Update:

Update : I removed my Rims/tires (18" 0n 245/40) and put on a set of wheel and new tires from a S10(15" on 225/70) i use to have for testing.
Took it out and it was ALLOT smoother over bumps and potholes and felt tighter all around so i went on the freeway to see what it felt like @ 70 or so.
60% better but still a little steering wheel shake but no where near as bad as before, so im still going to replace the lower bushings and ball joints check the tie-rod ends and have her aligned.
I've thought about it and i have the C4 service manual on CD so ill do it my self and have a shop pop the ball joints and replace them then ill put it back together and then drive to them and have them align it.
Call me cheap but i just dont want to part with $350 for labor on something i can do.
Thanks for the help and comments




I was wondering how many have replaced their lower ball joints and what tools have they used?

I cant stand it anymore and ive put it off to long so its either pay someone or do it my self this week, one shop said $280 + $70 for alignment(they use my ball joints i bought), another said $450 and not alignment( they use their ball joints).
I think i can do it cause ive done most of the work on it but dont no if i need any other tool.

As it is i cant drive the car over 70mph with out it shaking the front end and im sure its the ball joints its been that way since i got it in 2002 and ive had it with his shaking

thanks

 

The LT4 suspension rebuild sticky thread has some good pics of ball joint replacement and the tools required to do the job. Personally, I bought the NOS control arm set from corvette recycling with brand new factory ball joints in them ready to go.

 

Thanks ill check that out

 

I had to replace one of mine during my lowering procedure. I used Moog which is one of the best, $105.00 for one. If I had to do it over I'd go with Corvette Recycling.

 

Get ones with grease fittings.

 

check your tie rod ends too.

 

Rattling?

 

I don't think the NOS control arms from Corvette Recycling fit the early C4s. Be sure to check before ordering.

 

If I had to do it again I'd get the corvette recycling NOS kit.

What I did was take my lower ball joints, upper and lower A-Arms, new bushings to my favorite machine shop. Had them remove and replace the lower ball joints, remove upper ball joints and remove and install bushings. I know it was around $150 using my parts.
I used moog ball joints BTW.

 

I changed both the uppers and lowers ten years or so ago, bavk when I had a 86 Vette. I did the swap in my garage using only the installation tool I borrowed from O'Reilly's. Of course you'll need a hammer, floor jack and jack stands, grease gun, etc. Miscellaneous stuff like that.

The uppers were a piece of cake.

After wrestling with the first lower joint for a while, I came to realize the trick was to make sure the new ball joints were as straight as possible when pressing them on. IIRC three to four hours to change all four.

I bought mine from Pep Boys; forgot the brand though.
Jake

 

Ok, so how do you know you need new ones?

 

Lower ball joints are the load carrying ball joints. So to check them you need to put a floor jack under the control arm and jack the car up to take the load off them. Then check for play shaking the wheel top to bottom, or sometimes offset a little from that . You should have no play in the wheel. Any play side to side in the ball joint, and they are junk. They make a special ball joint tool set, that is a set of different tools for changing different ball joints. Personally, I use my ball joint tools with a press for alot of them. You do need some specilized tools to change them out. I have seen some people beat them out with a hammer, and try to reinstall them that way. You can ruin a new ball joint beating them in with a hammer, or using a torch heating things up.

If you don't have the proper tools, have somebody with the correct tools do it.

 

Thanks, TPI 421