LCA/ball joint replacement

[TominMO]

During inspection yesterday, the guy showed me how worn my ball joints are. When I said I just drove this car from PA, he was shocked and said I was lucky it made it. I have a good relationship with him, and think he is being straight-up with me. So I believe that they really need replacement NOW--I'm parking it until then. This car has the Aspire brake swap, so my question is: does it have Aspire or Festiva LCAs/ball joints? The trans is stock. In other words, when the Aspire brake swap is done, do LCAs get changed too?

He quoted me $167 for one LCA/ball joint. Both need doing, plus labor = $500. I think I can do these myself, but don't want to order the wrong parts from FMS.

[festivaWES]

festiva LCA's. Do it your self. You can replace them for 50 bucks for the pair.

[Pu241]

He quoted me $167 for one LCA/ball joint. Both need doing, plus labor = $500. I think I can do these myself, but don't want to order the wrong parts from FMS.

OMG!:pale:

For the cost of one LCA you can get two of the high end Moog parts.

With BP-blasting the various fasteners and use of a impact wrench you should expect a 2-3 hour job, maybe less.
While your at it check the anti-sway bar bushings and CV joints as they will be easy to do at this time.

As for weather you use the Aspire part or the festiva part, I'm guessing the Festiva part.
Mainly because, if the Aspire LCA were used then you'd also have to use the Aspire tie rods.
But just a guess!

[Pu241]

Dude, you need to find another mechanic!
You can get a nice set of impact sockets and wrench for that $500 and still pay for the best parts.

[festivaWES]

^^ I don't know about all that. Snap-on mg725 new is 400 and 1/2" snap-on socket are 214 on sale right now 10-19mm....lol.

[Pu241]

^^ I don't know about all that. Snap-on mg725 new is 400 and 1/2" snap-on socket are 214 on sale right now 10-19mm....lol.

Whoa, don't know about you, but the rest of us probably don't buy Snap-on!
Though, I have made plastic for their screw drivers.
They are really nice tools, but if they didn't give me a set every year, I wouldn't have paid $150 for 5 screw drivers.

[TominMO]

Wow, thanks for the quick responses! Where do I get the better Moog LCAs? FMS or ?

[187festiva]

i changed mine in about 20 minutes total time its pretty easy i did use an impact tho its easy save that 5 hundo for a motor swap

[Pu241]

Wow, thanks for the quick responses! Where do I get the better Moog LCAs? FMS or ?

Think Advance Auto has them and maybe NAPA.
They used to have a lifetime warranty, but they do cost 2x or more than the cheapies!

[Pu241]

i changed mine in about 20 minutes total time its pretty easy i did use an impact tho its easy save that 5 hundo for a motor swap

Salt lake city, how much snow/salt/sand and other corrosion accelerators do you have to deal with there?
Try and change one from the rust belt in 20 minutes!
Especially, if the cage nut is seized.

[batstiva]

No impact wrench here. Did my LCAs, outer tie rods, sway bar bushings, and CVs on both sides, on Batstiva a few years ago, took somewhere around 6 or 8 hours, maybe to do everything. Not that bad at all. Oh, and swapped out struts/shocks all the way around same day. Definitely would not be paying 500 bones just to do the LCAs.

[JPT]

If your car has any kind of rust underneath, I recommend soaking all fasteners in PB Blaster for at least 24 hours first. PB Blaster is wonderful stuff. WAY better than WD-40.

Changing LCA's is an easy do-it-yourself job. Save your money. I did mine including swapping out the stock control arm bushings and replacing them with polyurethane ones (thank you jasonpaulbauer) in under 4 hours.

When I did mine, I found it easier to drop both LCA's and the sway bar as one unit. put everything together and replace as one unit

[TominMO]

If your car has any kind of rust underneath, I recommend soaking all fasteners in PB Blaster for at least 24 hours first. PB Blaster is wonderful stuff. WAY better than WD-40.

Changing LCA's is an easy do-it-yourself job. Save your money. I did mine including swapping out the stock control arm bushings and replacing them with polyurethane ones (thank you jasonpaulbauer) in under 4 hours.

When I did mine, I found it easier to drop both LCA's and the sway bar as one unit. put everything together and replace as one unit

Yeah I know about PB Blaster, thanks tho. I did a little research and also know about dropping the LCAs and sway bar together. I'll let you all know how it went. Probably this weekend.

[187festiva]

Salt lake city, how much snow/salt/sand and other corrosion accelerators do you have to deal with there?
Try and change one from the rust belt in 20 minutes!
Especially, if the cage nut is seized.

the name of my town is SALT lake city evey winter the streets are covered in salt. im just saying how long it took me to do soory it took you longer.

[WmWatt]

Here in Ottawa I paid $60 CDN each for the contol arms and wrote up a description of how to do one at http://www.ag384bn.bravehost.com/Cars.htm .