Looks like I need to replace the lower control arms on my other LR3. What's the advantages of Meyle over stock control arms if any? Im doing the tie rods (HD) and control arms at the same time. No complaints as this rig is now over 186k and goes off road several times a week.

 

I have never, ever had good luck with anything Meyle..... but I know others that have. But I think indeed you want the HD. I believe the HD have sold bushings versus the OEM which are oil filled and tend to fail sooner. I think my BMW or Benz had that same oil filled bushings too. There is another brand I have taken a liking to, Mevotech. I think a Canadian company? Anyway, I put some front lowers on from them and they have been holding up perfectly. But again like Meyle they have a couple lines, in my case I bought the Mevotech "Supreme" version. All my other parts are OEM (I did a full front/rear suspension replacement a few years back).

 

Meyle HD LCAs and bushes are what the British independent LR mechanics seem to swear by. So I and many others cargo cult. 😂😇

I have actually a set of front LCAs waiting for the weather to become warmer again…. I’ve also used Meyle HD stabilizer links since 2017 both front and back. No issues.

 

I believe the OE for LCAs and rods is Lemförder (= ZF) but indeed the rear bush on the LCA is filled with oil and it eventually breaks and the contents leak out. But there is nothing wrong with Lemförder, they’re quality all around.

 

SuperPro makes some purple poly bushings for the LR3/RRS, I am tempted to try them on my RRS lower front control arms.

 

If you never go off-road maybe poly works, but they sure have caused lots of trail headaches. Not my photos.

 

Well darn! I took my RRS to HCRR this year and the OEM bushings are totally trashed afterwards. Was hoping the Poly from SuperPro would help make those arms last longer.

They're sure awesome on my D1. I know when I did the D1 arms/bushings the SuperPro had tons of grease to apply. I've since seen Poly's from other vendors without any grease and now I'm wondering if that's the issue installing them dry.

 

I am not expert, but it appears the issue is not so much grease as physics 101. Bushings by nature are designed to absorb suspension stress more than anything. So if you put something that has a lot less give in its place, that stress had less places to go and is thus "transferred" to areas around it. Also most of these bushing press in pretty easy, not like OEM where you need an actual press. So I dont think they bind up much. Grease probably does more for noise than anything to do with binding or stresses. I bet a D1/2 can do poly simply cause the beefier build. The D3/D4 are entering mall crawler territory with minimal material in mind.

 

The SuperPro I used on the D1 had to be pressed in and definitely wouldn't have just gone in. I have seen plenty of the TF branded yellow or the orange ones that are two piece and you simply slide into place and even brand new say on a panhard rod = bushing had tons of slop. I didn't notice that with the SuperPro's they felt like OEM rubber once installed. I won't touch TF poly two piece stuff.

I'll probably just go with Lucky8 LCA's and I'm seriously thinking of selling the RRS. I love the engine, the looks, and how it drives, but I'm a solid axle guy and coil springs more.

 

I know this guy personally and heard the story behind it. If I remember correctly, this was on the Rubicon and took several hard hits and broke quite a few parts on that trip. Not saying poly is better/worse, but this may be an extreme example.