Drivers Upper Ball Joint Question

[Kanibus]

About 3 weeks ago I took my car into my local mechanic to put my winter wheels on and he said that my drivers upper ball joint has a lot of play, and he suggested I should get it replaced soon. He quoted me 200 dollars for parts and labor for the job. The problem is that I'm a dead broke college student, who can barely put enough gas money into the tank to drive the car. I just don't have any more money, especially after Christmas. My question is, how long can I drive with this problem? What damage could happen if I just ignored the problem? Would my wheel fall off on the highway, or would it just make the ride uncomfortable? I usually drive about 150-200 kilometers a week, so not a lot of driving..

If this problem is diar, and it's unavoidable, I'll do it.. but i REALLY, really don't want to spend any more money on this damn car..

opinions would be GREATLY appreciated guys.. thanks a bunch..

[jimy]

If there is play, I would replace it asap. Chances are is that your control arm will cave in. Its really easy to replace and $200 is over rated. $35 for upper ball joint then replace it yourself.

[CB7Jay1]

yea dont get ripped off man, i did mine in like 10 mins, and i got a upper a arm with ball joint new for 35. Just take the tire off, BJ nut/cotter pin,i use a pry fork to pop the BJ out, but wackin the sheet out of the a arm uppward works too, just be carefull! pop the hood find the two 16mm (i think)bolts and remove em, and out comes the a arm. make sure the new one is the same as the old.

[Gemini]

Thats the average price to replace it but as stated above, its pretty easy to do yourself so just ger upper CA w/ valljoint from Ebay and do it yourself if you cant afford the $200.

[Tnwagn]

Do it the right way with the Balljoint Press kit from Advanced Auto Parts. They will let you rent the tool and when you take it back they give you your money back.

[C91BLX7]

Do it the right way with the Balljoint Press kit from Advanced Auto Parts. They will let you rent the tool and when you take it back they give you your money back.

Actually the "right way" is buying a whole new arm.

[Tnwagn]

Show me one instance where a pressed out balljoint replaced correctly with a new, quality balljoint has caused ANY problem.

[Granite CB7]

^hasn't caused me any problems, that's for sure, and I'm referring to 4 balljoints total, not just 1 or 2!

[Tnwagn]

Exactly, I've seen countless people post up that pressing out the Upper Balljoints is a bad idea but I have never once heard of anyone backing up their claims with real world evidence.

My pressed in balljoints I have now are absolutely rock solid and I've done my fair share of beating around on them.

If someone has had problems, or if you know someone who has had problems, feel free to chime in. Otherwise, there is no point in saying this is a "wrong way" to fix the problem (especially when the OP is looking for the most inexpensive fix he can find)

[r.paz]

its not that hard to replace the upper..,

[Kanibus]

Thanks everyone for their replies.. I'm considering all the options.. all I know is I made a big mistake 4 years ago buying a 1993.. I should have bought something newer.. in the last few years I've dropped thousands of dollars to fix this car, it's been a complete lemmon.. Every cent i've earned in part time jobs has been taken from me by this car.. I should be used to it by now..

[JaK FRoSTWhiTE]

...opinions would be GREATLY appreciated guys.. thanks a bunch..

This would be your best bet.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1-Upp...spagenameZWDVW

It can be done with simple hand tools.

Let me know if you have any questions...

[zacatecas]

couldnt find a DIY on replacing Upper Control Arm

[bobbycos]

couldnt find a DIY on replacing Upper Control Arm

reread the third post, that's all that involved.

both ways (replacing the arm and pressing out the BJ itself) are good, it comes down to ease of replacement and personal preference. I personally would replace the whole arm, its a bit quicker to do in my opinion

[wed3k]

thats because the shop is getting a brand new upper control arm, not just the balljoint.

it's easy to replace, done 4 of them