Passenger Lower Control Arm

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fossten

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So my buddy and I determined that the popping and the pulling to the right was a bad bearing. Pulled off the hub on the right side, turned the rotors, bought a new bearing and a ball joint, and...can't get the ball joint out of the LCA. It appears that it's either fused or rusted in there.

Here's what we tried:

Prying
Hammering
Grinding
Torch
Drill
Vibrating chisel
PB Blaster

So we gave up and today I'm getting a new LCA assembly with ball joint from Moog, the ONLY store in 50 miles that had the part.

I've never had this much trouble with anything on this car, and that's saying something. Nothing has ever been easy on my Mark. What is it with these cars, jeesh.

One interesting thing that happened as we were putting the tools away last night was when he told me to put a jackstand under the driver's side, and when I walked over there I saw that the driver's side was suspended three inches in midair above the jack. Those braces really do stiffen the frame!
 
Did ya ever think to try a ball-joint press to press the ball out?
They are pressed in, you'll have to press it out, then press the new one in
 
Sapperfire said:
Did ya ever think to try a ball-joint press to press the ball out?
They are pressed in, you'll have to press it out, then press the new one in
Click to expand...
Yeah we thought about taking it to Pep Boys and pressing it out. But the price difference between the new bj and the entire assembly isn't worth the effort, taking into account Pep Boys charging me. So I'll just do a swap.
 
Had to run to the only dealership in town that had the last spindle nut available for 50 miles, but we got the LCA, new ball joint, new spindle, and new bushing kit installed this afternoon, along with turned rotors. Cleaned the heck out of the brakes and the ABS sensors.

Car rides and brakes silky smooth now, not a single pull in either direction.

Next month I'm doing the driver's side.

By the way, I got the LCA + ball joint assembly at Moog, a Mevotech for $106. Actually was sorta pissed because the same part is at RockAuto for $66 but I didn't have time to wait. Next month...
 
I got lucky and sourced a new set of Moog LCA's for $90 shipped. Since my car is not a daily I am waiting to collect the remaining rebuild parts and do it all at once over the winter.
 
I tried replacing just the balljoint once because a friend of mine had the right tools.

Never again, it's not worth the hassle, even with the right tools.

Besides, with a new control arm, you get new bushings too.:)
 
its a waste replacing just the ball joint, why put a brand new ball joint in an old arm with shot bushings, thats like brand new wiper blades on a busted windshield! whole assembly FTW
 
Did you replace the stabilizer links and control rod bushings while you have everything apart? It will feel like a new car if you do. Don't forget to get an alignment when you are done.
 
Roadboss said:
Did you replace the stabilizer links and control rod bushings while you have everything apart? It will feel like a new car if you do. Don't forget to get an alignment when you are done.
Click to expand...
The end links were replaced recently. I did the control rod bushings, yes. It does feel good. I'm not going to bother with an alignment until I'm done with the left side, which I'll do soon.
 
doesn't mean anything, you can have the slightest bit of caster off or anything, and that tire will wear uneven and in other words ruin it
 
unless of course the tire is old already and you don't care. or if you plan on doing the other side, ... hold that thought is this your dd?
 
danny_holtermann said:
unless of course the tire is old already and you don't care. or if you plan on doing the other side, ... hold that thought is this your dd?
Click to expand...
Yeah and we're doing the other side in a few weeks. Any damage would be negligible. My buddy who helped me do the changeover tells me it's nothing to worry about.
 
danny_holtermann said:
doesn't mean anything, you can have the slightest bit of caster off or anything, and that tire will wear uneven and in other words ruin it
Click to expand...

Camber and toe would be out of adjustment caster is the forward or backward tilt of the steering axis, basically the position of the top and bottom of the strut forward and backward. It is a non adjustable angle on mn12's and fn10's unless something is bent caster shouldn't need to be adjusted, and the only way to adjust it would be to file and slot the upper mounting holes. Camber and toe on the other hand are 95% out of adjustment unless he's one of the luckiest bastards in the world, since both would be effected by a lca replacement even if he marked the location of the eccentric cams and reinstalled them in the same location it's likely out of adjustment. Camber doesn't directly wear tires but toe certainly does.
 
danny_holtermann said:
doesn't mean anything, you can have the slightest bit of camber off or anything, and that tire will wear uneven and in other words ruin it
Click to expand...
fixed it for ya
Chris_Murder said:
caster is the forward or backward tilt of the steering axis, basically the position of the top and bottom of the strut forward and backward. It is a non adjustable angle on mn12's and fn10's unless something is bent caster shouldn't need to be adjusted, and the only way to adjust it would be to file and slot the upper mounting holes. Camber and toe on the other hand are 95% out of adjustment unless he's one of the luckiest bastards in the world, since both would be effected by a lca replacement even if he marked the location of the eccentric cams and reinstalled them in the same location it's likely out of adjustment. Camber doesn't directly wear tires but toe certainly does.
Click to expand...
uhhhhh no :shifty: the caster adjustment on mn10/fn12 is done at the strut rod where it meets the k member at the front of the car
 
Chris_Murder said:
Camber and toe would be out of adjustment caster is the forward or backward tilt of the steering axis, basically the position of the top and bottom of the strut forward and backward. It is a non adjustable angle on mn12's and fn10's unless something is bent caster shouldn't need to be adjusted, and the only way to adjust it would be to file and slot the upper mounting holes. Camber and toe on the other hand are 95% out of adjustment unless he's one of the luckiest bastards in the world, since both would be effected by a lca replacement even if he marked the location of the eccentric cams and reinstalled them in the same location it's likely out of adjustment. Camber doesn't directly wear tires but toe certainly does.
Click to expand...

And camber does directly wear the tires, it will wear one side of the tire or the other, toe will make the tire wear faster, and thanks chicken for the correction
 
Either way, is a week or two gonna make that much difference? I might drive all of 200 miles by then.
 
fossten said:
I would think that if it was out 'enough' I would notice in the way it drives.
Click to expand...

You should notice it if its way off.
FWIW
Brandon did mine and nailed it.
Took the car in and alignment was in tolerance.
That was after new LCA bushings and upper control arms on both sides.
Left the shop with no bill :)

Point being...it could be in spec.
If you want to risk it you could be fine..... or maybe not :p
 
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