I'm sure this is answered somewhere, and I will do a good search of posts.

I have a 2003 GLE and was getting some front end noises (car has 72k miles)

I had my mechanic (private one guy Nissan only mechanic), check and it is my drivers front ball joint.

The mechanic said that Nissan only sells the entire control arm, which BTW, is $260 and he generally replaces the control arm, which is 2 hours labor for him @ $90/hr (I'm near boston, this is actually a low labor rate/hr).

I asked about replacing the ball joint only and he called some part shops and said you can get a ball joint but the issue is that it is a crapshoot. Theoretically he would have to take the control arm off to press out the old ball (he would not do it this at all, he has no ball joint/bearing presses anyway) and the labor time to do that even with the ball joint being cheap
would be a wash with buying a new control arm and swapping it.


And if he did replace only the ball, there is a reasonable chance that a replacement might not fit quite right, which would cause more problems.

I said that therefore, the only economical way, if I could find someone that has the tools and expertise is to have someone press the old joint off the control arm without taking the arm off the car and press the new one in as well.



I told him I would check into alternatives.

I called the Car Talk Garage (Owned by the Click and Clack guys on radio, now retired )
and the mechanic there said that he too would opt for replacing the arm. The joint itself might be able to be changed, but it is hard to tell the outcome. He told me he would look into the alternative and get back to me.


I then stopped by a reasonably priced suspension shop I used years ago with my '96 Maxima who replaced the ball joint individually. The same manager was still there. He agreed with everyone else that replacing the arm is the way to go. He as well as my first mechanic suggested looking at non OEM arms, maybe Moog sells one? for a lower part price. He was telling me it would take about an hour labor, but I'm not sure about that, since he was guessing or lowballing me.

Ok, I just now looked at Rock Auto. Moog sells a few different ball joints, the heavy duty one has a grease fitting and looks nice: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=925995
but again the issue is getting the old one out and the new one in and having it work.

I then checked the RockAuto suspension arm list. Rock Auto sells a Moog arm that looks like: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=3444552 for $95.79 plus shipping of course.

This seems to be the best and easiest bet, IF THE MOOG ARM is as good as OEM. I'm sure the ball joint in the arm is very good....

 

Well ur too far from nyc to get a good price, so honestly this looks like ur best bet, if your looking just to repair your car and not into modding or upgrading ur suspension then this seems right for you. Moog has good suspension parts for our cars

 

Do a search on here or is google referencing the org, it can be done without removing the LCA.

 

Wow...

Find new mechanics. I can get a ball joint out with a pair of needle nose pliers and a hammer. In about 7 minutes. While the LCA is still on the car.

A ball joint puller tool can be rented from autozone/pep boys for free. And with the right sized socket, it can pull in an awesome new Moog ball joint in about 5 minutes.

If you definitely go the route of replacing arms, find some old cores and have ES bushings and Moog ball joints pressed in. Or buy renovated arms from me. Or make the drive down to jersey for me to do the work.

 

These are good mechanics. You have no idea what you are saying.
The car talk garage is run by one of the Click and Clack brothers from the nationally syndicated CarTalk radio show that has been on the air for more than 30 years:
http://www.cartalk.com/


And I'd like to time 7 minutes.

I agree if you are able to get a balljoint that fits properly and have the right tools and technique and do not damage the seat removing the old ball joint or inserting the new one, you are golden.

I'm waiting for spine surgery, if I wasn't maybe I would mess with it, but nothing beats having a good garage and lift.

No way am I driving from Boston to NJ. 1) With amount of gas the Maxima consumes I could put in a solid gold control arm
2) I would not drive on the Jersey turnpike near rush hour for all the money in the world

Someone did post the technique for changing the ball joint in Maxima.Org, it is not a 7 minute job:

http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...html#itxthook3

BuckeyeMax1982
Sorry for my ridiculous delay...I've been troubleshooting a misfire on my Max...ended up being the harness connectors to 2 of my injectors. If anyone needs to do this, Ballenger Motorsports produces them for a reasonable price...very happy with them and problem solved...I'll detail that in another post. Now for the balljoint DIY.

