Broke ($) and frustrated...

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Dec 7, 2001 | 11:33 PM
  #1  
I just got brand new BFG Radial T/A's ($350), so i went to take my car in for a front end alignment, the guy there said that I need new balljoints. I check it out, he's right. My struts could be replaced, so I might as well do it now. This will cost over 500 if I pay to have it done. About $220 to do it myself. Anyway, how hard is it to change balljoints and struts, since I cant afford to pay osmeone to do it. And I only have one day a week to work on it(all day Saturday). Any tips?
On a semi-related topic, what Are the cheapest, most effective performance mods? I know this question been asked 100 times, but I was wondering what are the cheapest with a med-large SOTP difference?
Sorry for the book.

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1991 Camaro RS 5.0 TBI
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Dec 7, 2001 | 11:56 PM
  #2  
Things are alot cheaper at the auto salvage yard. Those balljoints probably have more life left than you think.
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Dec 8, 2001 | 01:05 AM
  #3  
They seemed to have a lot of 'play' in em
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Dec 8, 2001 | 08:35 AM
  #4  
Quote:
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Buck268:
I know this question been asked 100 times, but I was wondering what are the cheapest with a med-large SOTP difference?
Sorry for the book.
</font>
You're right it has been asked a thousand times. For your car: steep rear gears. Go to the TBI board for more ideas. Please do a search before asking - you'll get more responses if you do some homework first.

Steve

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Steve's Trans Am Temple
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Dec 8, 2001 | 09:29 AM
  #5  
You need a balljoint press to remove and install the ball joints.

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1987 Trans Am 305
14.88 @ 92.81
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Dec 8, 2001 | 10:11 AM
  #6  
GMTech of course hit one of the essential things.

What I would suggest is to go to the junkyard and get a pair of used control arms, and go to the parts store and get a pair of BJs and control arm bushings; the chain parts stores, including AutoZone and CSK and others, "rent" tools like BJ presses and spring compressors for free. I don't know of any good way to do CA bushings at home though. You could take them to your local corner tire store and slip the tech a $20 or whatever (shouldn't be any more than that) to change those out and swap the BJs yourself, or pay him a little extra to do them both for you. Then, with the help of a floor jack, you can use your "rented" spring compressor to hold the spring, while you remove the CAs and replace them with your renewed ones. You have to take the bottom of the struts loose from the spindles to do this, so all that's left to change them is their big nut at the top.

I'd strongly urge putting springs in it at the same time, since you have to take the springs out anyway. I'd recommend Moog ones, look up the ones for like a 87 IROC with performance suspension, check in the buyer's guide section of the paper catalog and verify that the part # you find is the one with the 700 lb/in rate.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports
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