Greetings, new guy here. I have a 2015 el platinum RWD - CCD shocks. 113000 miles (purchased 18 months ago with 95K). I don't have any service history. I feel good about it being a family hauler and towing a trailer with kids spring and summer - no longer a daily driver M-F. Big picture project is to get the front and rear suspension tip top for upcoming trips and trailer purchase. I'm starting with rear, ordering parts today. I have a few quick questions about parts.
1) when replacing the control arms, is it best to replace the bolts/washers/nuts/lock while in there or can they be reliably reused?
2) When it comes to control arms, since I don't know the service history, any reason I should replace just the bushings and ball joints and not the whole arm. If I'm sticking with motorcraft sourced from RA then it saves me about $150 a side, but adds work in my driveway. (as they say, a million here, a million there, pretty soon you're talking about real money). I'm inclined to stick with the whole arm. The entire mevotech arm with hardware is about same price as a motorcraft ball joint, bushing, and nuts and bolts, for instance. Which leads me to #3.
3) any experience with aftermarket parts? My gut tells me to go motorcraft all the way around, but sourcing parts is trickier and if I need the hardware too - see#1 - then it's more expensive. I've read mevotech has been a reliable alternative for these parts and the price difference can't be ignored. Wondering if anyone has experience here they could share with aftermarket arms, bushings, ball joints, etc. - keeping in mind I'll be hauling a 7000lb trailer come summer time.
Other thoughts as I'm ordering parts: I plan to do the strut mounts and insulator springs while I'm in there but I'm leaving the shocks alone until the arms are tight and I can assess what this CCD is like. I like the hellwig sway bar upgrade, the ass end really moves, I've been a passenger in the third row and don't like it one bit - the kids don't mind it - but I'm going to wait until the rest is done before I add any upgrades.
What am I missing??
Thanks y'all in advance.
1) when replacing the control arms, is it best to replace the bolts/washers/nuts/lock while in there or can they be reliably reused?
2) When it comes to control arms, since I don't know the service history, any reason I should replace just the bushings and ball joints and not the whole arm. If I'm sticking with motorcraft sourced from RA then it saves me about $150 a side, but adds work in my driveway. (as they say, a million here, a million there, pretty soon you're talking about real money). I'm inclined to stick with the whole arm. The entire mevotech arm with hardware is about same price as a motorcraft ball joint, bushing, and nuts and bolts, for instance. Which leads me to #3.
3) any experience with aftermarket parts? My gut tells me to go motorcraft all the way around, but sourcing parts is trickier and if I need the hardware too - see#1 - then it's more expensive. I've read mevotech has been a reliable alternative for these parts and the price difference can't be ignored. Wondering if anyone has experience here they could share with aftermarket arms, bushings, ball joints, etc. - keeping in mind I'll be hauling a 7000lb trailer come summer time.
Other thoughts as I'm ordering parts: I plan to do the strut mounts and insulator springs while I'm in there but I'm leaving the shocks alone until the arms are tight and I can assess what this CCD is like. I like the hellwig sway bar upgrade, the ass end really moves, I've been a passenger in the third row and don't like it one bit - the kids don't mind it - but I'm going to wait until the rest is done before I add any upgrades.
What am I missing??
Thanks y'all in advance.
