that keeps the car from rolling over, lol...I would do both of those. I'm not there in person, so I can't see it all, but it just seems like a lot of money for "might as well" or "just in case". but if none of it has ever been done...




sorry I just cringe when I see labour costs...lol

 

LMAO Rust... Your car looks pristine compared to my two rust buckets.

If I was going through all this work I would upgrade along the way. Solid bushings, beefier endlinks, coilovers. But I dont know how you like your car. If your looking for a softer more stock ride then your along the right course with mostly OEM stuff. Are you lowered or still on stock springs?

I too cringe when I see labour costs... Those prices are always so inflated...

When you do it Im sure it will feel worth it!

 

So based on your estimated costs, your are going to spend close to $2,000 on a car that is only worth $3,000?

 

actually there's 4...
2 inner...2 outter
i replaced about 7 on my RA

 

wise ***...

the outer is more of an end-link than a rod haha

 

Yep, that's correct, but let's not get into the discussion of fixing vs selling. If I fix it, i'll keep it for a while for sure. You'll notice the car already has a new timing belt, radiator, etc, so it's just the suspension remaining. I've 'raised' it, so I know the history of it.

 

Thanks Bakuro. Everything's stock on it. I actually like the stock springs and how they handle. Thought about the coilovers, but they're quite pricey.

I found a mechanic outside LA who will do it for $60/hour, which is a much better than what others charge in the city ($90/hr, the dealer is $110). If I could find one who fixes cars in his own home garage as a side job, I'd do it, but no luck so far. And Craigslist's useless.

 

i didin't name theese parts man...wether it IS a rod or not...that's what it's called...lol

good luck and hope you keep the car for a long time and have tons of fun in it..

 

drive it to Canada and i'll do the whole thing for $400, you bring the parts lol!

 

Or Wisconsin, where I grew up. I know. Any kind of labor is notoriously expensive in California.
Although I thought about driving to Vegas, much cheaper there too.

 

Thanks buddy.

 

UPDATE: went to the Mitsu dealer in LA. They actually quoted me less then all other shops did. $2,300 for everything, including parts, labor, tax....

6 control arms, structs&shocks, keeping the old springs (apparently they're ok), and stabilizer links.

They gave me the list of all the part #s, so I compared their prices (which come with the 15% discount on final price), and online they're 25% cheaper.

8 hours of work @ $110/hour.
The smaller shops all quoted me 10+ hours.

Getting the parts online, would cost $1,200. Still deciding on who to have to do the labor.