Hey all, I'm wanting to attempt to replace my ball joints and tie rod ends by myself. They are worn and mist likely original lol, I want tips on how to do this in my garage. I do not have access to a lift. Only jacks/jackstands and ramps. Help is much appreciated

 

Tie rods:

Replace the inner rod ends, outers, sleeves, and center link (that last is the thing that always wears out the most), as a complete unit. Remove THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY of those parts from car INTACT by removing the nuts that hold the rod ends to the spindles, and the ones that hold the center link to the idler arm and Pitman arm; then use a pickle fork or a screw-type press to separate them. Lay them on the ground EXACTLY as they came off the car WITHOUT DISTURBING ANYTHING. Lay your new parts out right next to them, assemble to match EXACTLY, and adjust to match the lengths EXACTLY. Reassemble to car. If you're doing these before the BJs, leave the spindle end off.

Ball joints:

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...=10401&jsn=543
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...=10401&jsn=544

Get one of the spring compressors that has a kind of a plate on one end and hooks at the other, not hooks at both ends. Remove the sway bar. Get all new bushings ane end links for those while you're at it, you'll probably end up destroying them trying to get them off, anyway. Hook the hooks as high on the spring as they'll go, with the threaded rod part hanging down through the shock absorber hole in the control arm. Put the plate feature onto the screw below the control arm. Find the right length piece of galvanized steel water pipe to make a spacer such that you can just barely get the nut onto the end of the spring compressor screw. Compress the spring and CA together until the spring no longer has tension holding it in. Wouldn't hurt to wrap a piece of chain around the spring & CA at this point, THROUGH THE MIDDLE, to prevent any possible malfunctions: one of those springs has enough energy stored up in it to go RIGHT THROUGH your car, or RIGHT THROUGH your garage wall, or RIGHT THROUGH your brain. Be assured, you don't want ANY of those things to happen. (although if your brain is anything like mine, you might not even notice; butt you're obviously smarter than me, so it might leave a mark) Once you are CERTAIN the spring is under control and CANNOT sproing itself out anywhere in any way, unbolt the control arm bolts (there's 2) and remove the CA, spring, and compressor as a group. CAREFULLY let out the nut on the spring compressor until it all comes apart. Installation is the reverse of removal including the sway bar parts. Wait until the car is sitting on the ground, with its weight supported only by the suspension, to tighten the CA bolts fully.

When finished, drive STRAIGHT to the alignment shop: DO NOT 'test drive", DO NOT hallucinate "oh I'll go to work in the morning and get it done when I get off", NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT. STRAIGHT to the alignment shop. It should come out close enough to drive to the shop without endangering society at large too much, if you drive slowly and carefully.

 

Take a good look at the lower control arm bushings, now would be a good time to change them.

 

They come installed in the rockauto "ball joints" I posted. Which is why I posted those particular ones.

 

I just did ball joints... its actually not that bad! Rented the FREE tool from auto zone and had it done in actually a very short time.


But the damn boot was a huge PITA......worse that the ball joint.......the ball joint itself was replaced in like an hour after removing the spindle to do a spindle swap......but I didn't realize there was a special way to install it (no instructions) so I finally looked online... the damn boot just slipped right on using the Plier method. I held the boot at the motor side atthe 12 o clock position, used a pliers at the 7 position, then let go of the 12 position and used another plers at the 4 position and it slipepd righton.... my jaw dropped


Ball Joint Dust Boot Installation | MOOG Parts

 

Do you hava a part no. or a link to the tool you rented at autozone? I have a universal joint press and these damn ball joints ALWAYS give me a hard time to install straight into the bore. Maybe the autozone tool works better...

 

I just asked them to rent the ball joint tool... its a big giant c clamp looking tool in a very lime green color! It took a bit to get the boints started / adjusted, but no more than a few minutes per side,

 

Lol. Geez a little dramatic much??

 

Agree with the suggestion to replace the entire lower control arm with new ball joint and bushing pre-installed. Replacing just the ball joint on the original control arm isn't too difficult with the rented c-clamp style press, but the rubber bushings are also likely shot. Replacing the bushings in the old control arm is a royal PITA. I have also found that when pressing in a new balljoint into an old control arm, sometimes the hole in the control arm stretches a bit and the ball joint doesn't fit tightly. A quick weld bead will correct that issue, but if you don't have a mig welder, then that just adds another thing.

If you end up replacing the control arm, buy new control arm bolts and nuts as well. If the car has spent any time during its life in an area where roads are salted, those bolts will be pretty well corroded and you will likely have to cut at least one or more of them off. The bolt rusts to the inner sleeve of the rubber bushing and both spin together. There isn't enough space to swing a hammer and punch the bolt out. Use a sawzall with a diamond blade (the blade with no teeth, just small pieces of diamond grit) between the bushing and the frame mount. Use a generous amount of cutting oil (motor oil works fine) and have a few blades on hand. You'll kill about one blade per cut, so 2 figure blades per bushing.

 

I've heard these dont have the steering stops or what ever they are called, but those look like they do. People say they buy the S10 control arms and then weld them on. Can you enlighten us further?

 

I have never purchased those control arms from RockAuto, however the photos do show the steering stops.

 

They all have them. They're just slightly different for the various different chassis they were used in, which is A BUNCH. Those same arms used a "taller" stop in the F body application to keep dumb drivers from making the tires rub on things.

AFAIK actual F body ones are NLA. However the S truck & G body ones are identical in every way except for the stops. In which case, you could cut off the ones that come on new arms and replace them with a bolt and acoupla nuts (adjustable!), or just not be an idiot and pay attention to what happens when you turn the wheel all the way to the lock.

 

What is NLA?

 

I forgot. The meaning of NLA is no longer available to me.

 

Ah! Thanks again.

 

Obtain a copy of the Factory Service Manual for your specific 3rd gen; they come up for sale frequently on ebay. Don't bother with any of the aftermarket repair manuals; get an authentic Helms manual.