bbarbulo
07-29-2004, 10:37 AM
So, you have front end clunk or just wanna freshen up your ride? I suspected my ball joints, and upon inspection found them tight, but the boots were cracked up. Meaning - they were gonna go bad in the next few months anyways, and the arm-to-crade bushings were cracked and crusty lookin. So, I picked up new parts from NAPA made by Spicer (of Spicer-Dana). The original OEMs were made by TRW. I paid $115 each, regular price was $135 each. Ball joints are KEY to safe operation, as when the ball joint breaks, the wheel will swivel around the strut in any dirction it wants, and depending on the speed could go right into the cabin and take out your legs. I've heard of this happening before. So, given that, the after tax total of $267 that I paid for it was a steal. Nearly 12 year old ball joints are nothing to neglect.
Now, the how-to part of this... pix0rs will be up a little later when I DL them from my camera.
1. loosen lugs and jack up vehicle - support it on jack stands (you'll be yankin off big bolts with lots of torque, you don't wanna rely on a jack).
2. remove wheels
3. remove splash shields on both sides
4. remove the cotter pin on the balljoint-to-steering knuckle
5. remove the castle nut on the balljoint-to-steering knuckle 18mm
6. use a hammer to hit the part of the steering knuckle just under the castle nut. This should make the ball joint pop out. If not, use a ball joint fork cuz you're replacing them anyways.
7. use a pry bar to seperate the steering knuckle from the lower control arm
8. remove the 18 mm nut on the lower control arm-to-cradle bolt... you use a 15 mm socket to stop it from spinning.
9. remove the 24 mm nut on the sway bar
10. I don't know if this is entirely necessary, but I removed the whole sway bar using a 15 mm socket. careful, this can change your caster!!! since the sway bar also acts as the ... lateral locator for the lower control arm. Mark the d-brackets. This is also a good time for the energy suspension sway bar bushings. I already had mine, so I just greased them.
11. now the sway bar and the lower control arms are out! you just slide the control arms off the sway bar, and install new ones. Use plenty of chassis grease on the bushings... you don't want creaks and squeaks to creep in.
12. reverse the removal... I don't know if this is the easiest way to do it, but I did it like this... put the LCA (lower control arms) onto the sway bar with liberal greasing.
13. put the sway bar back in place loosely.
14. put the LCAs into the cradle and try to get the bolts in as best as you can... some LIGHT hammering may help
15. once you have the LCA to cradle bolts in, you can tighten the sway bar and adjust the caster to where you marked it before.
16. tighten the LCA to cradle bolts a LITTLE, but not all the way
17. manipulate the steering knuckle to get over the ball joints... pry bar helps here.
18. tighten the castle nut and put the cotter pin back in
19. tighten all the rest of your bolts
20. put your wheels on and torque them... enjoy!
notes:
I used blue loctite on the sway bar to cradle bolts
I had a hell of a time getting the LCA to cradle bolts in there - it's really not easy
Be careful that the bottom of the steering knuckle doesn't accidentally cut through your ball joint boot. Luckily mine was pretty tough, but I was quite worried there when I saw how it was sitting.
Get an alignment after
If your axle seals are leaking, now is the time to do them - plan ahead.
The castle nut does NOT have enough clearance to come out OR go in when the ball joint is up in the steering knuckle all the way. You have to get some thread through the hole, then start the nut, and then you can tighten it with a wrench.
I had to use mostly wrenches cuz of the tight space in there... I only used on socket, which was the 15mm.... I used a 24 mm wrench cuz I didn't have a socket large enough.
I also did a break job while in there... and I plan to bleed the brakes tonight, and do the rear brakes later next week. There will also be a spring swap back to stock springs in there somewhere... anyone interested in those articles?? I may also do some rear susp work, like some bushings... anyone wanna see those articles? Suggestions to make my articles better also welcome!
Bruno
Now, the how-to part of this... pix0rs will be up a little later when I DL them from my camera.
1. loosen lugs and jack up vehicle - support it on jack stands (you'll be yankin off big bolts with lots of torque, you don't wanna rely on a jack).
2. remove wheels
3. remove splash shields on both sides
4. remove the cotter pin on the balljoint-to-steering knuckle
5. remove the castle nut on the balljoint-to-steering knuckle 18mm
6. use a hammer to hit the part of the steering knuckle just under the castle nut. This should make the ball joint pop out. If not, use a ball joint fork cuz you're replacing them anyways.
7. use a pry bar to seperate the steering knuckle from the lower control arm
8. remove the 18 mm nut on the lower control arm-to-cradle bolt... you use a 15 mm socket to stop it from spinning.
9. remove the 24 mm nut on the sway bar
10. I don't know if this is entirely necessary, but I removed the whole sway bar using a 15 mm socket. careful, this can change your caster!!! since the sway bar also acts as the ... lateral locator for the lower control arm. Mark the d-brackets. This is also a good time for the energy suspension sway bar bushings. I already had mine, so I just greased them.
11. now the sway bar and the lower control arms are out! you just slide the control arms off the sway bar, and install new ones. Use plenty of chassis grease on the bushings... you don't want creaks and squeaks to creep in.
12. reverse the removal... I don't know if this is the easiest way to do it, but I did it like this... put the LCA (lower control arms) onto the sway bar with liberal greasing.
13. put the sway bar back in place loosely.
14. put the LCAs into the cradle and try to get the bolts in as best as you can... some LIGHT hammering may help
15. once you have the LCA to cradle bolts in, you can tighten the sway bar and adjust the caster to where you marked it before.
16. tighten the LCA to cradle bolts a LITTLE, but not all the way
17. manipulate the steering knuckle to get over the ball joints... pry bar helps here.
18. tighten the castle nut and put the cotter pin back in
19. tighten all the rest of your bolts
20. put your wheels on and torque them... enjoy!
notes:
I used blue loctite on the sway bar to cradle bolts
I had a hell of a time getting the LCA to cradle bolts in there - it's really not easy
Be careful that the bottom of the steering knuckle doesn't accidentally cut through your ball joint boot. Luckily mine was pretty tough, but I was quite worried there when I saw how it was sitting.
Get an alignment after
If your axle seals are leaking, now is the time to do them - plan ahead.
The castle nut does NOT have enough clearance to come out OR go in when the ball joint is up in the steering knuckle all the way. You have to get some thread through the hole, then start the nut, and then you can tighten it with a wrench.
I had to use mostly wrenches cuz of the tight space in there... I only used on socket, which was the 15mm.... I used a 24 mm wrench cuz I didn't have a socket large enough.
I also did a break job while in there... and I plan to bleed the brakes tonight, and do the rear brakes later next week. There will also be a spring swap back to stock springs in there somewhere... anyone interested in those articles?? I may also do some rear susp work, like some bushings... anyone wanna see those articles? Suggestions to make my articles better also welcome!
Bruno