![]() Some-usually older-style-ball joints are pressed into the lower control arm with a hydraulic press. How is your ball joint attached to the control arm? It might be bolted on, in which case all you need to do is remove the bolts and drop in the new part. Now you should be able to depress the control arm far enough for the stud to clear the strut. We didn't, but we did use a big pry bar to get the last inch of suspension travel we needed.Īnd this is why we told you to lift the whole front of the car-the other side of the suspension needs to be at full droop to allow enough clearance on this side. You may need to loosen the clamp on the other side. On our example vehicle we got enough clearance by removing the bolts on the bar's clamp on one side of the vehicle. You have two choices: either raising the strut-which means fighting a spring stout enough to hold up one corner of your car-or dealing with the sway bar. Now you should be able to tap the control arm smartly with a bigger hammer to get the stud to move.īut wait! There's a sway bar thicker than your thumb up against the bottom of the control arm, preventing any significant movement of the arm downward. Smack the area with a ball-peen hammer a couple of times to loosen up the attraction. These two pieces have been mated and bathed in muddy, salty water for years-they're attached. Well, our world isn't perfect, so that's not going to happen. In a perfect world, you could simply press down on the lower control arm and the stud would drop free of the strut. This clamps around the ball joint's stud. Now you can remove the pinch bolt in the bottom of the strut. If so, remove the caliper's attachment, and hang it from something with a thick wire to keep from damaging the brake line. You'll probably need to remove the brake disc and caliper to get to the fastener between the ball joint and the bottom of the strut or upright-but maybe not. Don't attempt to lift up only one corner. You'll need to lift the entire front end of the car and unload both sides of the suspension, for reasons that will become obvious later. If something goes really wrong, at least there's something thicker than my head between the car and the ground. I like to toss the removed wheel under the frame of the vehicle near where I'm working. Jack up the vehicle and support it on safety stands-an old stump or some cement blocks won't cut it. Block both rear wheels in both directions. Odds are they will outlast the OEM parts because they almost always have a grease fitting installed. We recommend purchasing aftermarket premium-quality ball joints. As long as you have the tools out and your hands dirty, you may as well do both sides. One suggestion: If one joint has failed, the other is probably not far behind. As always, consult the shop manual for specifics. Some vehicles, particularly high-end cars, use a sophisticated rear-end suspension setup that may use ball-type joints, and the principles we're talking about here may apply. If the spring compressor slips, parts will fly out of the wheel well at ballistic velocities-probably right at an important part of your body, like your face. The energy stored in the spring is more than adequate to put a hurtin' on you. You can rent one, but in this case we suggest you shop this procedure out to a professional mechanic. If your vehicle uses upper and lower control arms, you'll need a spring compressor. If your vehicle has a strut-type suspension, or any other type of suspension system that doesn't involve the need to compress the springs and unload the control arms, you can easily replace the worn-out part using simple hand tools. This will precipitate two unfortunate events: loss of control at some speed, and considerable damage to the rest of the vehicle. When it fails, the wheel involved will try to part company with your vehicle, and not quite succeed in doing so. Do not delay in repairing a failing ball joint or tie rod end. The lubrication finally dries out, water intrudes inside the boot covering the moving parts, and rust and abrasive road dirt turn a ball joint or tie rod end into a loosey-goosey accident waiting to happen. You've just discovered the true life span of a permanently lubed suspension joint. They're Lubed For Life, like it says right here in the owner's manual. My ball joints are sealed-there's no grease fitting to pump fresh lubricant into. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to playįront suspension parts eventually wear out, but this sudden onset of slop in your ball joint probably means a lubrication failure.
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