I started out this past weekend with the intention of taking off my front strut assemblies but ended up with just f----ing up one of my stabilizer bar links. Needless to say, I got no where on either side.

The good news (if any), is that my wife finally felt sorry for me and agreed to get me an air compressor and a nice impact wrench & ratchet as a gift. Yaaaa! Watching me sweat like a pig in a closed garage (stupid home association doesn't allow us to work on cars IN MY OWN garage) and cutting myself with no result did it for her.

The bad news, like I said before, I really f---ed up the bolt connecting the stabilizer bar link to the strut while attempting to take it off with hand tools. It's half way loosened, but the nut and bolt are so bad I can't tighten nor loosen it anymore.

So, I need to get a new one because I'm replacing the strut. My 1st question is, I don't have to change both sides at same time if the other is in good working order, correct? Secondly, a genuine one costs $110, but the Beck Arnley one is $40. I was never impressed with Jaguar's original part durability, but how good or bad are the aftermarket Beck Arnley ones??? Any issues with alignment or such?? They look smack identical.