How much, how difficult, or can I even do it?

 

It depends on if you have the patience AND a alternate mode of transportation. When lower balljoints are replaced, the wheel alignment should be checked by your local tire place or a dealer. I just say alternate mode of transportation if you somehow find something else while you're digging because as we all know, things are never what they seem when you try to do repairs by yourself. Just ask a lot of people on here that try to fix intake manifold leaks, they usually run into other things that need repair on the way. Have you been told that your balljoints need to be replaced? If you are uncertain that they should be replaced, when you have a free moment check the wear indicator which is on the underside of the balljoint.There you'll find a small sphere shaped outlet where grease can be added with a grease gun. That wear indicator outlet should protrude about .050-inch or 1.27 millimeters above the surface of the balljoint. Of course if the balljoint is brand new, then it should be somewhere around that, however I'm assuming these have been on since the very beginning. On mine, the sphere outlet had completely recessed into the lower portion of the suspension piece, so it was more than time to get my car off the road. :eek: When it comes to replacing balljoints, a certain type of press is needed to both remove and install a new balljoint onto your suspension piece so that's where your trusted automotive automotive machine shop comes into play. So, in the end: 1.How much? Not certain, but I'll do some research, because I need new ones myself, I should be able to find some prices later tonight. 2. How difficult? If you're used to turning your own wrenches then this isn't too challenging 3. Could you do it yourelf? Well, use your own disgression on that one. Though, if you don't mind getting dirty and seeing your vette out of comission for a little bit then sure.


[Modified by 1985 Corvette, 11:13 PM 5/23/2004]


[Modified by 1985 Corvette, 11:17 PM 5/23/2004]


[Modified by 1985 Corvette, 11:19 PM 5/23/2004]

 

Yes.
I pulled the balljoint without anything but some wrenches some sweat and a hammer and piece of wood (my version of a ball joint puller...) The entire thing took about 1.5 hours to get off, but the hour was spent merely on trying to get the lower ball joint to seperate from the wheel knuckle. I then had a shop press them in for somewhere around 20$ I believe. Then about 30 minutes to reassemble. I read the manual but mostly did it by looking around, all in all, I think it is very doable. Just remember to support your upper a-arm and wheel knuckle as something can ruin the suspension parts or something of that sort. Good luck!
(When do you plan to attempt this?)

 

I replaced mine in my garage in an afternoon.

Getting them out wasn't too hard. A floor jack under the "A" arm and a few wacks with a 5 lb hammer on the old ball joint stud.

Most of the time was spent getting the new ones in. I did mine without removing the arm from the car and I used the ball joint installation tool from AutoZone (free rental) to press in the new ones.

Tricky part is making sure the new ones are perfectly aligned in the hole when pressing them in using the tool. Took some cranking and lots of elbow-grease, but after the first one was in, the second one wasn't nearly as difficult since I then knew what to do.

Jake

 

I pulled the arms and took the arms and the joints to Clackamas Auto. They charged like $10 to press in the pair. Well worth the money.

-Z

 

Thanks very much for the replies guys :thumbs: I've got a buddy who is a fine front end guy (I do a lot of work on my car at his shop). I had asked him about it and how much of it I could do. He knows my abilities and I do some work for him when he's really busy. He basicly told me None. He said on a good day he could do the job (one side) in about a half hour. I figured he told me None cause it would just be easier to do it himself rather than babysit me through the job :lol:

Anyway, I'm thinking that both sides should be replaced at the same time, right? I'll work with him or at least closely observe, so I can do the other side. I hate to bother him to do the job at all, cause his shop is jammed with work all summer, but at least the one can't wait. It's clunking worse and I'm scared to drive it. I gotta go about 10 mi., gingerly when I get off work in the morning.

 

If you're going to do one side do the other... and the bushings should be looked at while it's off the ground to while you're at it... then an alignment