Front suspension-is this a good kit?

[russosborne]

Guys (and girls if any)-

I am getting ready to spend some money to get my 97 Sport 4wd back on the road as a daily driver. I drive about 100 miles a day.

Was reading the lower ball joint installation sticky and saw a link to an ebay kit. That one is long gone, but this one among others showed up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EXPLORER-4W...Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item564bf73c6a

Is this a good kit? The price kind of scares me, but it seems inline with most of the other kits listed. Worried that it is too cheap.

If not, can anyone suggest one that would be better? I have to also do the brakes on this front and rear, so I need to not spend any more than I absolutely have to on this. I can probably spend around $500-700 total, and just the rear brakes will be at least a couple hundred. Need rotors and calipers. Haven't looked at the fronts yet, but I imagine they are just as bad as the rears.
It has over 150K on it, and I am assuming that everything is original.

Oh, one more question. Is there any reason not to remove the lower control arms and use a hydrallic press to remove/install the balljoints? Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I have never played with 4wd stuff before.

Thanks,
Russ

 

[koda2000]

i find that you usually get what you pay for. i've never heard of this supplier/manufacturer, probably cheap china junk. you can get quality "made in USA" Moog parts from RockAuto for about $160 (shipping included) using the forums 5% discount. i wouldn't cheap out on suspension parts. Moog parts are better than what came on your truck, and not much more money. not only will you get quality parts, you'll be helping American's keep their jobs.

 

[swshawaii]

Agree, suspension parts are the last place you want to cut corners.

$109.31 for standard shipping? Some Ebay sellers go beyond gouging.

 

[alohamonte]

its junk. buy Moog brand. it's made in the USA and is quality. that ebay kit, with 100 miles per day, will last you 6 months.

side note, 100 per day on a 97 explorer... maybe the ebay kit will outlast the truck

 

[obie]

Oddly enough, those are all Moog part numbers, even the upper ball joint and upper control arm are listed as the "problem solver" series. Though, I would not trust any ebay company, especially since they aren't listing the manufacturer. And their warranty info is wrong, those Moog parts are lifetime, not twelve months.

And I'm pretty sure that even if you were a wholesaler, you can't even buy all those parts together for less than what they're selling it for. I'd just go to RockAuto and buy from there. A bit more expensive, but they're legit.

 

[russosborne]

i find that you usually get what you pay for. i've never heard of this supplier/manufacturer, probably cheap china junk. you can get quality "made in USA" Moog parts from RockAuto for about $160 (shipping included) using the forums 5% discount. i wouldn't cheap out on suspension parts. Moog parts are better than what came on your truck, and not much more money. not only will you get quality parts, you'll be helping American's keep their jobs.

Could you please show me how to get all the parts included in that kit for about $160 buying all Moog? I just added them up on rockauto.com and came much closer to $250. Not going to argue about the other stuff, but to me $100 is MUCH more money.
Thanks,
Russ

 

[russosborne]

Agree, suspension parts are the last place you want to cut corners.

$109.31 for standard shipping? Some Ebay sellers go beyond gouging.

Huh? Don't know where you live but to my zip code the standard shipping is under $30. Might be a bit much, seeing as there are several sellers with free shipping.
Russ

 

[russosborne]

Ok, I knew I was asking for it when I asked for opinions.

But I have seen several posts on this site where people say they bought kits off of ebay. Hadn't seen any opinions about those, hence the question.

I would love to use Moog. Heck, even Motorcraft. But money is a serious issue here. I need to get this thing on the road now, not wait for months to save up more money. If the stuff only lasts a year so be it. As one person stated with driving that many miles the truck may not last a year. But I can afford to fix the Explorer much easier than the 2010 Subaru I have put 50,000 miles on in less than two years, with several more years of payments to go.

I have to do the brakes, everything except (hopefully) the master cylinder, booster, and abs unit. I should do the suspension. But for now the suspension is going to have to be done with what I have left after the brakes. If I can go Moog I will, if not I will do what I can afford to.

