threepointone Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 doing front strut/mounts/hub/tie rods ends/balljoints replacement im doing this on a 1st gen im just thinking who on earth created such a odd setup it made me drink a few extra beers thinking about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mra32 Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 The stamped steel knuckle, or the general setup? If the latter, his name was Earle MacPherson. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacPherson_strut Its a ridiculously common setup on passenger cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white4d96 Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 If you were referring to how the factory ball joints were mounted in there I didn't get it either. Let's make a wear item non-serviceable, yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virtuetovice Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 We call that "GM designers on some strong dope". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mra32 Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Just because you cant use vice grips to remove it doesnt mean its not serviceable. Those stock ball joint last a while anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 If you were referring to how the factory ball joints were mounted in there I didn't get it either. Let's make a wear item non-serviceable, yay! Umm... they are plenty serviceable... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BXX Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Damn kids are scared when a job takes more than a $9.99 Harbor Freight tool set:lol: Redo everything on the front (not including inner tie rods) in about 1-2 hours. Then again, im not scared nor do I have just a elcheapo general service tool kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white4d96 Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 (edited) Umm... they are plenty serviceable... If you have a grinder and an air punch maybe, neither of which I had. For reference, ball joints on my friends Shadow took us about 90 minutes. Ball joints on my car? FOUR FREAKING DAYS!!! Granted it was both of our first times doing them on my car but seriously WHAT was the point in RIVETING the damned things in? Edited February 15, 2011 by white4d96 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BXX Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Well, if you wanna work on your car, better have some actual tool. Hell, a uber cheap air hammer and chisel bit for it will shear the rivets off fine. If you complain over that design, then you would love an old Chrysler product with screw in balljoints which love to rip the threads out of the lower control arm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threepointone Posted February 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 oh i have worked on plenty of those old chrysler's i have over $100,000 invested in tools and equipment so thats no problem there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mra32 Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 If you have a grinder and an air punch maybe, neither of which I had. For reference, ball joints on my friends Shadow took us about 90 minutes. Ball joints on my car? FOUR FREAKING DAYS!!! Granted it was both of our first times doing them on my car but seriously WHAT was the point in RIVETING the damned things in? I typically dont use power tools on my car, I can only recall once that I ever have. I used an impact wrench to get the front hub bolts out. Thats one thing I will never understand. The length of the front hub bolts. They get all rusty. My only idea is that they had them laying around so they used them. An inch of rusty threads is alot though! Anyway, I feel like a broken record lately, but a (regular old wood type) hammer and a cold chisel made very quick work of the rivets. Possibly quicker than trying to unscrew 15 year old rusty bolts. There is an obvious cost advantage to doing it this way. Having rivets instead of bolts is probably on the order of 3 times cheaper. Imagine all the cars they sold with this setup. Thats alot of money to save for something thats functionally the same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BXX Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 oh i have worked on plenty of those old chrysler's i have over $100,000 invested in tools and equipment so thats no problem there $100K in tools are your complaining about the design of our front suspension:think: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted to eaton Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 im goin to get pop corn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threepointone Posted February 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 bxx its a mixture of a nagging ol lady 10 degree weather and bad timing that made me dislike the situation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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