What do I need exactly?

[skippie]

Ok, so to **** time in between classes today, I took my car to Midas (just for a suspension inspection) and needless to say I walked out with a $2500 estimate. oh It's ok though, because I didnt have ANY intentions on letting them touch my car, infact, I sat and watched the guy that pulled it in the garage. I dont trust anyone with my car. nono So, he shows me the ball joints, and how bad they are. headbang Yeah, they are getting bad. So they wrote me an estimate for about, $441.00. That includes labor and parts. I dont know about the alignment tho. But anyway, that doesn't matter, because there is no way in h*ll I am going to pay that. When I left there, I went right over to Murray's and priced out the ball joints. $63.00, oh yeah...thats a little better. But they said that isn't just the ball joints, because they dont sell JUST the ball joints. I think he said that its the whole lower control arm? Does that sound right?? Do I need to replace all of that, and do you guys think that would be easier then just doing the ball joints anyway? Has anyone bought them from Murray's before?

EDIT: Yeah I was just looking on rockauto.com and see that they have "ball joints" for about $70 and the "control arm and ball joint assembly" for about $60 shrug hmmm..odd, but im still confused as to what to do...

<small>[ February 12, 2004, 09:11 PM: Message edited by: skippie ]</small>

 

[NotSoSlowSHO]

Thats correct. You cannot get the ball joints without the lower control arm.

 

[skippie]

NotSoSlowSHO:
Thats correct. You cannot get the ball joints without the lower control arm.

Ok, thats what I needed to know.

Since I am typing...can someone give me a part number for a good Brand of rear strut mounts for a '93.

 

[SHOtimer]

Get the Ford Police rear strut mounts, SHOnut has them, FPN, along with Midwestsho.

Doug

 

[skippie]

SHOtimer:
Get the Ford Police rear strut mounts, SHOnut has them, FPN, along with Midwestsho.

Doug

Are they better? or just cheaper and just as good?

 

[skippie]

I noticed this on midwestsho.com...

"If you get a rubbing sound from the front end while turning your steering wheel, chances are your strut bearings have come to the end of their useful life. To ensure you don't have to remove everything again, replace them when doing a strut job"...

well I think that is another thing that i need to replace. But what i was wondering is, do we have these bearings on the rear struts also?

 

[NotSoSlowSHO]

There are only strut bearings on the front.

The front spring/strut mounts need bearings, because they twist a bit when the wheels turn.

No rear bearings, just mounts.

 

[skippie]

NotSoSlowSHO:
There are only strut bearings on the front.

The front spring/strut mounts need bearings, because they twist a bit when the wheels turn.

No rear bearings, just mounts.

awesome, thanks a lot for your help. finger beer

 

[SW SHO]

I don't think shonut sells the police mounts anymore, but check is site.

 

[skippie]

Yeah, so I went and got 2 lower control arm setup's and was gonna start putting them in. Until I got the tire off, and realized that I dont really wanna do this. oh I dont know how hard it actaully is, but from the looks of it, it looks difficult with the tools that I have. shrug So, if anyone knows of a cheap place to take to get them both installed, please share.

 

[autobahnsho]

If you don't mind getting too dirty, it's not that bad.
(Of course I have a lift available..)

Get it up, tire off,

Then you take out the "pinch bolt" and nut (runs front to back with the car. GET NEW ONES since old ones might not stay torqued.

Now get a BIG crowbar (tanker bar) and put it over the lower arm and under the frame. Tap the arm with a hammer from both sides while giving it some pressure w/ the bar. Eventually it pops loose. Or instead of tapping start banging.

Get the other nuts off and have fun trying to get the arm out.

Installation is reverse, a helper REALLY helps. thumb

 

[91taurisho]

autobahnsho:
a helper REALLY helps.

That's why they're called HELPers!