Mevotech vs. Dorman Control Arms

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They're both 1/2 the price of Moog or Raybestos Professional units.

Which one is better from your experience-- Mevotech or Dorman?

Dorman has a lifetime warranty, Mevotech has a 5-year warranty. Pep Boys uses Mevotech at their service centers.
 
Same thing, get the lifetime. Both are made in the Republic or made in Taiwan.

mevotech/dorman
 
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Originally Posted By: AdRock
So how many times do you want to have to change it? Buy once cry once.


$35/arm vs. $92/arm.

The Saturn has 141k and I can't see myself keeping it past the 200k mark.
 
I just did a lot of front end work and bucked up for the higher price because I don't want to do it twice. Plus some of the OE stuff does not appear to be the best design. I got Moog problem solver tie rods and sway bar link kits.

I was pretty easy on the vehicle and the tie rods were squaking and the sway bar end link boots were tore open with etc. I actually did all struts........waiting for them to settle before an alignment. I have seen the the Mevotech and the Dorman. I would think for control arms they should be OK. It's a hunk of metal with a bushing or two pressed in.

I had a bad experience with dorman coolant bottle. Made in China and leaked at a seam after refilling cooling system. Also at the Taurus forums they have cam sensors that were failing left and right. So you have to watch what you buy from Dorman.

They have mighty tempting prices.
 
The Dorman LCA would be the better of the 2 to spend money, because of the warranty. That having been said I've not noticed any higher a failure rate from Dorman or Mevotech as compared to TRW or Moog as far as suspension parts go.
 
We did a Pontiac FWD and used Mevotech control arms at the customers request,usually its Moog or OEM or we don't bother doing the job but this guy really needed to save a few bucks.

We installed the Mevotech and tried for over an hour to align this car but found it impossible,the right control arm had a slight twist in it.
The part looked like it was good quality and well made and compared to OEM on looks,metal thickness,location and size of the holes for mounting the ABS wire etc.

We took them out and exchanged them for Moog.The car was in almost perfect alignment.
Doing a job twice is no fun,i couldn't with good continence recommend any of the Chinese front end parts.IMO bite the bullet and go with Moog or OEM and be done with it first time around.

Depending on the car it maybe possible to rebuild the originals with new bushings and ball joint,which would also be preferable to the Chinese parts.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
We did a Pontiac FWD and used Mevotech control arms at the customers request,usually its Moog or OEM or we don't bother doing the job but this guy really needed to save a few bucks.

We installed the Mevotech and tried for over an hour to align this car but found it impossible,the right control arm had a slight twist in it.
The part looked like it was good quality and well made and compared to OEM on looks,metal thickness,location and size of the holes for mounting the ABS wire etc.

We took them out and exchanged them for Moog.The car was in almost perfect alignment.
Doing a job twice is no fun,i couldn't with good continence recommend any of the Chinese front end parts.IMO bite the bullet and go with Moog or OEM and be done with it first time around.

Depending on the car it maybe possible to rebuild the originals with new bushings and ball joint,which would also be preferable to the Chinese parts.


I must say I have redone many jobs over the years and it is never fun to go back and do things over. So I have to agree with you on this. When it gets to the point that the Chinese/import quality rises, then maybe they would be worth utilizing.
 
My Dorman in this specific app was definitely made in china. Thanks for the heads up on the warranty; I don't usually cash in but my car won't die. The roads around here or something really eat up front end parts. Of course with rockauto I have to ship them back to claim on warranty...
 
For all I know there is a part in China or Taiwan that gets different names stamped all over it.

Also, I don't remember how many times I was given 2 parts with the same number, yet they were totally different.

+1 cheap parts don't save money, they just make you do the job twice with many items replaced at your own expense.
 
Moog or Raybestos would be it for me, don't like most dorman parts, really really cheapo junky stuff overall. The nuts and bolts they import and sell just are not very good anymore. Dorman died years ago and the junk that "Help" sold is now labeled as dorman. R&BB Inc. is the junk dealer of the automotive world and that's about it.
 
Old thread, but just pulled both Dorman control arms out that I put in ~1.5 years ago because the bushings are completely ripped.

Lifetime warranty, yes, but who pays for the labor and the second alignment? Not worth it, IMO. I'll try MOOG next..
 
Stick with Moog. I have the Mevotech sway bar links which work fine but for a more substantial part like a LCA I would stick with a higher quality part.
 
Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
Stick with Moog.


Yes, but avoid the "R" series. The Moog part numbers that begin with "R" are the cheap, value line parts that are sold only to compete with all the Chinese parts flooding the market.
Look for the "problem solver" parts that may begin with the letter "C", "K", or perhaps some other letter than "R". They may not be made in America, but they won't be the value line either.
 
I put Dorman rear control arms on the CVPI and less than 10k later the arm had separated from the bushing. I found a used OE set out of a 2008 and the rear end is tighter than it has ever been.

 
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Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
Stick with Moog.


Yes, but avoid the "R" series. The Moog part numbers that begin with "R" are the cheap, value line parts that are sold only to compete with all the Chinese parts flooding the market.
Look for the "problem solver" parts that may begin with the letter "C", "K", or perhaps some other letter than "R". They may not be made in America, but they won't be the value line either.


+1 I didn't mention that. Completely agree
 
Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
Stick with Moog.


Yes, but avoid the "R" series. The Moog part numbers that begin with "R" are the cheap, value line parts that are sold only to compete with all the Chinese parts flooding the market.
Look for the "problem solver" parts that may begin with the letter "C", "K", or perhaps some other letter than "R". They may not be made in America, but they won't be the value line either.


+1 I didn't mention that. Completely agree


+1
 
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