1g Balljoints (lower)

[rslaser90]

Have a 90 plymouth laser turbo....Lower balljoints are bad...Read that you can't replace the balljoints separately on the car that you need to buy a new control arm assembly. So the other day after getting annoyed with the idea of dumping that kind of cash to fix a damn balljoint I called a local autoparts store and they told me they carry the balljoints for my car for 24.99...Was Haines lying in saying that the balljoints can not be replaced ??? If they were telling the truth and the guys at autozone have no clue what they are talking about...What kind of sticker shock can I expect from the dealer?

 

[DarthBulk]

Huh? I just replaced the lower ball joints on my 1991 Eagle Talon, no problem. I even bought the Moog ones, the parts place told me they are better than stock I had my control arms off the car when I did it, but I don't see why you can't do it on the car.

 

[rslaser90]

Well my buddy has a second gen and he said that was the case for him. But what i was concerned about is that the haines manual said the same thing for first gens...Guess the book is wrong....Thank god...

 

[DarthBulk]

Yeah, I don't know about 2G DSM's... but I guarantee you, if your Laser is like my Talon, you can replace those ball joints with no problem. Well, you DO have to press them in...but that's typical of any ball joint. I know it can be done, because I did it about 2 weeks ago

 

[spooledu1st]

I would replace the ball joint with moog joints. I like them because you can grease them. No problem with the install prety straight foward. I also have a 1gen.

 

[steve]

2G's have a completely different front suspension. The Dealerships don't have anything but whole lower arms but you can buy just replacement ball joints from various auto parts chains like NAPA.
You have to remove a c-clip from the ball joint before they will come out and press the new ones in then put the clip back on.
One problem with 1G lower control arms is the rear shaft that fits into the bushing rust and break down. It's usually not a problem until you go to change over to poly bushings. Depending on how badly the shaft has crumbled you may find your self looking at new or used arms from outside the rust belt or the darn things will slop around in the bushing impacting your alignment.

Steve

 

[rslaser90]

So I was expecting it to go badly but a 30 pack of bud and the assistance from my friend and the use of his uncles garage with lifts and air...Made the job go easy. The ball joints...Well lets just say...I dont think I should have been driving the car with them like that........Next on the agenda...Is the hub assembly....Sounds like I have a bit of whirl in the wheels...and they are stock so I might aswell replace them now too...

 

[blMuskrat]

You have to remove a c-clip from the ball joint before they will come out and press the new ones in then put the clip back on.

Anyone have a picture of this clip. I'm doing a ball joint replacement and can't seem to press them out (I have a ball joint press), but I don't see any c-clip on the current ball joint.

 

[dls93tsi]

the clip is right underneath the rubber cover over the ball joint. pull off the rubber peice and it is right there.

I need help on this project too. I cannot get the long bolt out of the front control arm bushing. Did anyone else have this problem? I need to get the control arm off, but i cant get that bolt out..I tried turning it out, i tried bashing it out, but it bent 2 of my 17 mil wrenches now and its still a PITA to turn it, even a little. I got the nut off, I just cant get the bolt out to drop the control arm..

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Morphius]

the clip is right underneath the rubber cover over the ball joint. pull off the rubber peice and it is right there.

I need help on this project too. I cannot get the long bolt out of the front control arm bushing. Did anyone else have this problem? I need to get the control arm off, but i cant get that bolt out..I tried turning it out, i tried bashing it out, but it bent 2 of my 17 mil wrenches now and its still a PITA to turn it, even a little. I got the nut off, I just cant get the bolt out to drop the control arm..

Anyone have any suggestions?

Did the bolt move at all? You don't need to totally remove it to take the control arm off. Actually, you can't remove the bolt until you remove the control arm. Once the nut is off, push the bolt back through until it hits the control arm on the backside. Then tug the control arm out. At that point the bolt isn't in the control arm so it should come out.

 

[neuralracing]

Where do you get those MOOG replacements?

 

[fwddsmturbo]

MOOG suspention parts are avalible from "Parts hut" around here or a "Bumper to Bumper" parts store. To get that ball joint stud out, you have to either use an air hammer aginsed the side or the control arm, or a hammer will work. The reason is that the ball joint stud is tappered and it pushes itself into the lower control arm real tight, so you have to loosen it out of there with the air hammer. There is a special tool that does this too, but it is a real bitc* to work it on those lowers.

good luck, let me know if you need more help!

