This forum has been very helpful in the past and I'm hoping once again I can find out a little info...I'm looking for replacement rear lower control arms for a 1998 Expedition 4x4...with a 4.6.....Have checked numerous local parts dealers with no luck on even finding a listing.....The dealer price is $172 a piece...which just blows me away.....Any help in locating these parts would be greatly appreciated.....Thanks

 

You should be able to do better than that. I bought mine through a Ford club that a co-worker belongs to and the arms were about $130 each. You will also need the bolt that secures the arm to the frame next to the gas tank as that one has to be ground in half to get it out.

 

Here's my post on changing them:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...st8653438.html

Here's the ones I installed, which were vastly better than the OEM ones.
PMT Fabrication. 97-02 FORD EXPEDITION LOWER REAR CONTROL ARMS

 

Hello, funny but I found this forum today trying to find an answer to this same question. It seems these rusting out is a very common problem. Try looking for rear lower trailing arm rather than control arm. There is a great thread on that topic on his board somewhere.

There are only two sources for this part, the ford dealer at 138 ea. at best. On Ebay, a guy in Texas has an ebay store and sells an aftermarket set. It is 250 and is available with new bolts for a few dollars more.

It absolutly killed me to have to spend this much, so I made my own today.

I took them both off the truck, it was not hard but required an impact gun and a little heat from a propane plumbing torch to loosen the loc-tite applied at the factory. The bolt on the drivers side was hitting the gas tank and did have to be cut in half.

I used a sawzall to hack off the rusted metal from one arm and ground the welds from each round end.

I cut a piece of black iron pipe procurred at the big orange store for 16 bucks into two 18 inch pieces. Using the other arm as a jig, I placed two of the mounting bolts through the bushings and placed the round ends I had cut off over the bolts. I then ground and shaped both ends of the pipe to match the profile of the ends and the length needed to just fit beween them. Tacked it with the MIG and welded it solid (without burning up the bushings too much). Repeated using the arm I just created as a jig, crucial that both arms are the exact same length. I ground down the welds and laid another bead, I want these to be solid.

I sprayed the whole mess with rubber undercoating and I am waiting for that to dry. Also gotta get a new bolt before I can put her back together.

Total cost, sixteen bucks plus a days work and incidentals. (welding wire, undercoating, beer)

Much better than 250 bucks

Now I know this is not the best choice of materials but lacking chro-moly tube, the tools and skil to work with it, etc. It's what I had, and worlds better than the cheap stamped steel crap ford used. With so many rotting out, I am surprised they are not easier and cheaper to get on the aftermarket.

 

Wow, you were able to weld steel that thick without burning up the rubber bushings? How did you pull that off? Also, what makes you think the black iron pipe is not going to flex? The bushings are not sloppy now from the heat/burning from the welder?

You can cut corners on some things, but a safety item like that I would not cut corners like that on.

Just my opinion though...if it works for you and you feel safe about it, that's all that matters.

 

Him feeling safe about it is all that matters? What about when one of these homemade bars snap and he loses control of the truck and wipes out a family of 6 riding in the minivan next to him? But hey, what the heck, "I saved $200". This type of crap is so irresponsible it makes me want to puke. Black iron pipe? Since when is that as strong as suspension grade steel? Then there's the welding process heating up the metal, how's the hardness of the material now, what's it's current strength?

 

Precisely and I agree, but I was trying to put it in a kinder way. Ultimately, it' s his decision. We all have choices to make in life and you can't "legislate" common sense and intelligence. He has to make that decision and then live with the consequences. I disagree with what was done, but there's nothing I can do to change it.

 

Alloro is right. You couldn't weld chrome moly pipe but were able to weld cast pipe? Black pipe is cast and brittle, not to mention very difficult to weld with any strength.

The fact that somebody made control arms like this is downright scary. If you don't have $200 to fix your truck, you shouldn't be driving.

 

Could just be a troll too....

 

Yeah, so, thanks for the concern, delivered so delicately and not so much.

I know my limitations and also I know that this is a substandard way to fix a truck that is a daily driver for my wife and kid and frequently hauls my family and my kids friends to our camp out of state. Not to mention, this truck often tows our 18 foot boat or our 31 foot travel trailer! You sure you don't want to drive next to me?

I attempted this really just to see what the outcome would be, again, because the cash laid out to do it was small. My welds are terrible and ugly with minimal penetration. I have little experience welding and thought it was worth a try, couldn't hurt the parts any and might gain some experience welding two chunks of metal together. And yes, I know, if I heated that metal enough for a sufficient weld, that rubber should have been toast.

The post was mostly intended to brag about my ingenuity. I never really intended to put these on the truck. Well I did, but I talked myself out of it today thinking about all the terrible things that could happen with a part that does, well, hold the rear wheels on the car.

Now how long is it gonna take to get hese parts from PMT?

 

That depends on the color of powder coat you want and if they have some of that color ready to ship.

 

Hopefully our not so delicate comments saved the life of a member of your family or even one that isn't. The new arms will be in your hands within 7 calender days of ordering them, less depending on how close you are to Texas.

FYI - If you have a 1998 model, PMT will also need to know the mounting bolt diameter. They're either 14mm or 16mm. Ford made a size change to the bolts in the middle on 1998. If in doubt, get the 16mm ones and run a 16mm (5/8") drill bit through the mounting holes to open them up a bit.

 

How do you afford to live with yourself? Theres a saying in racing. If you cant afford the best safety equipment, you cant afford to race. Well, if you cant afford to properly fix your car, you cant afford to drive. What a hackjob.

 

He saw the light and repented, read post #10.