Lower Control Arm

pirulo

Registered User
I found out that the clunking noise is because of my Lower Control arm bushing is bad on the drivers side.
Is this a dealers iteam.
I hard is it to replace it, do I need any special tools.
thanks
 
Buy the complete lower control arm.....for about 110USD each at Autozone. If you buy just the ball joint, you will need a press to press the old one off and the new one on. The complete control arm has the ball joint plus you will be getting new bushings. Just seems to make more sense to go this route versa just the ball joint.

You will need an aligment afterwards, which ever way you decide to go with.

I would also check the sway bar end links, by design they rattle when they are toast.

Cheers,
Calvin
 
I called the autozone. They said they don't carry. Do you know the autozone part number.
thanks
 
Try Advance Auto...

or other parts houses. The lower control arm with ball joints and bushings is made by TRW (part # 10771 for the left side and 10772 for the right side). Both are around $110.00ea. If you need upper control arm's, Moog #K8596 (L) and K8598 (R). The uppers have the ball joints and bushings as well. (You have to get the entire assembly to change the upper ball joints).
 
This is one of those jobs that is on my "to do" list. That's why I had the part #'s handy. I would imagine that it is like everything else on these birds... a PITA... I guess you could do this with regular shop tools, but it would probably be much easier with a compressor and a set of air wrenches.

The easiest way would be to find someone to do it for you (if you have the available cash).
 
Thanks Larry, I was wrong when I said Autozone, Advanced Auto is the place I was referring to.

As far as the difficulty, I don't know, I attempted the job, but seen that it was just worth it for someone else to do the job and plus its easier for me to sit on my A$$! :D

Cheers,
Calvin
 
I just finished lower control arms and they are a bitch, tie rods and upper control arms are simple but getting the lower joint itself out is almost impossible. Pay a shop to do it.
 
If you replace the whole arm, the lower ball joint should come attached. Otherwise, you have to have it pressed out and a new one pressed in. Likewise with the big bushing. If you replace the whole arm, you can avoid all that "pressing" work. From the Chilton's manual, it looks like a fairly easy job. I'll be doing mine this spring, so I'll let you all know how it works out.
As far as loosening the lower ball joint stud, usually the BAH (Big A Hammer) will do the job. Just be sure to leave the nut on when you smack it.
 
Lower control arm

I had meinekie do mine there is an alignment involved along w/ the PITA
they give me a 10% & it was $398.22
upper ball joint also. they were done in
4 hrs.
 
i just finished the lower ball joint

i just finished the lower ball joint and it was pretty hard, i rented the ball joint removal kit and it helped. I pressed out the spindle out the bottom of the ball joint housing and the took the spindle and put it in the housing upside down and pressed it out. Later on the kit tool broke on the other side. on the other side it was in there really good, i ended up just hammering the sh** out of it for about 20 mins, then it started to slide a lil and then it came. this make any sense? lol
 
Re: i just finished the lower ball joint

good_times44 said:
i just finished the lower ball joint and it was pretty hard, i rented the ball joint removal kit and it helped. I pressed out the spindle out the bottom of the ball joint housing and the took the spindle and put it in the housing upside down and pressed it out. Later on the kit tool broke on the other side. on the other side it was in there really good, i ended up just hammering the sh** out of it for about 20 mins, then it started to slide a lil and then it came. this make any sense? lol
Not exactly. My understanding of the normal way to do this is to hammer the stud of the ball joint out of the bottom of the spindle. Then you remove the whole lower control arm. Then, you take a tool and remove the base of the ball joint from the lower control arm. Then you take the arm to a machine shop and have the bushing(s) pressed out, and the 2 new ones pressed back in.. likewise you should probably have the lower ball joint pressed in at the same time. Then, you just reinstall everything.

Now, are you saying that you removed the lower arm first, and left the ball joint attached to the spindle? If so, how in the world did you manage to do that?
 
Re: i just finished the lower ball joint

good_times44 said:
i just finished the lower ball joint and it was pretty hard, i rented the ball joint removal kit and it helped. I pressed out the spindle out the bottom of the ball joint housing and the took the spindle and put it in the housing upside down and pressed it out. Later on the kit tool broke on the other side. on the other side it was in there really good, i ended up just hammering the sh** out of it for about 20 mins, then it started to slide a lil and then it came. this make any sense? lol
Make sure you get an alignment........its worth the 50 compared to buying new tires!!

Cheers,
Calvin
 
I pressed the ball joint and the bushing out of the lower control arm while it was on the car. to put the knew one in i just turned the press upside down and pressed the new one in. on the drivers side i broke the press but i got the ball joint out but the bushing was really in there, i ended up hammering the bushing out.
after i did the ball joints and tie rod ends you think i need an alignment, i mean my car still drives straight and doesn't pull to either side. Is there somethine else that could be happening to require the alignment?
 
That makes a little more sense. Surprised you were able to get the bushing out that way. Whew! Normally, they use a hydraulic press at a machine shop to do that part.

Unless you marked the position of the lower arm cam (has little groove marks on it) to the frame, then your camber is off. If you didn't mark the front frame strut, then your caster is off. If you didn't mark/measure the tire rod end, then your toe-in is off. With the wear and all, its best to take it in for a alignment, otherwise your tires will wear unevenly. If it drives straight, then you're probably close on the toe-in. But the camber can cause the tires to wear on one edge more than the other.
 
The clunking noise on my car was not because of the lower control arm bushing. It is because the bolts were loose on the sub frame. The mechanic tightend all the botls/nuts on the passenger side and the clunking went away like a charm.
The car now runs great and quite.
thanks all for your suggestions.
 
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