Lower-Control Arm Bushings & Ball Joint Install

LostRenegade · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:08 pm

Well I replaced the lower control arm bushings and lower ball joints. What a job. After installing one of the ball joints, I noticed thatI must have pinched it while pressing it in. There was a small slice in the boot.

I put some RTV over it, but I don't think it's going to last long.

Can the boot be changed on Moog K3199 ball joint or will I have to replace the ball joint again.

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Sat Jul 25, 2009 1:18 pm

Pretty sure the boot can be replaced but, I don't know where to get just the boot.

Prospect62 · **Posted:** Sat Jul 25, 2009 10:43 pm

How was that lower control arm bushing job? I really need to do that and I don't think I'm the only one. You should have done a tech write-up on it!

LostRenegade · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 1:21 am

It was tough!!! However, well worth it. It is much easier to get new control arms. Since I am unemployed, I took the cheapest route. I started with the passenger side and it took me 8 hours. The driver side took me about 7.

Once the control arm was off, I took it outside and took a torch to bushing until I could pull out the inner metal cylinder. The control arm has two inner cylinders and the strut fork has 1. After it cools, load the arm into a vise and take an air hammer to it. The outer metal sleave will come out in a matter of minutes.

I'll try to put together a tech write up on it.

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 2:55 am

Wow, sounds like a lot of work :shock:

.... what is the price differance between new bushings and new LCA's?

LostRenegade · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 8:04 am

Diggerfreek wrote:

Wow, sounds like a lot of work :shock:

.... what is the price differance between new bushings and new LCA's?

I spent about $230 for the job which includes the Moog K7389 arm to frame bushings, Raybestos strut to arm bushings and Moog K3199 ball joints. I also spent about $78 on a vice and $17 on an air hammer.

The Moog K7389s where difficult to find for a decent price. Most online places were listing them for about $45 for a single bushing. My local CarQuest auto parts store sold them in pairs for what a single cost online. The bill on the K7389s was $102.

New control arms are about $500 to $600 for a pair.

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 12:07 pm

Well that is quite a bit cheaper than new ones

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:00 pm

Only takes about 3-4 hours to put in complete new LCA's, though. Aren't there some special tools that would make it go quicker?

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 8:27 pm

Dje Ryu wrote:

Only takes about 3-4 hours to put in complete new LCA's, though. Aren't there some special tools that would make it go quicker?

Yes.

I bought the special tools to remove and install the LCA bushings and they broke very fast since those bushings get very rusted into place and are very hard to remove,not a cheapo tool either,they where the same tools(Miller tools) that the dealership is required to have.

LostRenegade · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:29 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

Dje Ryu wrote:

Only takes about 3-4 hours to put in complete new LCA's, though. Aren't there some special tools that would make it go quicker?

Yes.

I bought the special tools to remove and install the LCA bushings and they broke very fast since those bushings get very rusted into place and are very hard to remove,not a cheapo tool either,they where the same tools(Miller tools) that the dealership is required to have.

I rented a ball joint press from AutoZone. The rental is free, but I had to put a $106 deposit on the tool. The press didn't work for pushing them out since they were so rusted in place. However it worked well for pressing them in.

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Mon Jul 27, 2009 1:21 am

Thanks. I already have a ball joint press. Guess it couldn't hurt to try pressing new bushings into my original LCAs that I've been hanging onto for a couple years. I've just been dealing with the clunk (again) for about a year. :roll:

LostRenegade · **Posted:** Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:14 am

Dje Ryu wrote:

Thanks. I already have a ball joint press. Guess it couldn't hurt to try pressing new bushings into my original LCAs that I've been hanging onto for a couple years. I've just been dealing with the clunk (again) for about a year. :roll:

What kind of clunk? My clunk was actually my rotors. I figured my bushings were bad because it seamed my alignment kept changing.

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Mon Jul 27, 2009 9:31 am

It's the bushing at the bottom of the clevis fork. I've taken it to a shop that I trust just to have that confirmed.

Lower-Control Arm Bushings & Ball Joint Install

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