So the other day I had a problem with my upper ball-joint on my front driver's side. Basically, the ball & joint decided that they were unable to co-exist anymore. After a very brief trial separation, they decided on a full-out divorce, causing all sorts of exciting driving dynamics until I found a spot to pull over.
Anyway, I ordered a replacement upper control arm & balljoint from Autozone - Dorman brand. Got the part in this afternoon - and my question/problem is this:
The ball-joint doesn't seem to have ANY flexibility in it . . . it's completely rigid. Shouldn't the ball-joint be able to move around, or am I missing something?
A few pics:
There's that black plastic clip that might be what I need to pull . . . but it could also be holding the boot in place. No instructions came with the silly thing, so I'm not sure.
__________________
--- This message was not sent from a phone ---
It should be ready to bolt in. The black clip is metal and holds the ball joint in the arm. The blue clip holds the boot on. It will be very tight and difficult to move by hand. Dorman is an excellent brand and they make quality aftermarket parts.
__________________
You have the right to free speech, as long as your not dumb enough to actually try it.
Installed the arm this evening, took it on a short shake-down run. Seems to be working fine - hope it all stays good. Definitely need an alignment, though.
__________________
--- This message was not sent from a phone ---
I agree with John Taylor Heilbrun. Dorman makes pretty good products. Moog chassis parts are also very good and their new tie-rods and balljoints are very sturdy. You can barely move it with your hands unless you're strong like bull.
__________________ JHNNY
PSN ID: xQuietStormx LIVE GT: xDanomitex Wii Code: 7366 2357 4332 1866 Note to self: Never piss off DEFCONSkylude!!
Just a quick update - things are still fine with this piece. Guess I was worried over nothing . . . For $70, I'm impressed. Got an alignment today, and the car drives great again.
well, except for the oil burning. and the inner door handle not working. and the oil burning. and the rusty fenders. and the dented up hood. and the oil burning. and the huge smash/dent in the rear passenger corner. oh, and it still burns a lot of oil.
__________________
--- This message was not sent from a phone ---
Just a quick update - things are still fine with this piece. Guess I was worried over nothing . . . For $70, I'm impressed. Got an alignment today, and the car drives great again.
well, except for the oil burning. and the inner door handle not working. and the oil burning. and the rusty fenders. and the dented up hood. and the oil burning. and the huge smash/dent in the rear passenger corner. oh, and it still burns a lot of oil.
You should go look at See's car one day, you'll be back to thinking yours is a mint after looking at that sh1tpile.
I have a question... How did your car drive when the ball joint was starting to go bad??
It drove fine - the biggest warning sign (that I ignored) was the noise. When at a stop, if I moved the wheel back and forth there was a distinct groaning/grinding noise coming from that corner. I (mistakenly) attributed the noise to the axle on that corner, since the boot tore on that thing like a year ago - I figured it was finally going bad. Obviously it was more than that . . .
And once the ball-joint did fall apart, basically all hell broke loose. The car swerving all over, turning a different direction than the way I turned the steering wheel, etc. I mean, for a hundred yards or so the only thing holding the hub assembly upright was the brake line & ABS wire. It's a damn good thing I was only going 15 or 20 mph when it let go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThatPreludeGuy
You should go look at See's car one day, you'll be back to thinking yours is a mint after looking at that sh1tpile.
Ha hah, I've seen it - albeit it was quite a long time ago (4 years? 5?). So I can only imagine now . . . still, I think mine will give just about anybody's a run for their money.
__________________
--- This message was not sent from a phone ---
Installed the arm this evening, took it on a short shake-down run. Seems to be working fine - hope it all stays good. Definitely need an alignment, though.
Thanks for the post. I have a question for you. How did you remove the two flange blots holding the upper control arm? Do you need to remove the suspension strut? I am trying to remove the two bolts, but the strut is in the way. I can loose the two bolts, but don't know how to remove the bolts without taking the strut away first. Any suggestions? Thanks!
This is what happened when mine decided to go as well. Luckily for me, I was in reverse trying to get out of my parking spot. It gave no indication that it was going to give way until it did. I'm glad I wasn't on the road like you were!
Mine is going bad ('97 SH) and needs to be replaced. What's involved with replacing one of these? Need any special tools/skills or is it a straight forward bolt off-bolt on replacement?
I hear 97's had a factory recall once upon a time on their OEM ball joints because they were found to wear too quickly. The problem was solved for 98's though...
well, except for the oil burning. and the inner door handle not working. and the oil burning. and the rusty fenders. and the dented up hood. and the oil burning. and the huge smash/dent in the rear passenger corner. oh, and it still burns a lot of oil.
my grand cherokee leaks oil, you think your prelude could come over to play, and maybe burn all the spots off my driveway?
__________________
If you don't know what you want, you end up with a lot you don't.
I hear 97's had a factory recall once upon a time on their OEM ball joints because they were found to wear too quickly. The problem was solved for 98's though...
Think Honda would still honor that if my ball joints are the originals? My car only has 93000 Km on it.
The recall was for both base & SH models - but it wasn't for the upper control arm ball joint, it was the lower control arm. I had it done 4 or 5 years ago.
Unless there's another one for the UCA that I don't know about.
Replacing the UCA is pretty easy, it's just a nuts and bolts operation - although you'll definitely need an alignment afterward. If you've ever swapped out springs & shocks, you've already done 90% of the work before. The only "special" tool you might need (for an SH) would be a ball joint separator. You use it to pop the SH's radius arm out of the way so you can get access to the lower fork bolt.
If you, by chance, have ever taken an opportunity to reinstall that bolt in the reverse direction, it's a moot point.
__________________
--- This message was not sent from a phone ---
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
HNNY
Linear Mode
