What does it feel like when these start to go out? I can feel the whole front end sway when going around some turns. How much of a bitch is it to fix and what kind of money am I looking at?

 

if you feel like you have a problem you should check all the parts for wear, not guess or have someone else guess at what it might be

 

I am getting ready to go have it looked at right now. My dad says if ball joints go out, wheels can fall off. I just got this thing, I can't let that happen.

 

i'm not even going to touch that one.

 

yeah, well, um, never heard that one before...sorry to tell your dad he might be mistaken on that issue.

it sounds like you need to find a good garage and get them to look it over. ball joints themselves are not expensive (like $20 a side if I remember for these cars), but the labor is not easy for newcomers or inexperienced people and a few special tools would be helpful.

 

Special tools are not only helpful but necessary. You have to press out/in the new ball joints, which requires the use of a press.

 

assuming your problem is the ball joint.
the ball joint it's self is about $20 depending on where you buy it.
as stated befor, it is a must to use a ball joint press to remove the old one and install a new one(you can rent one from autozone. when you return it they will refund the deposit. $100 deposit is required on the ball joint press if I remember correctly)

also make sure you are using good tools. I trashed 3 craftsman ratchets replacing my ball joints, and make sure you get the new ball joint pressed in evenly at the start or you will just have to press it back out and start over which is a real PITA if it is already over half way pressed in place.

 

Do it yourself. I was just about to get it done at the shop until I read up on it. It's not bad at all. Use a couple of jackstands under the frame and you'll need 2 hydraulic jacks. I used the money I saved to buy one of those shop-like Michelin jacks...

Baby sledge hammer helps A LOT. You won't need a press to get them out. You can use the bottle jack under the a-arm technique to get them in without a problem. Worked great for me.

 

yeah, I did mine the same way steve. I always feel that when they say special tools are required, it really means you just need a bigger hammer.

 

my friend's IROC needed both of these replaced...they were 16 or 17$ at Auto Zone....he did one side without the tool then waited until somone returned the tool to AutoZone and then used the tool for the other side...vastely easier and hell the tool was free to use...it was an excellent and fast job to do (considering) and prevented the front end form wanting to wiggle like a ****

 

Naw, you'll just hear and feel this gawdawful squealing, thumping scraping sound coming from the front, accompanied by a noticeable shimmy in the steering wheel coinciding with the sudden lowering of one front corner. After you soil yourself and manage to get the car stopped safely on the side of the road (hopefully it doesn't happen on a busy interstate) and step out, noticing that the ground is a lot closer to your rocker panel than you remember it was. You step back and think to yourself, "Wow, that rake looks pretty good!" Then you see the rear edge of the front fender has a new curve to it. You look under the front to see the controll arm sitting on the ground, and the tie rod assembly is back against the sway bar end link. Then you wonder what to do next....
True story, unfortunately (except for the soiling part) Two weeks prior, I had mistaken a worn spindle as being a loose balljoint, so I replaced the joint. Heading to work one morning, the nut worked itself off the balljoint stud - I'm 99.9% sure I had put the cotter pin in, but there was no sign of it - and the combination of downward spring pressure on the control arm, and the upward pressure of the body on the strut/spindle caused the seperation. Thankfully, our thirdgens are 'front-steer', or things could have been disastrous. The spindle/wheel went more-or-less straight back. If it were something like a C3 or C4 'vette, it would have instantly attained a massive amount of toe-out.

Pete

 

Has anyone put in a polyeurethane ball joint? I have heard they are more of a pain to put in than your standard oem ball joint.

Also what kind of labor did you guys pay to have these put in by someone else?

 

there is no such thing as a polyurethane ball joint, they are made up entirely of metal. there is a polyurethane ball joint boot, that takes the place of the rubber one, is that what you mean? or was that a joke?

 

No I wasn't joking, Sorry my ignorance shows! I don't know much about suspensions. I thought there were ball joints in those polyeurethane suspension kits from summit. I think my ball joint is in need of replacing because it sounds like something pops when I turn it hard coming out of a parking spot.

 

beat the a arm off the steering knuckle with a little sledge hammer (or a pickle fork but that will destroy the balljoint) then you can beat the thing out with a hammer from the top (put a stand under the a arm so you dont break it off your car) now to install slide it in the hole, put a bottle jack under it and beat it onto there by hitting the a arm with the sledge..... who says you need a press

 

I think that considering you can rent the tool for free, despite the deposit required, that it would be easier/cheaper/less frustrating to just get the ball joint press in the first place.

 

Mine does that too. all my steering components are new so I have no idea what it could be.

 

If you've changed everything, I'd lean towards the stress cracked frame problem evident with our cars around the steering box.

 

how much would a wonder bar help on a frame with an existing stress crack?

Or would the crack have to be welded?

 

Um, fellas...that loud pop is a strut tower bearing

 

If it is....well.....I've been wanting to upgrade to a better mount.


Only needed a reason.

 

The ball joint has a wear indicator built into it. The little nubbin that the grease fitting screws into will retract into the ball joint housing as the joint wears. Check out a new ball joint and you will see how much it sticks out. Compare this to your own ball joint and you will know how much wear you have.

 

Is there really a bearing in there?? I have the same popping and it seems to be more noticable lately. Where can I find replacements??
thanks
BTW if this was a joke.. pretend i never asked

 

Is there really a bearing in there?? I have the same popping and it seems to be more noticable lately. Where can I find replacements??
thanks
BTW if this was a joke.. pretend i never asked

 

Do a search on the strut towers. Especially stuff by TomP, because I believe he ended up with the wrong ones which happens all the time I hear.