I'm more focused on comfort/street, comparing to racing hardware. How Much Does it Cost? Bushing failure can cause a number of ride quality problems. Other vehicles include control arms with built-in ball joints that must be replaced as a unit if they begin to fail. Click here!!! Position a floor jack under the lower ball joint or control arm to relieve downward pressure on the suspension components. Replacing Control Arms Different vehicles have different degrees of difficulty when it comes to replacing control arms. Remove the large nut first and then loosen and remove the two 13mm bolts (See Figure 1). Read on to learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms of a failing ball joint. Step 6: Install the replacement ball joint and torque the fasteners to specification. You might need to remove any small wiring or brake flex hose clips to free up the arm for removal. >> We have used Japanese cars whose control arm works perfectly. Replacing Lower Control Arm Bushings on Mopars. These are bolted up underneath the wheel carrier with two 13mm bolts and one large nut. Second, once I added up the cost of a good ball joint and bushings I was awful close to the cost of a new control arm. The first step in replacing the control arm bushings and ball joints is to jack up the front of the car and place it on jack stands. In most cases, replacing a whole control arm assembly is far easier than replacing a single ball joint or a set of control arm bushings. Those are the wheel bearing(s), upper/lower ball joints, or at bushings at the base of the control arm. It takes what they call a 'pickle' fork to separate the joing from the chassis and then the joint just unbolts. This kit from Whiteline includes extended ball joints and outer tie rod ends to move the pivot point of both suspension components to correct for the change in ride height. This is an alternative if you have a pressed ball joint type don't want to deal with pressing the ball joint in and out of the control arm. The 2 bolts on the ends are the hardest ones to remove. Some ball joints are pressed into the control arm itself – others are screw-in. Control arms allow wheels to move up and down while preventing forward and rearward movement. After removing the wheel remove the small link rod with either a long screwdriver or a small ball joint splitter, next disconnect the upper ball joint (for this you will need a ball joint splitter quite cheap from you local auto factors). The ball joint is a small part of your car, and the part itself is only going to cost between $20-$150 or more, depending on where you get it from and what kind of vehicle you own. If you’re not familiar with the suspension and wheel assembly, it’s best to visit a garage for a professional check. Next, remove the wheels and locate the outer ball joints. Often, this insert stays on the ball joint stud as it is removed. Audi A4 B7: How to Replace Ball Joints/Control Arms. First, I was planning on replacing control arm bushing so it is way easier if they are installed. Heavy Duty Thick Rubber boot provides extreme protection against the elements for longer ball joint life. Ball joint replacement is not straightforward, as they can be very tricky to access and install – especially with age and rust. depending on the condition of the ball joint I would say change that as well – around 25.00 dollars. All of that back story to ask for your recommendations: Should I just replace the ball joints or the entire control arm assemblies? Many control arms have the ball joint manufactured into the arm which will be replaced along with the control arm itself. However, if the ball joint has failed, the lower control arm needs to be replaced because this ball joint is not serviceable. Almost always it's easier to replace just the ball joint rather than the entire control arm and a lot cheaper too. Figure 1. Replacing the broken or severely damaged control arm, ball joint, or bushing is the only way in that case. Step 5: Removing the entire brake and suspension aside, these ball joints were easy to service. A ball joint, front and back, could be a serviceable unit (i.e. There are different things you need to do to check to see if which part is bad. OEM ball joints did not have grease fittings. This will enable you to remove the upper control arm without pressure bearing down on the arm. More compatibility with replacement coilovers. Loose ball joints are generally caused by torn or missing dust boots allowing contaminates inside the joint or inferior materials like a plastic bearing surface being worn down prematurely. The exact work steps for replacing the broken compression ball joint vary from vehicle to vehicle and are specified by the vehicle manufacturer. The front control arm on the Z4 chassis has three common areas of trouble: The ball joint that connects to the steering knuckle, the ball joint that attaches to the subframe and the control arm bushing. If you were to take your car into a repair garage or the dealer to have a control arm replaced parts and labor would cost you between $280.00 and $350.00 (US) per … then labor to remove the bushings. The type of ball joints your vehicle has will depend on its make and model, and the type of suspension system. This procedure can vary due to a number of issues, like the exact year of the truck and whether it has four-wheel drive or a torsion bar front suspension, so talk with your mechanic first. Bushing removal kits can be rented from an auto supply store, and often at no cost to a customer. Saved A TON OF TIME on the installation. Audi Q5: How to Replace Ball Joints and Control Arms. Most vehicles so not require the control arm to be replaced when servicing ball joints. Take the car to a skilled