We have a 2006 Camry ( 4 Cylinder ) with 375k miles on it. When we took the car for alignment few months ago they said the Driver's Side Lower Control Arm is bad and needs replacement. They even showed it to us by doing a hard brake and the front tire moved a little to the front. Also the bushings on the Lower Control Arms for both side are really torn/ripped and is really in bad shape. I believe the 06 Camry doesn't have Upper Control Arms and only has Lower Control Arms. We didn't change the Lower Control Arms yet and only did the alignment. My dad takes this 06 Camry to work everyday and he recently told me when he does sharp turns on high speeds the car shakes and feels like its hard to control and that scared him. We have changed the Outer Tie Rods and Sway Bar Links last year. We have changed the struts ( KYB ) last year. We changed the rack and pinion boots on both side and applied grease inside the inner tie rods (Inside the Rack and Pinion Boot ) last year. I checked the tie rods, Sway bar links for play and it doesn't have any play. We also have replaced the Wheel Bearings, Wheel Hub and CV Axles on both sides few months ago. Do you think it could be the Lower Control Arms and the Ball Joint that is causing this issues? We found Brand New Lower Control Arms and Ball Joints for both sides on Ebay for $56 including Tax. Shipping is free. We are DIY so we can install it by ourselves. We were just wondering if we should go ahead and order the parts and replace it? I will also jack up the car and see if there is clunking noise on the wheels. Also I will hit the Lower Control Arms with a rubber Hammer and see if it has any plays or makes a clunking noise as well.
We found Brand New Lower Control Arms and Ball Joints for both sides on Ebay for $56 including Tax. Shipping is free.
Don't buy critical parts from ebay. It's a rat's nest of counterfeit and low-quality Chinese parts.
Ok so do I need to change the Lower Control Arms and Ball Joints? You didn't answer my question
I have bought lot of parts from eBay and I never once had any problems. The parts they sell at Auto store is the same part that eBay sells. The only difference is I can get the part on eBay a lot cheaper cause they don't have a physical store and don't have to worry about bills. They sell their products directly to consumers.
Sure, no problem if poor quality parts wind up there.
I know what parts are bad and good on eBay.
If you say so.
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Ok so do I need to change the Lower Control Arms and Ball Joints? You didn't answer my question
How should I know? I can't examine your front-end parts over the internet.
Lol then why even bother replying to my post? I know what parts I need to order on eBay and what parts I don't need to order on eBay. I've been fixing cars and ordering stuffs on eBay since 2019.
Why bother asking a question that can't be answered from a distance? However since you're an old hand having done this stuff since 2019 I'm sure you know best.
Ok I'm not gonna argue with you. I'll figure it out on my own or ask for help somewhere else.
If you need guidance in actually installing the parts you should be able to find the shop manual online at https://charm.li.
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I would never buy those parts on eBay
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by doing a hard brake and the front tire moved a little to the front.
do I need to change the Lower Control Arms and Ball Joints?
You need to change something. I'm kind of shocked you're driving on a wheel that's just flapping in the breeze.
Yea the Lower Control Arms and the Ball Joints are the only parts we haven't replaced. And we have replaced everything else. We will take it to an alignment shop and have them diagnose the car just to make sure before we start to do anything else.
diagnosing such a simple problem should be child's play for anybody with basic car knowledge. Wasn't your AI able to figure it out?
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There's nothing wrong with buying Lower Control Arms and Ball Joints on EBay
If you say so, hopefully I'm not driving anywhere near you. Counterfeits aren't always that easy to spot. RockAuto is light-years better than some chump on EBay. If anything, I would feel more safe if you were driving around on EBay-sourced electrical components, not structural pieces that are vital. If a Counterfeit control arm or ball joint breaks, you have absolutely no control over your car anymore.
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There's nothing wrong with buying Lower Control Arms and Ball Joints on EBay.
Wow, I guess you know better than a mechanic with 50 years of experience. Impressive.
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I have bought lot of parts from eBay and I never once had any problems. The parts they sell at Auto store is the same part that eBay sells.
Ebay and Amazon are both sketchy as parts sources. This is not merely my own opinion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ-ma1w8r6Q
The only things I don't buy on eBay is electronic parts for example Mass Air Flow Sensors, Throttle body , Spark Plugs, ignition coils etc.... For Lower Control Arms and Ball Joints you don't need OEM ones. There just physical item with bushings in it. There's nothing wrong with buying Lower Control Arms and Ball Joints on EBay.
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Ok so do I need to change the Lower Control Arms and Ball Joints?
That's up to you to determine. Cracked or broken boots on the control arms or ball joints are mandatory for replacement. Same goes for tie rods. I tore into my Ranger's suspension 18 months ago, because something was shimmying really bad, going 65 MPH. Took the tire off, everything seemed fine. I increased the leverage with a tire iron and I immediately felt the upper control arm had give -obviously not supposed to happen. I replaced the driver's side upper control arm and I went for a drive.
I went on the highway, and I noticed the truck was still shimmying a bit. I took it back home. The passenger side upper control arm seemed fine. There were no crack or tears. Taking it apart, the control arm had seized up. I replaced that one. It hasn't shimmied at all, since.
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