Here are the tools/items you will need:
19mm combination wrench
19mm deep well socket and a ratchet (I used 1/2" drive due to longer handle/better torque capabilities.)
Rubber mallet
Needle-nosed pliers
Snap-ring pliers
Balljoint press (rented from AutoZone for free)
Pickling fork (rented from AutoZone for free)
Grease of some sort (I used brake caliper grease-any will work)
PB Blaster (or another penetrating lubricant)
Jack with a good lift height
SawZall (or any reciprocating saw...you can borrow mine if you live near Dayton, OH...or borrow one...trust me, this will save a LOT of frustration and busted knuckles) with one diamond tipped blade ($20+, but quicker) or 2-4 Bi-Metal blades (a little slower, but $3 a piece). I used Irwin Bi-Metal, 18t.p.i. blades available at Lowe's for $3/each.
Torque wrench (for tightening caliper bracket bolts/wheel lugnuts)

Before starting, put your ball joint in the freezer for at least 3 hr. This will make it contract and makes the press-in installation a LOT smoother.


1. Set the E-Brake and Jack the car as high as you can from the central jack point under the front, center of the car (will have a big protrusion in it or a "bump"-make sure this part stays in the cup or lift point on your jack or you may drop your car when it gets up really high). Use Jack stands under the left and right of the car along the frame rails or crossmember. You want the front of the car as high as possible, so use trial and error here until you get it up as high as you can (you will see why later).

2. Remove the wheel (or wheels if doing both joints).

3. Spray the bolt on top of the ball joint and the 2 caliper bracket bolts (19mm, on back side of caliper assembly)with PB blaster and let it soak in a couple of minutes

4. Remove the Brake Caliper assembly by loosening and removing the 2 19mm bolts on the back of the bracket. These bolts will be very tight and a breaker bar may help you out with this. Once the caliper assembly is loose, wiggle it back and forth until it will pull free from the rotor. I secured my caliper assembly to the spring with a length of wire, but you can use string, etc. The main goal is to get it out of the way and secured so you don't damage it or the brake line.

5. Remove the Brake rotor. It may be "stuck" on, so giving it a few taps from the back with a rubber mallet may free it up so that it will slide off. Set it aside.

6. Remove the ball joint. I know, this sounds easy but as you can see, there is no room to get the closed end of your wrench in between the knuckle and top part of the ball joint (the open end of the wrench will more than likely round the bolt, but not break it loose due to how tight it is torqued and it will probably be rusted as well)and the bottom is pressure fit into the lower control arm. This is where the SawZall comes in. You could invest a lot in an expensive diamond-tipped blade ($20 plus) or use a few cheaper, bi-metal blades ($3 a piece), which is what I did. Start at the top by cutting through the nut/bolt on the top of the ball joint. Once this is cut off, most of the pressure between the LCA and knuckle will be relieved. Slide the pickling fork between the knuckle and LCA and the 2 parts should easily separate. Cut through the base of the ball joint on the top side of the LCA. Be careful to make sure your blade will clear the LCA and not damage it. When you get about half way through, you will notice the joint smoking and leaking fluid, which is actually good because the fluid lubricates and cools the SawZall blade, easing the cut and prolonging the life of the blade. Once you are all the way through, you will need to move the strut/hub/knuckle out of the way. Place your jack so that the front of the jacking point is about 1" behind the front bottom lip of the hub. Jack it up far enough to allow clearance of the ball joint press above the remains of the ball joint base in the LCA. Remove the snap ring from the existing ball joint with snap ring pliers. Set up the ball joint press with the "cup" on the bottom of the LCA. I used the largest cup with the kit and it worked great. It doesn't need to line up perfectly, just so it's solid and NOT contacting any part of the ball joint itself. Tighten the press until the ball joint pops through the bottom (this will take a pretty good amount of force, so dont be afraid to use a breaker bar with your wrench if needed).

