1999 Lumina / I need to replace the lower ball joint. The original one is installed by 4 rivets.
According to the factory service manual, you need to use 1/8 drill bit to open a pilot hole, then use a 1/2 bit to finish it.
On a level-of-difficulty-scale from 1 to 10. 10 being the most difficult. How difficult is it to change the upper control arm and the lower ball joint?
View 3 RepliesI am looking for info on how to replace the lower ball joint on my 2013 Sonata. I am not getting the common telltales of a failed ball joint that I would expect.
View 7 RepliesI have a right front lower ball joint very loose and wonder if that ball joint press fits into the lower "A frame". And how is it removed ? What size fork tool needed?
View 8 RepliesI have a 1997 F150 4x4 4.6 liter 140,000 miles. I want to replace just the lower ball joints but my service manual says you can't, that you have to replace the lower control arms. Is there any way around this?
View 5 RepliesMy daughter has a 1999 Passat 4cyl.... In the last year I've had 2 lower control arms at the front ball joints just break away. Lucky it has been when she was either stopping or at very slow speed.
On inspection this looks like a very unsafe design flaw. The aluminum control arm is strong except for the light metal around the ball joint it's self. If one of these let go at speed it could be fatal!!
What causes the break other than normal wear and is there any signs before one lets go?
I need to do both lower ball joints. is there a write up or process to do it? do I have to remove the whole hub assembly/knuckle thing or can I do it with all that stuff in place?
View 4 RepliesI have an 06 F150 2wd that needs both lower ball joints. I've done searches and everyone keeps talking about a big freaking hammer. Can't you just use a ball joint press kit to remove and reinstall these? If no I'm gonna find someone to put them in for me because Im scared of breaking the aluminum control arm. There was also some talk of using some sorta glue on the joints as well.
View 8 RepliesI have replaced my ball joints and now putting everything back together. I am having trouble tightening the nut on the lower ball joint, the joint turns with the nut as soon as it starts to get tight.
View 2 RepliesI have recently replaced both tie rod ends and found out when I took my truck for an alignment the mechanic stated that I had bad driver side ball joints (upper & lower) I confirmed this with SEARS and they stated that it was all the ball joints upper & lowers! the Haynes repair manual (1999-2010) states "ball joints on 1999 through 2013 2WD models were not replaceable".
View 4 RepliesWould bad lower front ball joints freeze and creak when turning. I have noticed that my car(2010GLS) with 108k miles has a creaking sound when turning the wheels left to right. I poked a hole in the rubber boot covering the joint and sprayed WD 40 in there and now it seem to creak even more. Guess I am going to replace the l and r lower ball joints.
View 9 RepliesI was putting on the H& R sports springs tonight and was onto the last corner, front passenger when one of the 3 ball joint bolts broke off. It was so rusted that the nut didn't want to come loose. I used too much force and out came the piece. Do I just go buy a new ball joint at the local VW dealer and swap it out. I didn't touch the other two and the car is still driveable. It's the middle one, exactly as shown in this photo from the DIY.
View 6 RepliesMy passenger side lower ball joint failed going 60 mph down the highway. I was able to slow the car and get it towed home. After the incident I noticed the lower control arm was on the ground. I assume it drug on the ground from 60 mph all the way til I could stop the car. I inspected it, and it 'seems' fine. Cheaper to just replace all the upper and lower ball joints and quicker, but should I err on the side of caution and bite the bullet and get a whole lower control arm with ball joints? Ever heard of Mevotech? I know nobody can actually see it, this is an internet forum, just wondering. My gut feeling says to get a new one but replacing it is not gonna be fun (coil spring, strut, etc etc).
1996 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, 77K on the clock
I have a 2007 Santa Fe GLS. I took both LCA's out and replaced the bushings and the ball joints with Hyundai original parts.
I installed the bushing ends of the LCA, put the bolts thru both bushings, and then tried to insert the ball joint into the knuckle. No go! It goes in about a 1/4 inch.
How do you get the ball joint end to go all the way up, inside the knuckle? I am thinking of pounding the heck out of it till it goes in, but not sure.
I've disconnected the outer tie rods, and the links to allow for some play in the knuckle, I just don't know what I am doing wrong.
I have a bad ball joint? From the diagram it looks like you have to take the lower control arm off which looks difficult. It says don't raise the engine with the oil pan. I supported the engine with the oil pan when I changed a motor mount. How should you raise it? It says remove the two bolts and the nut but don't turn the nut. How are you supposed to remove the nut it if you don't turn it? [URL] .....
View 4 RepliesThe other day in our 2001 Honda Accord sedan, 4cyl, 140k miles, we were driving and the wheel became, how do you say, less attached to the car than it used to be? The wheel and the car had a nasty break-up and we were caught right in the middle of it. (see pictures) We were driving down a straight road, going straight, and boom, the wheel fell off and the car landed on one of the suspension bits . We were doing 30 and did fine. But we had literally just exited the freeway, where we were doing 70, a minute or two before this happened. Further, there was no noise, no vibration before this happened. The car was acting quite normally.
We had it fixed at a Honda dealership. We were on the road and it set us back $1070 and a full day. But there you are. So the problem is fixed, and I asked the dealership people to please inspect the other ball joints.
But...now I'm paranoid every time I drive the car. And I want to check them for myself. I read about the jack the car up and try and shake the tire trick. Is that foolproof? Is there more I can do to make certain that all the remaining bits that are supposed to be holding the wheel on are not, in fact, about to break?
At about 160k I noticed that the driver side upper ball joint was worn out and had a lot of play on it , so i replaced the upper control arm including ball joint(can't just replace the stock ball joint). I bought an aftermarket one with grease nipple...
Now about 2 years and 50k later, whenever I drive through a bumpy field, it sounds like something is lose and rattling right by that front wheel ,so i took off the wheel and checked the ball joint but it still seems tight..
Although I put in too much grease and that cracked the rubber boot, just leave it or should i replace the ball joint because of that rubber boot that is ripped open?
2009 f150, XLT 4x4, 6.5 ft box ....
I just had a lower balljoint repaired on my 2006 hyundai Sonata. After 1 day, the battery dies. Had it jump started last night, and it's dead again this AM.
Could this at all be related to the ball joint repair? They don't seem related but it also seems like an odd coincidence since there were no other recent issues with my car. Thoughts?
I have 2015 Rc350 F, with 13k miles on it and my right Front Camber Ball Joint is leaking greasy oil. Do I need to replace this or can this be covered under warranty? I have lowered springs on which I don't think has affected the camber ball.
View 4 RepliesI get told that both of the front Upper Ball Joint Boots are cracking. Replacement was recommended.
It has 95k miles and never raced - 1999 LS model.
Is this normal on Acura Integra's? Has double whisborne suspension. Should I use Honda part?
Did ball joints this weekend and now have little axle fluid leaking out passenger side. was going to change axle fluid when i saw this so continued and when pulled the fill plug i would say 8oz or more came draining out. Did I mess up the seal inside the tube?
View 5 Replies