Alright, i'm actually in the shop right now..they've got a computer for me to use...how condsiderate right? Well i went in to get my pillow ball bushings replaced. They had no clue what they were doing, I looked through the window and they had the hood poped and where looking at the front suspension. ????. I finally just walked out there and said "i don't know what having the hood poped and my front right wheel has to do with the pillow ball bushings in my rear suspension!" They looked at me like "oh ****!" Anyways, they did find that my front right upper ball joint is loose. They wanted to call around and find out how to fix it...i told them i had a better idea! So, can i replace the ball joint itself or do i need an all new upper control arm? Here are the symptoms. I grab the top and bottom of the rims and wiggle it, i heard a clunking noise....pin pointed to the ball joint on top. Is that fixable in itself, or am i looking at spending more $$$$. Also, after doing the pillow ball bushings, will i need an alignment, or are they trying to get more of my money? Thanks guys



~Mike

 

you'll need a new control arm. ball joint is not servicable.

 

You will need a new upper control arm. I recently replaced both of mine (L & R front upper control arms). The total for both was a bit over $500 from Malloy. They are nearly identical parts (just mirror images of each other), but one costs a little more. I don't remember which. Replace it; it's worth it.

-Max

 

You can also get these pretty damn cheap in the for sale section. I just got one in perfect shape. I forgot how much I paid though. I bet Fritz would have at least one...

 

Good point. Although I have 4 bad ones sitting in my garage; including two bad ones that I bought used. Be sure to have the seller guarantee that the ball joint is good. When checking, make sure the ball/shaft is in the same position it is in while driving. It can be loose in the "middle" and still feel tight when mis-aligned.

-Max

 

Max,

what's the best way to check for play in the ball joint?

 

Best way to check for ball joint play is to:

Jack up front of the car....besure to put it on jackstands.
Grab ahold of the top and bottom of the tire and wiggle it watch for any movement in the ball joint.

You shouldn't have any play. Mine was bad, so it was really noticable.


Haha, good suggestion on Fritz. That's actually who i got the car from, so i called him since he always seems to have the part anyone is looking for. Badda Bing badda boom, part on the way!


Thanks Fritz!

 

You can tell the ones that I have are bad (with them out of the car) with your hands. The key part of the procedure, however, is that you hold the ball joint in roughly the center of its range of motion. If you check for play with the joint to one side, you won't find any. This procedure might be useful for a buyer to request that a seller check the ball joint before sending the arms. All of the bad ones that I have exhibit noticable play.

-Max