 

[steve]

I cannot get the long bolt out of the front control arm bushing. I tried turning it out, i tried bashing it out, but it bent 2 of my 17 mil wrenches now and its still a PITA to turn it, even a little. I got the nut off, I just cant get the bolt out to drop the control arm..

Anyone have any suggestions?

Perhaps the bolt it rusted to the metal shaft inside the rubber bushing. I didn't have that problem with mine on the Eclipse but I did have one rusted to a rear bushing on my MR2. It took lots of PB Blaster, my impact wrench, and several pry bars and punches to break it loose.

Steve

 

[Lancer14]

Use a pickle fork. You can pick one up at most any parts store. I was able to get my front control arms off without one, but the rears wouldn't budge. 1 pickle fork and about 5 seconds later on each arm and they were free.

Chris

 

[4ged4G63]

yes balljoints can be replaced you do not have to buy a new control arm.

tap that long bolt out by sticking a screwdriver/pick in it and tap it through with a hammer. Then after it slides out wrestle the control arm down.

I suggest taking your control arms to a tech so they can press the new ball joint/s in. If you wack it in with a hammer you have the potential of damaging the new ball joint and you will have to buy a new one becasue the grease will ooze out.

There were two differetn type of ball joints offered out here at autozone. Teh company was called perfect circle. You want the one that is already sealed with grease and ready to install, it is a nice brass color on the bottom and will look like your stockers.

The one you do not want is the one with the rubber boot open and it comes with a bag of grease, then you have to fill the boot with the grease.

 

[dls93tsi]

OK, update.

I still cannot get that damn bolt out! I tried using a pickle fork, but i dont know where the heck i should put it, it is too big to get behind the bolt, besides for the bolt being tight on the frame.

I tried using a 2 jaw gear puller on the nut end to push the bolt through, but i bent the metal on the frame i had the puller hooked to before i moved the bolt.

I tried hammering on it more, but I only succeded in FUBARing the nut and bolt.

I think I am just going to say fu(k it and get a cutoff wheel up in there or a saber-saw and cut the bolt out around the bushing, and replace the bolt and bushing. A set of energy suspension bushings is only $33 so I think this in my best bet.

What do you guys think? Once I get the control arm off I will be free sailing its just that friggin bolt. Any suggestions??

 

[4ged4G63]

dude, if you are talking about the long bolt that holds the control arm up then that is easy to get out, you may just be going about it the wrong way.

Make sure the control arm is in its position its supposed to be when its all bolted in cause if you've tried yanking on it then the bolt is not gonna want to slide out very easy. So push it back into place and use a pick/small head flathead screw driver and use a hammer to tap it through, it should tap out.

Then after you tapped it through enough, go to the end where you would put the socket on and tap right there and it will tap out.

If you bi*** out on this then I will slap you, its not that hard.

Is this the bolt you are talking about? The long one holding the control arm in?

I've taken these things out like 3-4 times before to fix other stupid shit.

 

[dls93tsi]

I just tried puttin it back in place, but it still wont budge....I am geussing that after 212000 miles the bolt fused itself to the bushing and im just gonna cut it out tommorow.

Thanks for the help though

 

[4ged4G63]

the bushing is rubber how does a metal bolt fuse itself to rubber?

You need a rubber mallet to bang on that shit

good luck

 

[steve]

the bushing is rubber how does a metal bolt fuse itself to rubber?

You never noticed that there is a metal sleeve inside the rubber bushing?

Steve

 

[3kgt2dsm]

dude, get a sledge hammer and a pickle fork, you gotta whack the heck out of it
a regular hammer wont work.

 

[neuralracing]

MOOG suspention parts are avalible from "Parts hut" around here or a "Bumper to Bumper" parts store. To get that ball joint stud out, you have to either use an air hammer aginsed the side or the control arm, or a hammer will work. The reason is that the ball joint stud is tappered and it pushes itself into the lower control arm real tight, so you have to loosen it out of there with the air hammer. There is a special tool that does this too, but it is a real bitc* to work it on those lowers.

good luck, let me know if you need more help!

Can these be ordered online anywhere?

 

[Whitetalonb16g]

https://www.rockauto.com/applet3.html


I haven't dealt with them yet, but I found it in another search for removing the ball joints on a 1g. I shall be having fun with this soon...

 

[terrible]

The bolt has welded itself to the sleave inside the bushing. I have yet to finish my bushing install on the rear of mycar because both of the upper control arm eccentric bolts are stuck inside the sleaves. the only way to get it out is to start cutting. However I have no idea how you're going to go about cuttting it out without ruining the arm