Jump to content

Mad front end problems


Euro

Recommended Posts

I went in to get the clunking in my front end and the little bit of steering wheel shimmy at higher speeds checked out.

 

Our friend who looked at it said it needs: inner/outer tie rod ends, lower balljoints, struts, sway bar bushings....something else for a grand total of $1350. I said FUCK that!!!!

 

 

lol can anyone help me fix it if i buy the parts???It'll be a fix Euro's car meet :oops:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

if you were closer then 7 hours away i'be be all over that... hell i might still be.

 

balljoints are prety easy, its just a royal pain if they have never been replaced before because you have to drill the old ones out. i haven't done tierod ends myself, but it dosen't seem very hard. i'd just ignore the swaybar bushings myself, i've yet to see one go bad even oh crazy high mileage w-bodys, and from what i gather front struts are very easy to do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did balljoints with a power drill (for the #%@#^$%T$ rivets) in my driveway in ~30* weather. It was simple after the bitch of drilling the fucking rivets out. Unbolt the control arm from the front swaybar (even better since you have to get new bushings for them anyway) and you're tits.

 

Never done struts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had to do a balljoint and outter-tie rod on my 95 and the balljoint was bolted on (looks as though it was replaced before). Only way to know is to check it out and see.

 

Seems odd that you would have ALL of those problems at the same time.. did you run over or hit something?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You guys work too hard. For the time it would take to drill those rivets out I'd take it to a shop and have them air chiseled off. I bet I could do a ball joint in a W in 10 minutes tops.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You guys work too hard. For the time it would take to drill those rivets out I'd take it to a shop and have them air chiseled off. I bet I could do a ball joint in a W in 10 minutes tops.

 

I use my grinder on the old rusty bolts, not sure if it would work on rivots though.. lol :wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You guys work too hard. For the time it would take to drill those rivets out I'd take it to a shop and have them air chiseled off. I bet I could do a ball joint in a W in 10 minutes tops.

 

Whats your method of getting them changed in 10 minutes?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You guys work too hard. For the time it would take to drill those rivets out I'd take it to a shop and have them air chiseled off. I bet I could do a ball joint in a W in 10 minutes tops.

that also cost's money that some of us don't ahve to throw away

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whats your method of getting them changed in 10 minutes?

 

Raise vehicle, use air chisel to break all 3 rivets off. remove nut and use large hammer or air hammer to knock ball joint loose from spindle. Remove old ball joint, install new one with provided bolts. Lower vehicle.

 

that also cost's money that some of us don't ahve to throw away

 

Yet you have the money to buy a drill and bits? Factor in your time, what's that worth?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You guys work too hard. For the time it would take to drill those rivets out I'd take it to a shop and have them air chiseled off. I bet I could do a ball joint in a W in 10 minutes tops.

that also cost's money that some of us don't ahve to throw away

 

Or, in my case, I didn't have the money to have the undrivable (due to the broken balljoints) car towed to the shop, pay the shop, and then have it towed back to my driveway when they got done with my car. I was also able to borrow a drill and bits, so that was the favorable solution.

 

It honestly wasn't that much work. If you use a larger bit each time, it's really not that hard to get the rivets out, and if you have a crowbar, chisel, and BFH like I did, it's a cakewalk. Basically, it's rather easy any way you slice it. And the icing is that you use bolts with the new ones!

 

Look at me, making food puns in the Powertrain section! You'd have to be baked to laugh at them! :lol: :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i didnt hit anything out of the ordinary besides the usual IL road bumps and uneven roads(avoid all the horrendous roads)

 

Im gonna wait for a bit to see, but the balljoints are the things making noise for sure. I said F to the struts(not that old...been replaced before but not by me) and F the sway bar bushings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Yet you have the money to buy a drill and bits? Factor in your time, what's that worth?

 

who dont have a drill and bits where you would have to go out and buy them just so you can do the ball joints? If thats the case its likely that you would be better off taking it to a garage to get it done because you most likely wouldnt know what the hell you where doing! :cheers:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Yet you have the money to buy a drill and bits? Factor in your time, what's that worth?

 

who dont have a drill and bits where you would have to go out and buy them just so you can do the ball joints? If thats the case its likely that you would be better off taking it to a garage to get it done because you most likely wouldnt know what the hell you where doing! :cheers:

well said for a newbie! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Heh...

 

For the struts - your knuckle gotta come off.

 

Sounds like you are rebuilding your whole front end...

 

Tie rods are in and out in 15 minutes (Even after heating - very easy IMHO)

Rivited Balljoints are swetness-30 mins in and out.

Struts - i'd give 1.0 hour/side + Alignment.

Sway-bar bushings - can't quite say I've ever done em. I'd lean towards BS.

 

All N-all it's proally' take a good afternoon if all the work goes smoothly/got all the tools!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...