7. Clean up the LCA/ball joint mount with brake cleaner or whatever you please, especially around the hold where the ball joint goes. Use a general purpose grease (I used brake caliper grease-worked great) and lubricate the hole that the ball joint will mount in (get your mind outta the gutter...lol).

8. Line the ball joint up in the hole and tap it a few times with medium force so that it is securely started into its mounting spot.

9. Set up the ball joint press with the "cup" on top. Tighen the press and monitor the progress of the ball joint going in. Also, make sure the top threaded part of the ball joint is clear from hitting the cup and lines up straight into the hole in the top of the cup. If it gets a little off track, STOP and reposition the press so it goes in the proper way and continue (or you will be pressing it out and buying a new ball joint). Again, this will take a considerable amount of force to get it all the way seated. The base sits a tiny bit cockeyed under the LCA from the factory , so don't freak out if yours is like that. Compare it to the existing ball joint on the other side and replicate the fit/alignment of the ball joint on the side you are working on. It's in all the way when you can not budge the press at all under full force.

10. Install the snap ring on the balljoint using snap ring pliers.

11. Lower the strut/hub/knuckly assembly SLOWLY and toward the ball joint. Line up the jack such that the ball joint will insert into the hole in the knuckle as designed and then let the jack the remainder of the way down. Be patient and do this process slowly. I stopped periodically to check the alignment of my assembly.

12. Install the crown nut on top of the ball joint. The open end of your 19mm wrench will work perfecly for this. I didn't look up torque spec, because it's unnecessary. It is tightened properly when the ridges of the nut line up with the hole in the ball joint for the cotter pin. If it was tightened too far, the ridges in the nut would not be functional, thus the design.

13. Install the cotter pin through the top of the ball joint and crown nut. Bend the ends of the cotter pin close the the contour of the top part of the ball joint.

14. Reinstall your brake caliper assemblyand torque the caliper braket bolts to 53-70 ft/lbs. Also spray the rotor and caliper assembly thoroughly with brake cleaner while your in there and this gives you a good opportunity to inspect your pads/caliper/rotor. Replace if needed.

15. Reinstall your wheel and torque your lugs to spec.

16. Apply band aids, take advil, pour yourself a cold beer...your done!

Hope this helps and saves you all money. I've done this to my 2k3 and my buddies 2k2 and the process is tried and true. I've been very happy with the Duralast ball joint I got at Autozone for $60, but I'm sure Napa or any other reputable parts store supplies good quality replacement ball joints as well. Good luck!

 

Lol.

The procedure mentioned above is RIDICULOUS.

My 7 minute estimate did not include jacking up the car and taking off the wheels, but with regards to the above, there's no cutting needed, and the caliper/brake/hub assembly doesn't have to move at all. The only two things that have to be disconnected is the lower sway bar endlink bolt and the ball joint castle nut. Then the arm swings down, remove the snap ring, and you definitely can beat it out. It doesn't mess up the seat, and the Moog BJ fits very firmly and snugly.

Good luck to you sir, I was just providing my OWN experience based on the couple dozen ball joint jobs I've done.

 

IIRC, I may have some ball joints FS, Raybestos. Need to cehck the garage.

I never knew that dj, now I know whenever the time comes.

 

Happy to help

Agree that sometimes the castle nut turns to mush. But it's more rare than common. Plus you're not in the NE so you should be fine.

 

djfrestyl,

Sorry I did not mean to rant, the car talk people have not done a Maxima 5th gen at least in recent memory to help me, and unless they have the thing apart in front of them, they can only speculate on whether a joint removal on the car will work or not.

My other mechanic might do it, but has in the past opted to replace the arm because Nissan only recommends that.

If you think about it, a mechanic who has got a volume of people to take care of is not generally going to guess about a brand of ball joint to order, depending on who his 3rd party parts suppliers are, have the joint delivered, pay for it on his dime, and hope the thing fits or not, while not being certain if a procedure he has not tried will work or not. It it doesn't fit or the seat is easily damaged, he has lost money on the joint and his labor time, has to tell the customer who is probably angry at that point that he now has to order a whole arm and the car and that the job will probably take another day or two depending on the other customers whose work he had to get done as well.

