Odd bumping coming from front

Dad

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I have noticed that my car has started making a kind of bumping when making a right curve at moderate speeds, around 30-40 mph. At higher or lower speeds I don't notice it, and it doesn't happen on left curves. It's almost like when I would use 4WD in my Jeep on dry pavement. Kind of a jerking/bumping of the left front wheel. Any idea what this can be?
 

Dad

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Jacked her up this weekend. I grabbed the tire at the top and bottom and there is no play at all. But when I grab on front and back, there is a little bit of movement. Then I discovered what is in the pic. The object the red arrow is pointing to moves about 1/8-1/4 inches side to side as the yellow arrows indicate. Everything else appears to be tight as a tick. Is the movement normal? If not (and I assume it is not) what is this and how hard to replace it?
problem.jpg
 

07gts197

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Did you use your hands or a pry bar under the tire to check for play? Regardless it looks like you have a bad ball joint. Ive never replaced one on one of these cars but its not too hard. You might want to consider replacing the whole lower control arm for ease of install. You can press the ball joints in/out but you risk elongating the hole.
 

Dad

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I just used my hands. Looks like the LCA isn't all that expensive or difficult to replace. Is the GT500 one the same fit for all 05-09?
 

07gts197

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I just used my hands. Looks like the LCA isn't all that expensive or difficult to replace. Is the GT500 one the same fit for all 05-09?

I would use a long 2x4 or a breaker bar under the tire with the tires off the ground and push up just to be sure. I do believe the gt500 lca’s fit and is an upgrade.
 

Juice

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I just used my hands. Looks like the LCA isn't all that expensive or difficult to replace.

You will atleast need to remove the steering rack mounting bolts to get the front A arm bushing's bolt out. The job looks easier than it is.
 

Dad

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You will atleast need to remove the steering rack mounting bolts to get the front A arm bushing's bolt out. The job looks easier than it is.
Thanks for the tip. I still think I can do the replacement myself though. If I get started and can't, it will be an ugly scene...
 

Juice

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Thanks for the tip. I still think I can do the replacement myself though. If I get started and can't, it will be an ugly scene...

You can do it, have confidence!

Oh yea, the "nuts" are welded to the subframe, so Don't try to loosen them.
 

Dad

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You can do it, have confidence!

Oh yea, the "nuts" are welded to the subframe, so Don't try to loosen them.
I noticed that after watching a couple vids on the subject and seeing the fails of others. I am glad other folks are willing to do that so the rest of us don't have to.
 

nawagner

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Yes, it is a doable job and as mentioned you will have to remove the steering rack bolts (from the top) to get to the A-arm bolts. Yes the GT-500 are direct fit and that is the route I would go. Used to be very little cost difference but haven't checked in a while. I would replace both sides and get an alignment afterwards. Oh, and IIRC you'll need a large open end to get to one of the A-Arm bolts or it will make it easier. Like a 22mm or something. It's been a while since I messed with these things.
 

Juice

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Yes, it is a doable job and as mentioned you will have to remove the steering rack bolts (from the top) to get to the A-arm bolts. Yes the GT-500 are direct fit and that is the route I would go. Used to be very little cost difference but haven't checked in a while. I would replace both sides and get an alignment afterwards. Oh, and IIRC you'll need a large open end to get to one of the A-Arm bolts or it will make it easier. Like a 22mm or something. It's been a while since I messed with these things.

I believe I used my 13/16 wrench.
 

Dad

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Gonna knock this out tonight. I did not get the GT 500 part. From what I could research it is the same part number as the one for mine. Hopefully I will remember to take some pics and maybe offer some insight on it for the next guy. From what I have read and watched it's about a 2 hr job. Wife has to take the car for a 500 mile round trip on Wednesday so this is my only chance to fix before she has to drive it.
 

RocketcarX

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A ball joint wouldn't care which direction you turn as far as making noise when it's bad. I agree the end play isn't good but this is not your noise.
 

Dad

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Problem is solved. No weird vibes, no clunking, no bumping. The 2 hour job turned into a 4.5 hour job due to the fact the ball had come out of the socket. I am guessing that is why it was such a weird thing going on. Then I had to use 2 pickle forks to get the old stem out. Once that was done, reassembly was pretty simple. I need an alignment though.
balljoint1.jpg balljoint2.jpg balljoint3.jpg
 

Juice

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WOW you are lucky that didn't come apart driving! How many miles?

Alignment should be close as long as you didn't touch the tie rod (toe in) adjustment. You can use a long string to check toe. Heck, I used a level app to set camber after I did CC plates.
 

Dad

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The car has 160k on it. This problem started not too long before I started the thread. It had a clanging for a long time, but it didn't bother me much. Guess I am really lucky this didn't go really bad. PSA: don't ignore crap like this!!

I wonder if when I attached the ball joint if I might have pulled the thing a little because the steering rack has to be taken loose to do this job. Dunno if maybe I could take the ball joint pinch bolt loose and straighten it out, then tighten it back down?.
 

Juice

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I wonder if when I attached the ball joint if I might have pulled the thing a little because the steering rack has to be taken loose to do this job. Dunno if maybe I could take the ball joint pinch bolt loose and straighten it out, then tighten it back down?.

Not following you on the loosening the pinch bolt. As long as the bolt is in the ball joint's grove, you're good. Having the rack loose, but NOT touching the tie rod toe adjustments, your toe-in should be very close to before the work was done. But, bolting the rack back in may not put the rack back exactly where it was before. This would only make your steering wheel be off center (or off from where it was before the work) and not affect toe-in.

As for milage, I had detectable play in my ball joints @60K. And at 110K I finally got around to changing them when I did the A arm bushings. (prothane)
 

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