Horizontal Opposition

Even at $110 a pop I think these are worth it if you either a.) don't have a press and have to pay for labor, or b.) have bad/rusted arms, c.) Need ball joints, front and rear bushings.

 

Mevotech uses what looks to be firmer bushings in the rear, they are definitely don't have the same voids in them. Looks like you can buy their bushings separately (I wonder how they compare to group n).

 

Here is the cost breakdown of all the parts without the control arms themselves:

Front Bushing: $15.78 - MEVOTECH MS80428 Supreme

Rear Bushing: $15.80 - MEVOTECH MS80427 Supreme

Ball Joint: $14.00 - MEVOTECH MK9513 Supreme With X Factor Technology

 

So just in parts you are at $46 per arm without shipping.

 

Add in labor of pushing the bushings out and your probably going to be closer to $100 per arm to just refresh your current stock arms.

 

 

With that said, I JUST found another alternative, this one is $54 per arm! Rock auto only shows it as being compatible with Non turbo cars, which is weird. They have the same exact part number as Mevotech, just different brand and different ball joints at least, everything else looks identical (even bushings)

ULTRA-POWER CMS80182

ULTRA-POWER CMS80181

 

Rock Auto even names them "802_ULTRAPOWER MEVOTECH_CMS80182_1__ra_p.jpg". So I think these might be Mevotech's with their non Supreme bushings!

 

http://www.rockauto.com/info/802/802_ULTRAPOWER%20MEVOTECH_CMS80182_1__ra_p.jpg

http://www.rockauto.com/info/802/802_ULTRAPOWER%20MEVOTECH_CMS80182_3__ra_p.jpg

 

I just installed these Ultrapower units. As far as I can tell the only difference would be the ball joints. The included set seemed up to the task, so I installed with them. Packaging might be another way they bump the price down. They were just bagged, no box or anything... Its been 2 weeks now and car feels solid. Got rid of the clunk and weigh about 1.5 lbs less. I would recommend these.

It works. If you need more "proof" than that, stay stock and stay happy.

 

Thanks for the response, I know you've had a couple 5EATs from doing my research. What I'm really after here is getting some data together so that people like me that don't know anyone local and haven't felt the difference can feel confident in making the purchase. I feel like that can only help Hexmods. Since I'm bone stock, I will use my Tactrix cable over the next couple days to capture shift times and analyse them for a bone stock car. I was thinking of getting the best resolution by just logging rpm vs. time stamp. If anyone can think of any other parameters that would be good, let me know. Then if anyone with a valve body upgrade can do the same we can have a good comparison...

06 5EAT, 75K, bone stock.... Now before I get to adding power I was interested in the Hex Mods Valve Body Upgrade. Can anyone post before and after datalogs that prove faster shifts?

For those of you that have been looking for an alternative to the now out of production canadian aero bars, Rhino-Racks has an option that will work and looks great in pictures.

 

http://www.rhinorack.com.au/products/roof-racks/vortex/vortex-sx-black-2-bar-roof-rack_ja1778 .

 

Unfortunately I think the Aussies do not realize our legacy wagons have the same rails as their Outbacks, so this kit does not show up on the american website. But if you drill down to the components of the kit they can be purchased separately here in the U.S. I just got off the phone with their U.S. office and informed them of this. In fact, the kits listed on the US site for the legacy will not fit unless you delete your rails as the AUDM legacy wagons had deleted rails as noted a few posts up.

 

Here are the legs you'd need

 

http://www.rhinorack.com/en-us/products/roof-rack-parts/legs/vortex-sx-leg-x4-_sx004

 

Along with 2 of these bars. Shown in Silver, but also available in black it looks like.

 

http://www.rhinorack.com/en-us/products/roof-rack-parts/bars/vortex-bar-silver-42-_va106s

 

I haven't pulled the trigger on them yet, so I have no review, but I thought I'd put this out there for those people like me that have stumbled across this thread looking for options.