So the front end of my '02 GT has been popping when hard over for a while. Based on some threads on here, a quick visual inspection with the wheels off, and general time working on cars, I figured the tie-rod end and ball joint probably needed to be replaced.
So I took it to a shop because I don't have a press and didn't want to go through the pain of replacing the ball joints myself. They called me today to tell me that the lower control arm on the passenger side needed to be replaced as well. As a normal skeptical person, I asked to see the arm before they did any more work. So I drove down and took a look.
This is what the arm looked like where it connects to the car... which isn't great, but could be worse...
This is how easy it is to put the ball joint in (Video still processing... may be a few minutes. Cliff Notes is that you can just drop it in):
YouTube - Lower Ball Joint Loose
While it is a 2002, I only have 50k miles on it, I've lightly auto crossed it twice, and otherwise drive it mostly gently. I back it into my garage, which is an awkward bump on the way up the drive way as I back up (but not THAT awkward). I did curb the passenger side pretty hard once in a parking garage, but the weird issues I had existed before this problem.
The suspension mods I have done are pretty basic: Upgraded front sway bar, urethane bushings (end links), Saleen springs/struts (motorcraft, basically), and went to 17x9 rims running a 275/40 front tire... overall drop on the front is about 1.25"
The basic question is: are there any other components that could have caused this that I need to b e concerned about replacing? Could this damage be caused by a ginormous pothole?
So I took it to a shop because I don't have a press and didn't want to go through the pain of replacing the ball joints myself. They called me today to tell me that the lower control arm on the passenger side needed to be replaced as well. As a normal skeptical person, I asked to see the arm before they did any more work. So I drove down and took a look.
This is what the arm looked like where it connects to the car... which isn't great, but could be worse...
This is how easy it is to put the ball joint in (Video still processing... may be a few minutes. Cliff Notes is that you can just drop it in):
YouTube - Lower Ball Joint Loose
While it is a 2002, I only have 50k miles on it, I've lightly auto crossed it twice, and otherwise drive it mostly gently. I back it into my garage, which is an awkward bump on the way up the drive way as I back up (but not THAT awkward). I did curb the passenger side pretty hard once in a parking garage, but the weird issues I had existed before this problem.
The suspension mods I have done are pretty basic: Upgraded front sway bar, urethane bushings (end links), Saleen springs/struts (motorcraft, basically), and went to 17x9 rims running a 275/40 front tire... overall drop on the front is about 1.25"
The basic question is: are there any other components that could have caused this that I need to b e concerned about replacing? Could this damage be caused by a ginormous pothole?