mechanic for your very own safety. Step 1. You may have a shudder when braking or a clunk when you hit a bump. It's very difficult to get a wrench on the bolt underneath the ball joint because the control arm wraps around it. However, there are some exceptions, like Ford products have intregral ball joints as part of the upper control arms. This is a fairly easy job. The most common reason to replace a control arm is to improve wheel travel as part of a suspension lift. Removal. Lower control arm bushings can be replaced using a bushing removal tool/bushing press. If a ball joint fails, it can have dire consequences. It hauls 5,000lbs in the bed daily so I wasn't about to cheap out on the front end. The ball joints and bushings integral to the control arms function just don't last forever. Without the right tools, a bushing replacement will get out of hand very quickly. I used a thick Craftsman open-end wrench pushed on the hex vertically. Replaced OEM upper control arm w/ greasable MOOG ball joint on both driver and passenger side. When one control arm is worn it is highly advised to replace the opposing arm. I would just get the control arm complete. I don’t recommend this for someone that doesn’t have quite a bit of experience working on suspensions. When replacing the lower ball joint on some late model vehicles, you may find that an insert surrounds the ball joint stud where it passes through the control arm or knuckle. They connect your steering to your control arms, allowing you to be able to turn your wheels. Most older Mopar products have torsion bar suspensions. I am considering buy 2pcs Front Lower Control Arm Ball Joint For … The bushings on the control arms are fairly dry and cracked but still seem to be structurally sound. This ball joint will fit Kryptonite upper control arms for any year or model truck, also Cognito, FTS, CST, Fabtech, and many other upper control arms with a bolt in upper ball joint. Moog makes ball joints with grease fittings. first about your question – the lower control arm ( complete ) is about 60.00 dollars from rockauto.com. the bushing kit ( you would want to do both ) is about 13.00 dollars . However, a new control arm can offer more than just increased ride height (lift) and additional wheel travel: Increased durability in the arm itself. Remove the 4 bolts that hold the lower ball joint to the lower control arm. A wider range of uniball/ball joint options. If you own a vehicle long enough you will likely need to replace the lower control arm ball joint and bushings, but you can take steps to lengthen the life of the ball joints. If the control arm does not show any damage to the bearings, it is sufficient to change the bad compression ball joint. Step 4: Remove the ball joint to control arm fasteners. Wondering what you guys would do between buying new control arm kit or just update the the bushings and ball joints? By Piyush Kayastha - May 24, 2016 This article applies to the Audi Q5 (2009-2015). $95/hr shop labor x 4.8 hrs. You may consider replacing the lower control arm together with the ball joint. Although not impossible with the right tools and equipment, pulling the lower control arm is not easy. Combining two such joints with control arms enables motion in all three planes, allowing the front end of an automobile to be steered and a spring and shock (damper) suspension to make the ride comfortable. This insert must be carefully removed and reused during installation of the replacement ball joint. Mopar upper ball joint. 43 The complex, multi-link front suspension of the Audi Q5 allows this small SUV to have the ride and handling of a luxury sports sedan, but it does require periodic maintenance to keep it operating properly. My employees tell me it drives like new now. AutoShack ASCA63839 Pair of 2 Front Upper Suspension Control Arm and Ball Joint Assembly with Bushing Replacement for 2004-2009 2010 2011 2012 Chevrolet Colorado GMC Canyon 2.8L 2.9L 3.5L 3.7L 5.3L $78.43 $ 78 . Hyundai Sonata Front Suspension Ball Joint Control Arm Replace A ball joint is used for allowing free rotation in two planes at the same time while preventing translation in any direction, including rotating in those planes. The complex, three control arm front suspension of the Audi A4 is what gives it such great ride and handling characteristics, but they need to be replaced from time to time. My RAV just crossed 100k miles. You could also have a combination of the three going bad. One of the nuts was so tight I had to Replaced lower ball joints on both driver and passenger side w/ MOOG ball joints. Ball joints are going to be similar in wearability no matter where you buy them and they are not hard to replace. Ball joints are an essential part of your car’s suspension. An alignment is recommended after ball joints are replaced to ensure good tire wear. You might also be getting deflection out of your tie rod ends or steering rack (if equipped) as well. The arm is quite easy to change. On some cars, the ball joint is integrated into the control arm. On a Chevy SIlverado, the ball joint can only be removed from the lower control arm; replacing an upper ball joint would require completely replacing the upper control arm. Although there are various types of front suspensions, such as the upper and lower control arm type and the MacPherson strut type, they all share a common component that enables them to do what they are designed to do: the ball joint. If the compression ball joint is defective as in our case, the control arm (wishbone) should also be examined more closely. It can take a little over an hour to get it replaced, so the full ball joint replacement cost will be between $100 and $400. 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