Bottom 2 inches of front windows hazy? & FCAs reversible?

[2000alhVW]

The bottom 2 inches of both of my front windows are hazy/cloudy. I can't clean it up.
Hard to pick up in photos, but looks very grubby in person.

I originally assumed it had to do with a PO being a smoker, but I saw someone mention something about the plastics "ungassing"? Which would make sense as the window haze is right next to the plastic door cards.

Is there anything I can do about this? Thinking I might have to remove the glass and 'polish' up with some steel wool. Or is that a bad idea?


Also, pretty sure everything is original in the front end of my 2000 Golf w/160k. I'll just assume bushings are shot, and I'd much rather throw on a new control arm that already comes with bushings and a ball joint.
Are these control arms reversible, or mirrored?
When looking at bare CA, it only lists 'lower', but when looking at CA with LBJ, it says left or right.
Is it possible to flip CA over and bolt in the ball joint from the other side?

 

[RexNICO]

...
Also, pretty sure everything is original in the front end of my 2000 Golf w/160k. I'll just assume bushings are shot, and I'd much rather throw on a new control arm that already comes with bushings and a ball joint.
Are these control arms reversible, or mirrored?
When looking at bare CA, it only lists 'lower', but when looking at CA with LBJ, it says left or right.
Is it possible to flip CA over and bolt in the ball joint from the other side?

The control arms are not left/right, but the ball joints are. Make sense?

 

[[486]]

I'd try some good non-chlorinated brake cleaner on a cotton rag. The real stinky cancer-you-quick stuff with MEK in it.

 

[Powder Hound]

To flesh out Rex's answer a bit: yes, the lower control arm is reversible and will fit either side. So if you get the one with bushings, but without the ball joint, then the control arm fits either side.

The ball joint is not a straight up arrangement, and so there is a different one for each side. Also, since the control arm gets flopped when moved to the other side of the car, the ball joint would stick out the other direction. Therefore, when equipped with the ball joint, there will be a left side or right side. It would be this way even if the ball joints were the same, actually, because the ball joint is installed differently for the respective side of the car.

Cheers,

PH