elcid

HEy, rear shocks are beyond blown, dropzone springs killed them. So I'm taking the springs out and replacing the rear shocks. Just wondering if there is anything else I should replace at the same time to save on labor. Front shocks are good, might replace ball joints ro something. Any info would be great, just want to get small things doen to save on labor for later. Thanks

sitiabak

I have a 95 with 240,000 miles - replaced the struts last year - pretty easy job. I am about to replace the lower ball joints - I am not going to to spend the $$$$ for the entire control arm... I am just going to buy the ball joints from "O-reially, NAPA, etc. and have a shop take the old ones out of the arm and press the new ones in.

elcid

How do you you know if you need new ball joints? Is there upper and lower ball joints? How do you know? My steerign feels lose, and when I drive in just the slightest rainy weather I lose total control. Somebody said I might need new ball joints.....Thanks

sitiabak

Sorry for the delayed reply - I am far from being an expert. However, I don't quite see how the rain has much to do with suspension - sounds like more of a tire problem to me unless the supsension is so bad that the tires are "wiggling" and that would provide a horrible shaking at the steering wheel. Also, there are lower ball joints only on 95-99- no upper ball joints

I am in the process of putting my '95 back together - after replacing lower ball joints, rubber bushings on control arm (did not buy $200+ new arms - just rebuilt current ones), new sway bar bushings, etc. I plan to post some info on this site after it is all back together with part numbers, costs, etc.

elcid

Cool man. Let me know once you get it all going. I know hear like grinding sound when I turn my steering wheel either way, even when the car is not moving....no clue what this is. Steering column???

maxman108

I have a 96 SE 164k mi. Any time I go over bumps my suspension makes the loudest clicking/clunking sound ever. The nissan service bay people insisted the sound is coming from the front right and that the A R bushings might need to be replaced. I kinda hear sound coming from the rear suspension as well, a sound similar to as if the spoiler is rattling and about to come off. What is an AR bushing - Anti-roll bushing? How much would it cost?

pocketrocket

iTrader: (1)

elcid, the grinding sound you hear, is it continuous or rachet-like? If it's continuous, this sounds silly but it could just be your tires on the road. Or perhaps the grease has dried out in your steering column and the horn contact is noisy.

On my Escort, the lower ball joint went bad and according to the shop, you can tell by jacking up the car. If you grab the wheel at 12 and 6 o'clock position, you can rock it back and forth quite significantly.