How long can I drive around on torn up control arm bushings?

 

Until you start hearing strange noises and/or your allignment goes completely wack. Either way control arm bushings are only like $30-$40 from Energy Suspension, so just buy the set and replace them

 

yea and have fun taking out the old ones....

you might as well save up, and buy some tie rod ends, and some stabalizer links while yor down there..

or you could just change both the tie rods

you could probably get everything for around 150

 

Buy the ES ones and plan on about 5 hours to install them yourself. If you work at a steady pace.

 

That's probably what I'll end up doing. Are the new bushings pretty easy to press in? I think Autozone has a loaner tool that can get it.

I think I remember reading in another thread that you had already done this. What was the biggest PITA about it? I am just deciding whether or not I should use my buddies air tools or just use my own socket tools.

Hey I appreciate everyone's advice.

 

Air tools will help a minimal amount by saving you the hassel of turning wrenches. The hardest part was getting out the old bushing. You will need a torch. Burn as much out as you can. Use a flat head screw driver to scoup it out while you are burning it up. Then you will need to take a hacksaw apart, insert the blade though the control arm, reassemble the hack saw and cut a 1/4 inch section out of the metal insert from the old bushing. Be careful doing this. That old insert is pretty thin and you dont want to cut into the control arm. Its not hard to saw though just take your time. Then use a flat head or a chisel to tap out the rest of the insert. Be careful not to gouge the control arm. If you do, sand it down smooth. The rear bushing is easier to remove. I just used a socket extention and a hammer to take it off. The new bushings are cake to install. I used a plain old c-clamp and some small peice of wood to press them in. Make sure you grease the new bushings well. Everything that will touch metal will need to be greased. Basically coat all of the bushings inside and out.

This is basically how I did the install.

1) Remove wheels for extra room

2) Unbolt Control Arm from frame (7 bolts per side)

3) Unbolt sway bar stabilizer link

4) Unbolt strut

5) Swing Control arm around to font of car (ball joint is still connected).

6) Burn out old bushing

7) Hammer off old rear bushing

8) Grease, grease, grease, and grease some more

9) Reinstall everything

You will need a 27mm socket for the contol arm pivot bolt nut.

Jacking up the transmission for the drivers side enables easier access to this nut.

When you go to bolt up the Control Arm make sure the Stabilizer Link is inserted back through the sway bar before you bolt up the Control Arm. I didnt do this the first time and it was wasted time to fix it.

If you wanted to go though the extra trouble of taking off the ball joint then it will be easier to work on the Control Arm off the car. I just didnt have a 36mm socket to remove the hub nut. If you go this route you will also need to remove the tie rod end from the knuckle. That is easy. You can use a special too for both of these or use my method. Unbolt the nut then hit the knuckle with a hammer until they pop out. The ball joint might require a little covincing with heat. DO NOT heat up the ball joint itself. Just the surrounding metal (the knuckle).

Hope this helps.

 

Just buy the whole control arm it's like $65 bucks on ebay.

 

There's no point to replacing the whole control arm if the balljoint is still good.

 

Wow very good post this should be a sticky...

 

yea i just changed the arm itself, its a bich to get that ball joint out

 

wow. I think I'm gonna save that info!
Thanks alot man. Did you feel a big difference with the ES bushings in there? I already have the ES Motor Mounts and I am very pleased.

 

yes there is.. thats why people do it.. why replace just the bushings when theres a ball joint a foot away with 100,000 miles on it.. if you got everything apart, it ONLY MAKES SENSE TO DO THAT.

 

There was a huge difference, but my bushings were pooping out the control arm so they were pretty much shot.

 

You could also buy new ball joints. Id rather have my OEM CA than an Ebay one. Ball joints, tie rod ends, and stabalizer end links are next for me. I just didnt have the money to do all of that right then.

Thanks for the props on the write up guys.

 

You can't buy just the ball joints for these cars (Maxima, I30.) The ball joints are pressed in at the factory and as such, are a permanent fixture in the control arm. This is no big deal as long as the dust boot on the ball joint remains intact. Dirt is the killer of ball joints. What annoys me is that Nissan doesn't make a replacement dust boot for the ball joint.

I also have a Miata. It has upper and lower ball joints. The lowers are removable and replacable. The uppers aren't. However, Mazda sells dust boots for all of them. Upper and lower ball joints, and the outer tie rod ends.

I've been meaning to check around and see if anyone else makes ball joint dust covers because mine are bad and I don't want to replace a control arm.

 

thanks for all this info guys. I have a torn ball joint dust sleeve, and was trying to get the ballhjoint out last night. No wonder I cou;dn't get it out, it didn't look possible without removing the control arm.

 

You can buy replacements on Ebay. Dirt is not the only killer of ball joints. The joint itself gets loose over time and should be replaced. Same thing with tie rod ends and stabilizer end links. Buy the joints off ebay and then just take your CA's to a shop and have them press in the new ones.

 

go onto ebay, or any car parts website, and look up 96 maxima ball joints.. then get back to us..

 

will autozone's loan-a-tool program have sufficient tools to do the ball joints?
http://www.autozone.com/in_our_store...suspension.htm

they show a ball joint press that looks like a glorified C-clamp.

 

You'll be able to install them with that tool, but not remove the old ones. In order to remove the old balljoints you're more than likely going to need to heat them up with a torch then knock them out with an air hammer

 

dude just buy the lca's off ebay..

 

I got moog balljoints for my '97 maxima from carquest, no problem at all. Took a torch to the old ones and knocked them out with my air hammer then used my balljoint service kit to press in the new ones. All this was done with the LCA still on the vehicle, which saves tons of time over taking off the LCAs to replace them. If the other bushings are good then why buy new LCAs? If it ain't broke don't fix it if you ask me. Total time for me to do my balljoints was 30-45 minutes and that included a short break for lunch. Ok maybe add 5 minutes onto that for putting the retaining rings on then guiding the new balljoint into the steering knuckle and putting my wheels back on. It's simple if you have the right tools, but if you don't have the right tools then don't even try

 

what is this ball joint service kit that you have? is it like the one from autozone in the link i posted above?

 

buy the LCAs off ebay i bought all my stuff from ebay about a week or 2 ago and installed them. new LCAs, inner, outter tie rods, stabilizer links, and strut tops. car feels mint now. about 300 total for everything adn the install took about 2 1/2 hours for everything with air tools

 

any write-ups on the inner and outter tie rods?

 

will be doing the energy suspension swap as soon as parts arrive!

 

you have to find Nick... he has a VERY good write up on his car domain page.

 

It's made by OTC (they make good quality stuff for not so much money). The basic kit can be had for about $85 and comes with a giant c-clamp type press and a few installation and remover adapters for servicing different balljoints. Others are made by Matco and Snap-on but the OTC does it's job and does it well.