Finally found a shop that could get my car on the alignment rack. They told me the lower ball joints are bad. Ok.. Ive read that I can rent a ball joint press tool and pop these in n out(never have though).

However, since my car is a northern car, now in the south. My control arms are rusted to hell anyway. I'm thinking I could go to the junk yard and get some non-rusted ones with decent ball joints in them.

I know there are different control arms for 15" and 16" rims. How can one tell on a junkyard car which CA it is? Measurements on that bump stop angle bracket? Part numbers stamped somewhere? (BTW, I need 16" ones)

 

Jay, The arms are identical. What is suppose to be different is the turn stops that are rivited to them limiting the turn raduis of the wider tired IROCs and GTAs. I would not worry about it and just use any ol set you find in decent shape.

I still have mine original 15" wheel turn stop a-arms on with factory 16" Irocs and it does rub on full lock but nothing bad that you just learn not to crank the wheel as hard- the 16" rim stops just limit you that anyways.

Dean.

ps, the balljoints can be a real pain to press out and back in level if you do not have the proper equipment- meaning something equvilant to a 10 ton press. Trying to do this with a vice and hammer will mostly end up not seating the balljoint squarely into the hole and can damage and elongate it.

 

If you don't know what you are doing, have the shop do it. Just because you can rent the tool, does not mean you will know how to use it. Putting those kind of pressures on things can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.

Now, as for the getting used ball-joints from the junkyard thing, that's ridiculous.

Why not just get new ball joints anyway? They aren't THAT expensive and really they are a highly important part of the car, if one breaks it could be a big disaster on the road, would cause alot of damage to your car and possibly others. I am fairly confident you don't want to risk that.

I could understand the control arms, but if you get used control arms you might as well get new bushings for them since you will have them out anyway.

I am a firm believer in doing it right the first time so you don't have to go back and do it again 2 months after you were just in there.