Lower balljoint Q

A

AndrewJ

New Member

Apr 12, 2005

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Apr 12, 2005

#1

• Apr 12, 2005

• #1

Hey, I gotta do the lower ball joint on my girlfriends 95. It looks like it has to get pressed in. Is there a way to get the old one out and the new one in without having to take the lower control arm off, and taking it to a shop?

 

LoudToy958

Member

Mar 30, 2005

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Bremerton, WA

Apr 12, 2005

#2

• Apr 12, 2005

• #2

If you have air tools, you can rent a kit from Autozone. If you don't have air tools, it is not so easy. If you rent/buy the kit, its not too hard. I would try to avoid taking those a-arms off if I could. I just did that, and it was quite time consuming.

 

rude_life

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Mar 30, 2005

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Apr 12, 2005

#3

• Apr 12, 2005

• #3

I would replace them both if i was going to do 1. Chances are,if they are the stock ball joints its only a matter of time before the other one gives out also. And i would just rip both the a-arms off and have new a-arm bushings pressed in at the same time. This way you only have to take it apart once and have the peace of mind knowing you have new stuff in there..Dont 1/2 A$$ it

Good Luck....

Kris

 

AznStanger3v

Active Member

Aug 11, 2003

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Northern VA

Apr 12, 2005

#4

• Apr 12, 2005

• #4

or use a pickle fork like most people do

 

A

AndrewJ

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Apr 12, 2005

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Apr 12, 2005

#5

• Apr 12, 2005

• #5

My regy got lost, normally it would say I'm in BC Canada, we dont have Autozones here that I know of. But I'll ask around and see if anyone has this kit. The balljoints are still okay in the car, but the one side had its boot rot away and its squeaks like crazy. We're just fixing it before we sell the car.

 

LoudToy958

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Mar 30, 2005

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Bremerton, WA

Apr 12, 2005

#6

• Apr 12, 2005

• #6

AndrewJ said:

My regy got lost, normally it would say I'm in BC Canada, we dont have Autozones here that I know of. But I'll ask around and see if anyone has this kit. The balljoints are still okay in the car, but the one side had its boot rot away and its squeaks like crazy. We're just fixing it before we sell the car.

Click to expand...

Not sure I'll ever remeber that Canada thing. I forget everytime I post. Sorry. I know its not visible, but there has to be a parts store somewhere that can rent you a ball joint press kit. At least I would think. You mentioned a sqeak. Does it sqeak when you turn the wheel? Might not be the ball joints sqeaking. Might be the tie rod ends.

A trick to getting the spidle separated from the ball joints is to use a tie rod end remover. Its a lot easier than the pickle fork. You may be able to rent that also. If not, you can pick one up for about $30US.

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

31,179

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Apr 13, 2005

#7

• Apr 13, 2005

• #7

i am not sure i have heard a ball joint 'squeak'. spring isolators and stuff like that, yes.

as an aside, you can get aftermarket boots for the joint. as said, just pop the ball joint's stud out of the spindle (no need to press the actual ball joint out of the arm), stick the boot on and reinstall the stud.

good luck.

 

Shakerhood

20+ Year Stangneter

Oct 28, 2004

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Ohio

Apr 13, 2005

#8

• Apr 13, 2005

• #8

17yrOldStanger said:

or use a pickle fork like most people do

Click to expand...

I would love to see how you remove a pressed in balljoint from the lower control arm and press a new one into the lower control arm with a Pickle Fork!

 

T

tderrick

Member

Oct 27, 2004

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Apr 13, 2005

#9

• Apr 13, 2005

• #9

Sounds like it would be easier to just buy a new LCA


From what i've been reading, that's what I'm gonna do when it's time...

I may start stock piling parts today....

 

pwcracer

Founding Member

Jun 13, 2000

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Hastings, MN, USA

Apr 13, 2005

#10

• Apr 13, 2005

• #10

I went and bought the press thin it was about $60 online, I was able to press out and in the balljoints on my f-150.. Dealer wanted $350 I think I had about $120 in it, plus I get to keep the tools

 

95Vert

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Aug 19, 2004

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North Mexico (deep south Texas)

Apr 13, 2005

#11

• Apr 13, 2005

• #11

...

 

94-302-vert

Active Member

Aug 16, 2004

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NE CT

Apr 13, 2005

#12

• Apr 13, 2005

• #12

I agree. if ai am going to do it on my car I am planning to buy the '03 cobra lower arm pair for $160 and jsut swap them out with higher rate bushings already installed.

But that is me.

Chris

 

A

AndrewJ

New Member

Apr 12, 2005

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Apr 14, 2005

#13

• Apr 14, 2005

• #13

HISSIN50 said:

i am not sure i have heard a ball joint 'squeak'. spring isolators and stuff like that, yes.

as an aside, you can get aftermarket boots for the joint. as said, just pop the ball joint's stud out of the spindle (no need to press the actual ball joint out of the arm), stick the boot on and reinstall the stud.

good luck.

Click to expand...

I'll take a closer look when I get around to doing it (maybe this weekend). I just assumed it was the balljoint, cause the boot is split in half the whole way around. And it didnt start doing it till after all the cold weather we had, lots of salt. I packed it with some grease with my fingers (what little I could) and it shut it up/quieted it down for a little while.

Whenever you turn the wheel, it makes the nasty noise. I dont imagine what else it could be. I'll check the steering tierod.

 

LoudToy958

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Mar 30, 2005

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Bremerton, WA

Apr 14, 2005

#14

• Apr 14, 2005

• #14

AndrewJ said:

Whenever you turn the wheel, it makes the nasty noise. I dont imagine what else it could be. I'll check the steering tierod.

Click to expand...

My bet is the tierods. I agree with HISSIN50. I had the same issue with my Cobra. Turn the wheel, and it sounded like a 100 year old door that was never greased. Pop those tie rod ends out of the spindles, and turn the wheel. If you pop both of them out, you should be able to turn the wheel by pushing on the rotor itself. Takes a little force, but it will turn. If you don't hear the sqeak, you know what it is......

 

R.J.

Member

Aug 20, 2003

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Warwick, Rhode Island

Apr 14, 2005

#15

• Apr 14, 2005

• #15

I just did shocks, tie rod ends, ball joints, end links and rack bushings on my 95 GT and unless you have aftermarket springs you will need a special tool either way. If you replace the control arm you have to take the spring out and you will not get the STOCK spring back in with out a FORD spring compressor. If you do just the ball joints (this is what I did) you can leave a jack under the control arm, remove the shock and spindle, the jack will hold the spring compressed. But now you need a ball joint press.($60 on ebay) Again aftermarket springs would make a control arm swap very easy. Good luck