How to tell if ball joints are bad?

[bird_dog0347]

So I took my 92 coupe to get an alignment today and when they put it on the rack they came back and said it has to have new ball joints before they can align it. They walked out and showed me what they say is the issue. They were pushing from the outside of the wheel towards the engine and rocking it back and forth with some obvious play in it. But when they tried to move it up and down along the suspension travel there was no play. Also when they'd push on one side towards the other, the opposite wheel would move as the steering rack was still connecting them. I'm not entirely against replacing them other than the front end has to come back apart and I was pretty eager to start driving the car after it's sat in my garage for 11 months with me working on it and not driving it.

The front end modifications are as follows.

Stock lower control arms (fox ball joints)
13in cobra brakes (new)
94/95 hubs
Tokico Blue struts
Eibach sportlines
energy suspension sway bar bushings and linkage

And I have a set of polyurethane control arm bushings I will install since I have to pull it apart anyways to replace the ball joints. The shop wanted $250 labor to replace the ball joints with them still on the car and said it's 1hr ($100) to replace the ball joints if I just bring them the control arms. That seems REALLY high to me for them to simply press out the old ball joints and press in the new ones.

Also, what if it was the outer tie rod ends? How do I test both of them independently while the car is still all together? How can I test them with the front end apart?

[dee]

You need to put a jack under the a arm then check for movement.

[bird_dog0347]

You need to put a jack under the a arm then check for movement.

Ok, they had it on a full car lift, then they put a hydraulic lift under the K member in the middle and lifted the whole front end off the car lift. So the jack should be under the A-Arm and not under the K member? (in my case up on 4 jack stands and then the jack under the arm?)

[dee]

Yes, you need the jack on the a arm not the k member or the body lift points. The suspension needs to have the weight of the car on it, then you can move it up/in and out. You should have no movement.

[bird_dog0347]

Yes, you need the jack on the a arm not the k member or the body lift points. The suspension needs to have the weight of the car on it, then you can move it up/in and out. You should have no movement.

They had no weight on the arm, I'll try that tonight.

[onjacks]

Since your using sn95 spindles, go ahead and get moog 95 ball joints. This gets rid of the spacer that you "should" have on their now.

Hopefully the new control arm bushings don't have "shells"
You'll have to burn/ drill out old stock ones. The factory shells are a pita to remove without proper tools.

Just rent a ball joint press and do it your self

[JC316]

Check them, but that is an alignment shops favorite thing to say. I had them tell me that my brand new ball joints were bad. When I pointed that out to them, they stuttered through a bad explanation and then did the alignment.

[bird_dog0347]

Well, with the car on 4 jack stands and the jack under the control arms I can't move the wheel like they were able to. And when I had the front end apart to do the springs, struts, spindles, etc. I remember moving them all around and up and down but I didn't feel any play in them.

I've decided since I already have the poly control arm bushings and in order to install them I have to remove the steering rack which I can't easily do with the headers installed and I now have a set of equal length shorties to install this seems like an opportune time to do it all. And since I'll have the control arms off, I'll do new 94/95 ball joints too and not waste the $70 on the alignment just to have to redo it later when I install the control arm bushings. This will also be a good time to order and install some solid rack bushings from MM so I'll order those tomorrow.

[onjacks]

you don't have to remove your rack?

[mstng86]

Shouldnt have to move the rack. But fuck replacing the control ARM brushing. I would rather buy two new control area than deal with that again.

[91CoupeMike]

I wouldn't spend a dime on stock control arms.

You have more time and money invested in those turds than a set of tubulars.

[bird_dog0347]

you don't have to remove your rack?

Yes, I can't get the front control arm bolt out of the arm with the rack in place as it hits the rack. Maybe if I removed the inner tie rods, but something HAS to move to get that bolt out.

I wouldn't spend a dime on stock control arms.

You have more time and money invested in those turds than a set of tubulars.

Not really, if I went tubular I'd also have to go coil over or get the ones from LMR with spring cups that are $300... I already have the bushings for them and I might as well get new ball joints which can be done at Oreilly's for $35 for both, then just get them pressed in. They are really the only two things on the front suspension (not steering) that hasn't been replaced so I might as well do it all at once and then know that my front end is perfectly solid.

[91CoupeMike]

Work and time is money, I know how it works.

[91CoupeMike]

Those bushings and ball joints will be a bitch.

[bird_dog0347]

Work and time is money, I know how it works.

True, but in this case I have more time to work on the car than I have money to spend on it. At least until my kids are out of day care and I get to keep all the money I spend on that.

I went ahead and ordered the solid steering rack bushings today so I should have it ready to go in a few weeks. What can I say, I guess there's something wrong with me that makes me find the hardest way to do shit. Between replacing all these bushings I'm about to do and adding equal length shorties.