Lower Ball joints & inner tie rod install

[Raf99]

This is a strong candidate for a do it yourself job. He may be quoting you for the entire upper control arm. He may even be concerned about the upper, not the lower, ball joint.

If the $180 is for the lower ball joint in the knuckle, that's right in the pocket for two of them at $60 per, plus a (rather high) 50% shop markup (before labor).

However, if it's the upper ball joint, standard practice (not getting into a debate about pressing a new upper in here) is to just replace the control arm. Upper ball joint doesn't affect alignemnt that much, in my understanding, so he's probably not talking about that anyways.

I'd just do it myself. But if you want him to do it, ask him why the lbj quote is that high/verify that he is talking about two sides. And if he IS quoting that high he should be using the highest quality/price LBJ's available. Which is actually a good choice.

Good luck/have fun with it/hope it gets fixed.

As to the air hammer question, it's a natural choice if you happen to have one and the compressor to go with it. But a normal 3 or 5 lb sledge or machinist's hammer (cross-peen hammer or something--i'd go with heavier rather than lighter for this) and a drift punch, used in the same way as an air hammer, will probably get the same results--it will just take a little longer. Use a lot of medium strikes, moving around the circumference of the LBJ, to work it free. You WILL need a sturdy bench vise and workbench, though.

Many thanks! Finally, a thorough answer (no offense prior posters).
I'm 100% positive on what I said. I spoke to him face to face and got him to write down the prices for parts for me. It was the lower ball joints and it was $181 for each side. Obviously he is just going to replace the whole arm, and no thanks to that. I'm starting to think I'll get someone to do the lower ball joints and inner tie rod someday here, just not the guy at the alignment shop.
I don't have a bench/vice, so I'm starting to think it may be better to pay someone with an air compressor to pop these in and out (plus its easier to take everything apart with air).

thepowderblue:
The boots are good and I cannot wiggle the wheel 1mm while its in the air. I'm going to get someone else to check it out for a 2nd opinion and see what they say.

There is only a wiggle in the wheel while doing 65, but its from the balance job on the rims.


Thanks everyone again

[batever]

Many thanks! Finally, a thorough answer (no offense prior posters).
I'm 100% positive on what I said. I spoke to him face to face and got him to write down the prices for parts for me. It was the lower ball joints and it was $181 for each side. Obviously he is just going to replace the whole arm, and no thanks to that. I'm starting to think I'll get someone to do the lower ball joints and inner tie rod someday here, just not the guy at the alignment shop.
I don't have a bench/vice, so I'm starting to think it may be better to pay someone with an air compressor to pop these in and out (plus its easier to take everything apart with air).

thepowderblue:
The boots are good and I cannot wiggle the wheel 1mm while its in the air. I'm going to get someone else to check it out for a 2nd opinion and see what they say.

There is only a wiggle in the wheel while doing 65, but its from the balance job on the rims.


Thanks everyone again

if you have no wiggling, the boots are good, and no popping when going over bumps, then I think you need to find another alignment shop. Not to cast aspersions, he may have had his reasons, but it sounds like he might have been trying to create a nice profitable job for himself OR he just commonly recommends new upper control arms on a 20 year old car. Nothing wrong with that, but that may not what you are in the market for. Time for a second opinion. Just bring it in somewhere else for an alignment, don't say anything, and see what happens.

And just buy a machinist's bench vise if that's what's stopping you from the DIY. a 6" or 8" one should do it. Buy it and you have it forever. Pay someone to do it and you have nothing, and only temporarily. That's my philosophy, and it isn't for everyone (only for people who want to do their own work and are in a position to), but I thought I'd put it out there.

[Raf99]

if you have no wiggling, the boots are good, and no popping when going over bumps, then I think you need to find another alignment shop. Not to cast aspersions, he may have had his reasons, but it sounds like he might have been trying to create a nice profitable job for himself OR he just commonly recommends new upper control arms on a 20 year old car. Nothing wrong with that, but that may not what you are in the market for. Time for a second opinion. Just bring it in somewhere else for an alignment, don't say anything, and see what happens.

And just buy a machinist's bench vise if that's what's stopping you from the DIY. a 6" or 8" one should do it. Buy it and you have it forever. Pay someone to do it and you have nothing, and only temporarily. That's my philosophy, and it isn't for everyone (only for people who want to do their own work and are in a position to), but I thought I'd put it out there.

I completely agree with you. I'm going to do it myself!

[Straight Success]

'95-'98 Odyssey Lower Ball Joints.

Follow-up question.

For those that are 5-Lug converted using the Odyssey knuckles or any one in the know, does the Odyssey lower ball joint have the huge snap ring holding it in place like the CB lower ball joint?

[Losiracer2]

Also autozone rents you the tool to do the lower balljoints. Kinda looks like a massive c clamp. Its also free to rent. You put it on your credit card then they refund you when you bring it back. i actually did mine in the store since they had everything there luckily. took me about 20 min to hammer old ones out and press new ones in

[Straight Success]

Also autozone rents you the tool to do the lower balljoints. Kinda looks like a massive c clamp. Its also free to rent. You put it on your credit card then they refund you when you bring it back. i actually did mine in the store since they had everything there luckily. took me about 20 min to hammer old ones out and press new ones in

I did that when I installed my SPC camber kit. I though you could just bang out the old ones with a hammer, and gently bang in the new one with a ball-peen.

[coupes]

Follow-up question.

For those that are 5-Lug converted using the Odyssey knuckles or any one in the know, does the Odyssey lower ball joint have the huge snap ring holding it in place like the CB lower ball joint?

No snap ring for the Odyssey ball joint.

[sulimed]

This is everything you need to know about the lower balljoint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd5Ic...el_video_title

i've done that before, but i didn't take the shock fork off to get the axle in. i just used the jack on the LCA and lifted it till the axle cleared. way faster

[Straight Success]

No snap ring for the Odyssey ball joint.

Thanks!

[Losiracer2]

I did that when I installed my SPC camber kit. I though you could just bang out the old ones with a hammer, and gently bang in the new one with a ball-peen.

yeah I hammered them out with a 4lb sledge but i didn't want to damage the backside of the balljoint so i pressed them in w/ the C-clamp.

[Straight Success]

yeah I hammered them out with a 4lb sledge but i didn't want to damage the backside of the balljoint so i pressed them in w/ the C-clamp.

That's the ideal way.

Also, using a flush block of wood or metal will also aid in getting it into the bore straight. A press is ideal, but sh!t, I'm doing this work on the street in the middle of winter. I need this so that my alignment can get done once and for all.