Ball Joints
 

All my ball joints boots are torn but are still firm. The problem is when i turn it knocks and when i accelerate it pulls to the right and when i let off it pulls to the left MORE THAN JUST TORQUE STEER. My question is which ball joints are causing this, the lower control arm ones or the steering rack ones. I dont have enough money at the moment to replace all 4 and just want to fix this problem now. when i do accelerate and it pulls the steering wheel does not change position.

Problem 1

The knocking/clunking when you turn is most likely one or two bad cv axle joints.

Problem 2

The pulling to the right is most likely from worn/oil soaked right front control arm bushings.

Clicking/Knocking is most likely an an Axle, check then for torn boots as well.

As for Ball joints, there's only 2 ball joints, these arent Hondas with upper and lower BJs :cool:

The steering rack ones are the tie rods and if its pulling to the right it might mean that you need an alignment or more air in one tire.

So save up to do your 2 ball joints, 2 tierods, possibly an axle then an alignment afterward

just to add my .02
do the arms complete, as they come with ball joints (at least the ones I sell do) and your jumping is as previously mentioned bad bushing more than likely and if your bushing is totally shot it will also clunk.
if it was a clicking sound when you turn I'd think axles, but a clunk is more reminiscent of a bad bushing

Hmm why didnt I think of that!? Yea dude, replace control arm, ball joints, tie rods (for ****s and giggles) and possibly an axle plus an alignment.

Nice work Brian :cool:

http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...14&postcount=2

wayne already addressed the LCA bushings... not to burst your bubble or anything.

Yea, and the LCA's Brian sells come with BJs which is something he's concerned about as you may have already noticed. Also he mentioned that his boots were torn on all 4 ball joints which he confused and meant tierods. If the boot is torn then the tierod wont be lubed up and will fail eventually. If he's getting an alignment after replacing LCA's with BJs...he might as well replace his tierods that have torn boots before doing so. Hope I didnt burst your bubble :D

:bawling:

ok so how much are the control arms with the bj? the cv axles were another thought so i replaced them, that didnt fix it. could the clunk be a strut?

57.75 ea plus shipping.
see the link in my sig

the clunk could be a strut as well, my caddy did that

just the cartridge or spring too and ill be ordering 2 soon.

it was my caddy and I'm not sure what it was actually. it had 180k on OE electric struts.

This is question reminds me of my 93 (rip). I had the exact issues you were describing. You could literally move my drivers side tire in/out 1 1/2 inches, because the LCA bushings were non-existent. I live in the NE, so it gets a lot of grime. I replaced both axles, tie-rods, bj's, shocks/springs, and finally I got to the LCA's. That (and the BJ's) was the biggest PITA I have ever experienced in my life. It took me over 12 hours to do the passenger side LCA. Then, when I realized that I had to do the driver-side, I almost cried. I finally, finally, did it, and 12 hours later, I did the drivers side as well. I am a skinny white guy, and my little sister was about 3 at the time. She comes out to see what I'm doing, looks under the car and see's a black guy, in a black shirt, cursing up a storm. She screams and runs away. I was literally soaked in tranny fluid, oil, dirt and crime, I was completly black from head to toe. It even soaked through my pants. I was so frustrated with that car, I traded it in the next week. :bawling: It was stupid, I shoulda kept it. Boy, what I'd do for my blue 93 SE 5 speed again...

control arm bushings have gone bad for sure....thats a telltale sign in my book. But, thats just me. It would almost be worth it to just rebuild your current LCAs with poly bushings and autozone ball joints. They have a lifetime warranty on the joints, and you'll never need another control arm again...or you shouldn't at least. This can be costly, but it beats doing it twice. The lifetime warranty on the ball joints is pretty nice, too. Especially because their life expectancy is much less on a lowered car.

Oh, and bwinter7, what does the lower control arms have to do with you being soaked in trans fluid? Those two parts are totally unrelated.

where can i get the poly bushings?