Shot Ball Joint Seals...

[Scrrem]

Well, been going over the new Z for the past couple of weeks and talleying up the work it needs. First big task....Looks like both upper and lower front ball joints have blown grease seals. I've never tackled ball joints before, how difficult of a job is this? I assume I will need a ball joint tool? Is it worth taking the A arms out and have someone else install BJ?
Rich

[Jagdpanzer]

How many miles on the car?
Could be they were over greased at some point and the excess not properly cleaned up.

[Scrrem]

How many miles on the car?
Could be they were over greased at some point and the excess not properly cleaned up.

It's got 67,000 on it and my first warning sign was a large amont of grease on the insides of the wheels. While I had the car up on stands I noticed that the seals were completly flat, so I got the grease gun out and as soon as I made the first pump, the grease squirted out from the seam between the boot and the arm.

[ZR1Vette]

I replaced the right side upper control arm due to a ball joint grease seal failure... this is what I found>>
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/MRBLU/ZR1newandoldcontrolarms.jpg

Whether it was at the BG or someone later the ball joint bolt was way over tightened and simply destroyed the grease seal. If this is your case get the entire control arm and replace...just replacing the ball joint seals with aftermarket replacements just is a no go IMO

[Scrrem]

Whether it was at the BG or someone later the ball joint bolt was way over tightened and simply destroyed the grease seal. If this is your case get the entire control arm and replace...just replacing the ball joint seals with aftermarket replacements just is a no go IMO
Yeah, that seems like the way to go. Seems like a whole bunch of labor to rebuild the arms with new joints and bushings. Have any recommendations of a good vendor?
Rich

[Jagdpanzer]

Corvette Recycling is a good source for C4 suspension components

http://www.corvetterecycling.com/category_s/23.htm

[ZR1Vette]

Yep... Corvette Recycling is where I got my replacement (shown in pic)

[Scrrem]

Corvette Recycling is a good source for C4 suspension components

http://www.corvetterecycling.com/category_s/23.htm

Sweeet...that should make the job a bit easier :-D
Rich

[tf95ZR1]

So its easier or less expensive to just replace the entire control arm?
:icon_scra

[tomtom72]

So its easier or less expensive to just replace the entire control arm?
:icon_scra

Depending upon the price of quality Ball joints & the rest of the stuff, yes it is more cost effective to buy the arm set from C-Recycling.

I looked for Moog "gusher" type B/J's and they were about $80.00 ea, then go get the bushings plus the time to r&r the parts....or the fee at the machine shop. $400.00 was so close & then it's plug & play.

:cheers:
Tom

[ZR1Vette]

So its easier or less expensive to just replace the entire control arm?
:icon_scra

Absolutely...particularly the prices that Corvette Recycling sells the control arms for PLUS the OEM ball joint assembly is riveted onto the arm so to replace just the ball joint assembly you need to grind the rivet heads off and the replacement ball joints use nut & bolts to secure…no where cleaner looking. Replacing the upper control arm is not difficult at all as long as you have a lift or way to get car off its wheels and then a jack to move (compress) the suspension.

If anyone wants to just replace the ball joint I have a new one (yes with nut and bolt fastners) you can have for free...glad to send to you

http://www.corvetterecycling.com/shoppingcart.asp

[Scrrem]

Absolutely...particularly the prices that Corvette Recycling sells the control arms for PLUS the OEM ball joint assembly is riveted onto the arm so to replace just the ball joint assembly you need to grind the rivet heads off and the replacement ball joints use nut & bolts to secure…no where cleaner looking. Replacing the upper control arm is not difficult at all as long as you have a lift or way to get car off its wheels and then a jack to move (compress) the suspension.



Yeah and don't you need a Ball Joint press to get them out?

Once you replace the arms, I assume you have to have the front end aligned?

[ZR1Vette]

Anytime I do any suspension work I always assume a alignment is needed. Even if I just replaced the ball joint alone I would have the alignment checked.

[tomtom72]

The press is needed to get the old ones out and put the new one in, but some parts stores rent that press. I personally, would rather a good machine shop do that stuff for me, along with the cross shaft bushings, as getting that stuff out can be a bit of a pia as well. If you have a fair torch and shop air doing it your self is a bit easier, an arbor press would be sweet also.

That's why when I saw the arms as a set at C-recycling for $400.00 + shipping I just ordered them. Looked to be the cheatin' easy way out for my $..:o

JMHO
:cheers:
Tom

Oh, the lower arms come complete with the stablizer bar end link mount bushing installed too!:mrgreen:

[ZR1Vette]

That's why when I saw the arms as a set at C-recycling for $400.00

Tom..
By 'set' do you mean one side upper and lower control arms or both side upper and lower control arms or just the upper control arms for both sides? Reason I ask is that the upper control arms thru Corvette Recycling are $120 each for a total of $240??
Michael

[tomtom72]

Mike, here's the link to the page on C-recycling's site. It's the 12th item down the page, just after the rear knuckle(?).

http://www.corvetterecycling.com/category_s/23.htm

Yes it was all four wish bones @ $399.99 + shipping. Or you can get individual arms @ $120.00 ea.

When I got my car all the bags on the studs were "exploded" at their bases. I figured that they had been over greased, at first I had thought..."what dumb a$$ tried to grease them with the car sitting on the wheels!"...but ya can't get the grease gun on the B/J zerks with the wheels on the car, well easily anyway. They, whom ever "they" were also did the same to my outter tie-rods...:icon_scra

For my situation, the full set was an easy way out of the situation, and I thought a cheap way out with good parts. I've read quite a few bad stories over at the C4 sections @ CF where people were having trouble getting quality replacement B/J's to rebuild their arms. These stories made me very apprehensive about the parts quality issues and since I was part of the C4 slave /master cylinders' debacale....I was doubly fearful of bad Q/C on parts. Another consideration for me was the fact that either I start working in the street or the stuff better be good quality parts the first time round. No leaving the car "up & apart" while I sorted out the parts quality issues with "do over's".

I hate to say that when I was actively doing my own work on my 72, parts quality was the last thing that I ever worried about. Good quality parts, in the late 60's & 70's, were there as long as you were willing to pay the freight. You could always rely on certain mfg's to be pricey, but deliver quality. When i saw the recall that Moog had on C4 B/J's I was stunned, but it tied into some of the stories I had seen at CF.

:redface: sory to sooo long winded!
:cheers:
Tom