Thanks,
Russ

 

[swshawaii]

We're with you about saving money, it's a SAFETY issue.
There are many similar threads, just do some searching. GL

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=262134&highlight=ebay+suspension+parts+kits

 

[Jstcruz]

I always look at advanceautoparts.com. They Carry Moog stuff and have nice discounts online. Im not sure about this in particular but thats where I go for everything. Definatly get MOOG parts tho! I got upper control arms from Advance - not MOOG parts - a couple years ago that need replaced already living outside of the salt belt. The boots go bad, then water washes out the grease, then you have creaking and clunking = more $$

 

[koda2000]

not one person responding thinks the ebay stuff is a good idea. yet you are trying to justify it based soley on the price. i understand you don't have the money right now, but if your mind is made up to buy that junk, why bother to ask for opinions?

 

[littlezell]

I had a shop do my front suspension and it costed me around 400 bucks... they got all the stuff from Napa... and that is with a front alignment also... I wouldnt go the cheap route.... would hate to have something break and mess up your righ or even worse hurt you...

 

[IAmTodd]

Raybestos Pro grade is one of the best out there. I've read about Moog's quality lately and it seems to be pretty lacking. Check out RockAuto. There's a 5% off code floating around the forum.

 

[RomeovilleIL]

The cheap parts (ebay, generic parts house brands, etc.) assemble just fine. Ebay kit parts are most likely not going to grenade the first time you pull on to the freeway. Frankly when the job is complete you won't see any appreciable difference between them and higher cost components. At this point in time, the fit and finish of cheapies are just as good as their most expensive rivals! During that first month of daily driving the folks who have installed them will pat themselves on the back for saving some cash and be quite happy. This is where all the testimonials come from.

BUT...

Like any other suspension part the cheapies will wear and develop play leading to loose dangerous handling. The real difference is the time period. Good quality suspension parts will last for many years, compared to months for these lesser ones. Take them offroad or tow some weight and you might be looking at weeks.

A search will turn up plenty of people who used the cheapies that are replacing them again within a year or so, often piecemeal as the components go one by one. You may get the parts replaced under their warranties, but labor is THE ISSUE with this repair, not to mention realignments.

So here's the bottom line: Will the ebay parts kit fit? Yes. Will it align correctly? Yes. Will it be safe to drive? Yes, for a while. How long should you expect the repair to last? With normal driving, maybe a year but likely less. With the milage you plan to drive, definitely less.

 

[obie]

Those ebay kits aren't always going to fit though. There was another thread recently where another member had to drill his steering knuckle to get the upper ball joint pin in. Though, I'm willing to bet its because the seller sent him the wrong parts.

 

[RomeovilleIL]

Those ebay kits aren't always going to fit though. There was another thread recently where another member had to drill his steering knuckle to get the upper ball joint pin in. Though, I'm willing to bet its because the seller sent him the wrong parts.

I saw and commented on that post, had same reaction - wrong parts. The guy responded saying the pin was same diameter as the one he removed. My opinion on that he did not line up straight and use correct tools (BFH) to put back together. If its really tight, a cold chisel in the pinch slot will open that wedge right up. Then again I've only worked on about a dozen of these & with millions sold who knows?

 

[alohamonte]

i researched the part numbers from the Moog site then bought them off Amazon. Free shipping and tax free (depending on your state).

 

[russosborne]

Well, still hoping the one poster tells me where I can get all the Moog stuff for about $160.
I've got a couple of weeks to find the best deal before I can actually buy anything.
I did read that one thread from above. I don't want to use the cheap stuff. I might have to see if I can convince my accountant to let me spend more money. I guess worst case I just won't do any of the suspension if I can't use better parts. Although it sounds as if Moog has become a bit iffy as well.
Thanks,
Russ

 

[DominicanX]

https://www.rockauto.com/catalog/catalog.php?ckout=1

Check out what I did

Ok it's 180.00 but i think there's a rockauto discount code floating around a thread on here somewhere.

 

[alohamonte]

a shop once quoted me $650 for lower ball joints. so even at $200 for a kit, if you can do the job yourself you are saving a ton of money vs what a shop would charge.