Opinions on ball joints?

[Hasselhoff]

Originally Posted by spooner_dee

if it turns out to be the tie rod ends is that a job one can do at home? or would i need to take it to a garage have it done and get it aligned?

Outer tie-rod ends are fairly easy - job you can replace them at home. Inners I wouldn't recommend, unless you've got access to some special tools.

Both jobs require an alignment afterwards.

[spooner_dee]

Ok got home today and took my wheels off, checked driver side, no play nothing, solid as a mother f'r, put the wheel back on. Went to the driver side, visual inspection ok, grabed this grabed that shook, ok, Grabbed the tierod, BAM WIGGLIN LIKE A MOTHER ****ER. Still firmly attached but i could wiggle it back and forth with out using muscle

SO i found the problem (with all your help, specialy the one who mentioned the tie rod).

Now the passneger side tie rod needs replacing. Two questions, one everything else is ok firm clean no problems should i have to change anything else or just remove the old and put in a new?

and second, the site im looking at

http://www.bmaparts.com/epcvsoapimc....entid=bmaparts

Has the tie rods, which is left which is right which one is passnger sid. I can never remember if it goes by you facing the car or you sitting in the car. im guessing looking head on.

SO i plan on basicly just removing the tie rod myself. is it just bolted in, just remove the bolt(s) and it will come right off? Then afterwards ill have the car aligned. save my self a few bucks.

thanks again everyone for your input

[Hasselhoff]

Here's the dilly on Left & Right sides on your car:

Driver's Side = Left Side
Passenger Side = Right Side

I've attached a scan from the Bentley Manual - hope it helps.

Good luck with the repairs!

[Justin e36]

If your tie rod ends have never been replaced before, then I'd recommend changing the entire passenger side tie rod.. it's not that much more difficult. The problem is, when it seizes together you'll need a torch, or a lot of banging and wiggling to get her loose and the threads get damaged, when you put the new tie rod end back in, there will be a little bit of play. Replacing the entire tie rod is easy... I did both of mine in under an hour, without having ever done it before, and without instructions to guide me.

J

[spooner_dee]

so whats entailed in the whole removal and replace of the tie rod? you gave me more info but not the info i asked for lol, is it just like bolted in whats what here


thanks for the left right info

[spooner_dee]

So its not my tie rod ends, has nothing to do with that, it was as i originally stated. the lower ball joints. while replacing my brakes today, my brother (whos a mechaninc) was helping me and noticed that my ball joints were bad and that, that was where my shaking and noise problems (other then the wheel hub noise) were comming from. so maybe next weekend the ball joints and the wheel hub get replaced.