As for the suspension shop, you would think they might be a little more adventurous, but again, the manager was only speculating on what he thought would be the best (easiest and certain) for him and his customer.

As far as the procedure the other person wrote up in this forum, I have not tried it, so I don't know if he chose the easiest best way. He did a write up and it looked reasonable.

And I did appreciate the offer to work on my car, but the economics of putting a lot of mileage on my car and driving through Connecticut, New York and NJ would not make sense.

And I would not drive on the NJ turnpike again, no criticism to the residents of NJ.

 

Perfectly reasonable, and I completely agree with the approach that a normal mechanic would take for financial and time purposes. I just happen to know the nuances of the Maxima VERY well which is why I offer as much input as possible here, on the Maxima forum - to give better alternatives over standard mechanics' approach.

Other org members have driven from the Boston area for me to do their work, so I left it as an option.

I also find it humorous that you have such a bad memory towards NJTPK. FWIW, there are only select portions of the road that can get bad on occasion and at certain times. Clearly you must have been on that portion during one of those times. The majority of the turnpike is free and clear, most of the time. I travel it every day.

 

I had to drive to Barnegat Bay on a Friday afternoon for a wedding of my friend on that following Sunday. Try being hungry and having a bad back and being stuck on the road with no exits for miles to turn off to and being in stop and go for hours and hours. And the exits I did see, you could not pay cash if you wanted to because there is no human attendant.

 

Lol!

Yea you were in one of those dead spots during one of those terrible times.

 

I was emailing my friend who got married since I was reminded that her anniversary was coming up and she corrected me, I was on the Garden State Parkway. Avoid that road at all costs...

 

I assumed as much.

 

I can vouch for this man here. 7 minutes if more than reasonable time to get the old ball joint out. Once you've got the car jacked, wheel removed, 2 strut bolts, axle nut, and tierod nut all loose, you simply loosen the snap ring with snap ring pliers or good needle nose pliers and whach the stud of the ball joint. Putting it in my be best done with a Ball joint press though..


So that being said, I'm on the same predicaments as the OP- I'm on a budget right now since I've been out of work since last year so I'm stuck whether replacing the ball joint alone or holding off with the bad ball joint a few couple more months and replace the entire arm (2)

Problem is, I don't like to use aftermarket crap suspension. Moog has proven to be garbage in my book and that's considered the "BEST" at local parts stores. For the price of Moog, I would rather just get OEM..

IdiotZone sells Dormal control arms with ball joint for 113.99 and they come with a lifetime warranty. Not a bad price for a local part but I'm iffy about crap parts.

Anyone use aftermarket control arms /ball joints here? If so, please share your thoughts on the quality in the long term

 

Curious about your thoughts why Moog is crap. They have various series of parts - some are sealed, some are greasable. I go with the greasable.

 

i replace mine like 2 month ago the machanic said the control arm is fine i bought ball joint from NAPA for 37$ and he put it in less than hour

 

I've used both sealed and with a fitting on my 4th gen before. When I bought my 4th gen in 2008, I replaced the entire front end suspension- EVERYTHING except the LCA because I installed ES bushings but everything else was Moog except the struts (KYB GR2) and not even 20k-30k miles later I had to swap all that garbage out.. same with tierods. Many places such as O'Reilly carry their house brand and Moog, I've deliberately got one of each to see which would last longer and the in house brand outlasted the Moog.. several times.

I mean- its alright... but definitely no match for OEM in my book. I STILL have OEM Tierods in 4th gen after I got fed up with Moog.. nearly 4 years later and still firm like new.

 

This is very interesting.

I've been running nearly every moog greasable part on mine for over 50k miles. I grease em every 5-8k and haven't had an issue.

 

Then I got bootleg stuff every time