Review on Moog RK640287 Control Arm by Scott Clayton

PSA: Generally speaking, if you're looking for quality aftermarket parts, Moog is a pretty good choice, but RK isn't. The flex bushings on my 2001 Honda Civic's forearm have been changing for years so I replaced them with cheap nameless Chinese Flea bushings about 5 years ago. They lasted about 3 years before one of them broke. When looking for a replacement I was pleasantly surprised that these Moog brands were very reasonably priced compared to other brands and ordered a pair. Assembly was easy and they fit perfectly. Less than a year later, the bushings on both levers had already snapped. I attributed it to a possibly severe winter? After all, this is Moog and they have to be some of the best aftermarket products you can buy right? I ordered and installed another pair. A few months ago I had vibration in the steering wheel again and some rattling noises on the bumps. I ignored the controls because they were less than a year old. Well I checked again today and the bushings look worn. I went online and found out that Moog "RK" is a budget line with lower quality products that may not even be made by Moog or its parent company Federal Mogul. The "K" line with yellow and blue rectangles that contains "Troubleshooter" parts is quality material. They just arrived in a white box with the Moog tag on. In one horror story I found online, there was someone with a Moog RK lower arm that had a catastrophic failure and ended up in a ditch right on the freeway. I noticed that the place I bought them from (AAP) no longer sells these levers. Stay away from the RK line! The original joystick and replacement didn't even last a year! I'll be nice and give them 2 stars because if you're just planning on selling the car and want something dangling then that's fine and will work, but if you keep the car for more than a year you'll have to replace it again . PS Also, when installing the lower arms, make sure to tighten them on the ground, not in the air. They need to be stressed when tightened in the correct position. Edit: I'm editing this review years later because I now realize I couldn't disclose that my car broke down. As a result, the lower wishbones are more heavily loaded than in a production vehicle. However, I lasted about 10 years with the original OEM, and 9 of those years my car was underrated.