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I tried to find out which brand actually fits better(w/o slop or metal to metal), but most of the information here and on se-r.net is outdated. The brand I had wanted to use is no longer available. And, the brand I thought I wanted to use doesn't seem to last very long, at least from what I read.
So, who's replaced there ball joints lately, what did you use and why? I'm not a cheapskate when it comes to the car. I tend to upgrade to better stronger parts when the oem or oem replacement is worn.
Now, I just have to remember where I found the easy nonpickle fork using method to remove the old joints. Had something to do with just continuing to loosen the top bolt and it forcing the ball joint out... thought it was on se-r.net. We'll see.
Peas us Riced,
Mark
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"No Daddy.... it tastes like Butt!"
I have Moog on one car and TRW on the other. I like the Moogs better. To remove the ball joints from the spindle, use a 2lb slegde on the side of the spindle and they will pop out.
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1996 200SX SE-R VE powered
1991 Sentra SE-R
2004 Subaru Forester turbo
2006 Mitsubishi Evolution IX
I have used the following ball-joint-separation methods with reasonable success:
-hit control arm sideways with sledge, then use pry bar between LCA and knuckle
-stick a wrench or whatever between the top of the BJ spindle and the knuckle, and loosen the castle nut against the wrench.
but what about installing them.......dont u have to take the control arm to a shop to get it pressed......Ill be chaning my wheels bearings soon and decided it would be good to change ball joints aswell but i was told i need to take the control arm to a shop to get it pressed???? Is this true???
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"(@)'(@)''''''''''''''''''''''''*|(@)(@)*****" (@)
but what about installing them.......dont u have to take the control arm to a shop to get it pressed......Ill be chaning my wheels bearings soon and decided it would be good to change ball joints aswell but i was told i need to take the control arm to a shop to get it pressed???? Is this true???
Nope, you can rent a handheld ball joint press similar to the one Keo posted and do it yourself. Taking off the control arm does make it a lot easier to do too.
...That being said, I've found that the easiest way to get fresh lower ball joints is to get brand new control arms from Nissan and just bolt them in.
Nope, you can rent a handheld ball joint press similar to the one Keo posted and do it yourself. Taking off the control arm does make it a lot easier to do too.
...That being said, I've found that the easiest way to get fresh lower ball joints is to get brand new control arms from Nissan and just bolt them in.
yeah, and it's about $100 per side, in a way it's worth it. you can sell the used for $40ish too
im using some ones from napa but i tried TRW. the TRW would not fit. the seriously just slid in and fell right out. they should be so tight that you need to press them in.
Ever thought about heating up the area around the ball joint. then using sledge hammer to knock it out?
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Originally Posted by Blair
That gets the ball joint out of the spindle, but doesn't get it out of the control arm.
It is possible to knock the ball joint out with a sledge (I didn't use heat), but it takes a while. It's pretty frustrating.
The first time around I had problems using the c-clamp tool to remove the old joints, so I resorted to the BFH. If you use the tool as intended, the control arm/ ball joint won't fit.
The second time, I figured out a way to use the c-clamp. You have to leave out the top "saucer" part. Kinda like this:
That worked very well. It's a little tricky to line up (especially since the top "saucer" piece is designed to stabilize the ball joint). It helps to have two people. One person holds the control arm in the right position, the other lines up the clamp.
I hope that helps. I was going to do a little write-up, but I never got around to it.
It is possible to knock the ball joint out with a sledge (I didn't use heat), but it takes a while. It's pretty frustrating.
The second time, I figured out a way to use the c-clamp. You have to leave out the top "saucer" part. Kinda like this:
I did a set with a press. It worked pretty well. The only issue I had was the hole in the control arm ovaled out over time and the ball joint started to clunk. It may not be an issue on a street car, but it was unnerving in my track NX!
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91 NX2k hard top (track whore) Celebrating 10 years of ownership!
93 SE-R (daily driver)
How to make a small fortune in motorsports - start with a large one. ~ Carroll Smith
That tool works very well. Removing the entire control arm is helpful as well. It's just 3 bolts.
