i was jacking the car up to change axles and then i notice the wheel wont come off the ground. this is what i saw:



that's the ball joint no? i know that the entire lca is ruste to **** but i think its pretty expensive to replace.

 

Man I'm glad I live in the south.

 

That would be the sway bar end link. I believe they are available at most auto parts stores for about $30. Replace both sides as they are probably both shot.
The wheel will still come off the ground, jack the car up a little higher.

 

Wow, thats nasty looking.
You also need to take care of the torn CV boot....

 

Looks like you need to change your outer CV boots too. Mine are both shot also. Dry rot looks to be the cause.

Also, if you want better than OEM, look at Moog suspension parts. K9824 seems to be the Moog part number.

 

uh, the op says he was changing his axles when he found it.

 

thanks guys!
like i said i was changing the axles when i noticed it other side is pretty rusted too, i suppose i can replace them both.

 

Here's a tip -

You need to have both front wheels off the ground at the same time to change the links.

 

MOOG Part # K9824 {Sway Bar Link} Frt Susp $20.89




RAYBESTOS Part # 5451041 {Professional Grade; Sway Bar Repair Kit
Front Suspension; Link And Bushing Kit $16.87

can i buy either one?

 

Eh, I wouldn't say Moog is better than OEM. I've used plenty of Moog parts to find nothing but disappointment. They're fine for the price but by no means "the best". Just go to your local parts store and get the swaybar [end] links which run anywhere between 20-30 bucks depending on locations and brand

If you wanna go all out, go to IdiotZone and pick up some Energy Suspension poly universal end link bushings for another 15 bucks for a set with washers and all.

 

I just replaced my sway bar end links today and they are quite easy with a little elbow grease and pb blaster.

 

wow.its about that time.

 

I thought you need to have the suspension loaded, no?

 

For changing the sway bar link, you need both wheels the same - either off the ground or on the ground. I cheat by jacking up one side and support the car on a stand and take the wheel off. Then I use a hydraulic floor jack under the control arm to raise it up, simulating being on the floor.

 

I did about the same thing, but had both front sides off the ground and used the jack the same way...under the control arm......pretty easy.....just PITA when removing the old link on the driver's side because of being snapped in half...DOOHHH.

 

Would it be pointless to raise & support both sides so that both wheels are in the air, and then compress both control arms & install the end-links?

 

yes it would




as for the end links I had to use a hack saw on mine cuz they were rusted to hell.... Northeast FTL there.

 

It sounds like that's the way Q8BallMAXIMA did it and the way I assumed it had to be done. This is confusing...

 

There really is no right or wrong way to install these because if there was it would have been a more time consuming process. The reason why I jacked up on the a-arm is because there was no realistic way to get the top nut on without compressing the rubber bushing on the bottom.

Just put the new parts on and be done with it. I have not had any issues since performing this project. A whole lot better than hearing squeaking and clunking. The sway arm is all mechanical.....no rocket science required.

If I were you slide both side in place first, then put the nuts on both sides separately....all done.

 

Good luck with those nuts on the control arm. They look more rusted than even mine. I couldn't get sockets in there and Craftsman wrenches flexed too much to hold (try Snap or Matco). I wound up Dremeling the thing to death combined with alternating heat & cold.

 

The reason it seems like I might be making it harder than it actually is is because I replaced mine with Moog end links not too long ago (<2 months) and now I hear the clunking again (which went away when I first installed them). Plus it seems like my car suffers from more 'roll' than it should. Just wondering if I had installed them wrong for them to go so quickly.

I know it's all mechanical, but mechanical stuff does have it's limits when it comes to stress or load.

 

WOW!!!!! RUST!!!! Man I'm glad I live down south!

 

 

ahhh the life in the city and its many perks

 

Good luck, OP! I ran into rust problems with my end links today, and they didn't look nearly as beat as yours. Another reason I moved back south from the Northeast...

For those of you that have encountered rust and couldn't remove the nut that secures the link to the LCA, did PB Blaster do the trick, or did you have to cut? If cutting, where on the link did you do it? Any advice would be appreciated. Previous threads I consulted didn't give much help on this point...

 

I just put the MOOG kits on myself. I made sure to compress the bushings to approximately the same size as the washers on either side of the sway arm. There is a torque spec on the parts, but I figured I would be safe to use the washer-size method. Like I said, I just replaced them, so if I do have any clunks or squeaks, I will replace them with a different sway arm link kit.......Thanks for the heads up with your MOOG link kit issues.

I forgot, before you tighten down the top nut, be sure to keep the knuckles are straight (perpendicular with the lower mount point on the a-arm. If you have it turned to one side or the other, you will put added stress on the knuckle of the joint in that direction when you lower the car back down. If the knuckles are not straight, you will actually create a "twist" on the knuckle. (or at least what I call a knuckle...please correct me with the right term...I cannot post pics) When tightening down the top nut, put a wrench (used a 5/8" open end, I believe) on the nut portion of the shaft on the MOOG kit. I am pretty sure all other replacements have the same capability. Just a word of advise.

I am a pretty spirited driver, so they may wear out quicker because of the added stress on the parts. I love driving my Max to its limits!!!!!!

 

well, didn't work out so well. i couldn't even get the top nut off. let alone the one attaching to the lca. before anyone asks no i didn't lift both sides because the link was already snapped in half. went in there with pb blaster but no good. i'm just gonna take it to the shop grr

 

I tried for like a whole month to get mines off. Got one off but ended up having to go to a shop to get the other one torched off.

 

Sorry to hear about your frustrations with this. How long did you try working on the LCAs? I had to keep the PB blaster on them for about 2 hours and hitting it with more PB every 15 minutes. When I worked on my broken one, I took a large vise grip and gripped the ball end (piece connected to the a-arm mount) and used a socket to remove the nut. The vise grip would rest up against the a-arm while I was wrenching on the nut. I used both a 3" and 6" extension with the 14mm socket.

There might be enough room to use a sawsall or your best bet might be a dremel cutoff wheel..just some suggestions before letting someone else touch your max.

 

Exactly. Same solution here and cutting the boot off the ball end to get a look at things. IIRC I Dremeled the nut sides to get a good vice grip. Alternated a butane torch and CRC freezeoff/inverted canned air to help. Took me 3 different attempts but it was worth saving an hour or two shop time. I'm all for busted knuckles vs shelling out $$.

 

i hear ya. i did spend a while trying. the previous night i hit it with a bunch of pb blaster also, it was just a pita. really don't have that many tools to work with tho. my shop charged $30 to do both sides. definitely worth it, all the clunking and squeaking is gone.

 

We'll that's different

 

WOW, that is really cheap for labor. That is definitely worth taking it in then!!! I know the shops in Eastern WI would have charged triple that. Good Deal on the $30!!