first, how do i drop the ball joint from the hub? it seems rusted fast.
second, did you burn tho old bushings out or what, because i cant get them out in the position i am in with the ball joints still attached to the wheel hubs.
HELP!

 

is it a writup somewhere? im bout to get some new balljoints anyway, but how the heck do i get the old bushings out the hole? the big azz bushing is no problem, but the small ones look too big to fit.

 

plenty reading my post, no replies? c'mon fellas, lets hear some advice, even if it is thru a friend's friend's cousin's uncle's bro-in -law. lol anybody hear how to get the old bushings out?

 

A while ago, I replaced my ball joints with new MOOG ones and instaled the ES busings at the same time.

Typically they tell you to separte the ball joint from the hub with a pickle fork. I didn't have one at the time so a used a rubber mallet and a large screwdriver to knock it apart - WD-40 helps.

As for the main round bushing- use a butane torch - light it up!!!! You can burn it out then carefully saw out the thin metal shell - no press needed. YOu will need a vice to twist off the OEM end busing. The ES bushings are easy to insert. Likewise, the roll bar and end bushings will go one easy. One thing I found out - you must get a NEW control arm nut - it is a locknut and will not stay tight. - loosened up on me twice before I figured it out.

Hope this helps.

 

control arm nut? wheres this located? thanks alot Joe.

 

I'm in process of it now.

The balljoints definitely like to stay in the hub - I'm trying PB Blaster and a picklefork ball joint separator. I think it helps to keep the arm bolted in when prying on the balljoint so you can get better leverage. I'll fill in with what finally works. The picklefork will damage the balljoint boot - I hope you're changing the joints.

The passenger side axle is being a much bigger ***** - the lower strut/knuckle bolt is really freakin tight - my 600ft-lb impact wrench can't budge it and I've been trying it all afternoon. PB Blaster, too.

I'm going to be up against the clock to get my clutch changed, CVs rebooted, and control arms in by tomorrow evening. At least I have a spare set of control arms with the new balljoints and ES bushings in place.

Dave

 

Look at the round bushing on the control arm closest the midline of the car. You will have to take it off to ge the control arm out - in fact its the only nut that you will deal with, all other hardware are bolts.

 

when i was changing the LCA , I removed the ball joint nut ( after separating the strut from the knuckle - this gives you more room to get a wreanch around the balljoint nut)

than undo all the bolts that secure LCA to underbody of the car , along with sway bar end link - than gently tap the balljoint with the nut on it to protect the threads, then the balljoint seperated off really easy.

Nick.

 

when i got my bushings they came with long gold-colored bushing/spacers. i cannot put them on because my maximas 'control arm bushing pin' already has what appears to be a bushing/spacer fused onto them. this is basically narrower in diameter than the ES bushing spacers, and i want to use the ES ones, but i can't. But is there a way to take off the oem bushing spacers? anybody getting my drift?
Thanks for all the replise btw.

 

all done. finished a while ago, took her for a run. alright. the inner shells were a pain cuz i used a hacksaw while my brother held the arm. then had to pound them out of thearm w/chisell. i never got the balljoints out. i odered new ones though, cus i atempted usung a crowbar as a pickel fork cuz i dont have one of my own and a balljoint boot got pinched. and one balljoint nut was like a cat converter nut. dam. stripped it. now i have to cut it. didnt want to do the big bushings yet. ill do them when i get the new balljoint. and i just used the stock control arm bushing pin. i hope that it will do alright cuz i cant get the bushings off the control pins. i wonder if they sell controll arm pins w/o the bushings? there is some play, about 1mm worth. thanks guys.
btw...i'll check for loosening of the control arm nut.
bbtw...joecraps you know alot for only a hanful of posts...thats tight. and nick and dgeesaman thanks too.

 

big props on this job , but why don't you just replace the control arm with new one that has new bushings and balljoints already pressed in? the LCA's go on ebay for $55-68.

Nick.

 

with polyurethane bushings?

 

both my control arms are fine. a lil rusty and dirty but thats it. and for 68+ bucks and 12 shipping per arm, i 'll be alright with both new balljoints for 35 shipped. im pressed for money just now.

 

tell me one good reason those polyurethane bushings are worth time and major PITA to install on our cars?

I have ES swaybar and endlink bushings and i didn't notice any difference

no , the Ebay LCA's come with Taiwan made rubber

Somebody here on .org wants to replace the bushings in the trailing arms for the back axle/beam - I think this is pointless, the rear beam is a bear to replace ( i have done it myself ) and why in the world people want to replace stuff that has very small impact on ride quality.

things like new baljoints, inner tierods and good tires will give you great ride,

Nick.

Nick.

Nick.

 

well Nick i saw my rubber bushings are next to gone. they are soft as ****. my car is lowered and i want POLYURETHANE instead of rubber to maintain better stability (believe me i bend corners.) thats all. it's proven that its better than rubber.
oh yea, next is POLYURETHANE motor mounts.
and since you only did swaybar and endlink bushings, why not this?

 

oh yea, the inner tie rods are fine also. maybe some new swaybar bushings are in order tho.

 

If you want to mount new ball joints you will have to buy or rig some kind of press to get them out/put new ones in. Also, there is a "c" clip retainer on the ball joint - the new one should come witha new on - you will need C-clamp pliers.

With new joints and the ES bushings the front end is alot tighter - a little more road feel - the way I like it.

Seriously though, keep an eye on those control arm lock nuts - for peace of mine I bought new ones last week that I plan on gettting on ASAP. Right now I have the old nuts significantly over-torqued just to keep'um on.
One guy here on the org broke down on the road (had pics of the loosened nuts) and had the car towed. I would hate to think what would happen at 65 mph if one of those came off.

 

Yo!

 

Loosen the nut but leave it on then you can use a crowbar between the control arm and the nuckle to put some pressure on the joint then use a hammer to give the control arm a hit where the ball joint goes through. Sometimes you get lucky and it will pop loose.

If not you will probably have to use a pickle fork. Pickle forks suck as they almost always cut the boot. I just did this replaced a wheel bearing yesteday and when I started boltling the knuckle back onto the joint grease started coming out of two tiny holes (one on each side) left by the pickle fork.

Many parts stores have free rental tools such as pickle forks and ball joint presses and 36mm sockets for the hub nut. You just have to leave a deposit.

 

hey mzmtg...good thing you caught that man....
i looked at your picture of the control arm. when you installed the ES bushings, how did you get washers over the stock control arm? i could only get one ES washer on, and i didnt use the supplied gold bushing spacer, because the silver stock bushing spacer wont come off the arm. can you tell me how to take it off? do i have to cut it off?

 

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