Balljoints on a 94 pressed in?

[DrScientist]

I'm looking to upgrade my 94 GT with steeda X2 balljoints. It seems they're good to have if you're lowering the car. Plus my old ball joints are wore out anyway. So I had a couple questions about it before I get started. Are the ball joints on the 94 GT pressed in? How hard is the whole job? And if I get special balljoints for the lower, don't I need to do something special for the uppers as well?

 

[ssjmaverick23]

I just did this a couple weeks ago with my 95 but used moogs not hard at all just take your time. Yes they are pressed in you can rent the ball joint press from advance or autozone. No upper ball joints the knuckle is bolted to the struts. good thing I changed them the passenger side completely fell apart when I was removing them and not an ounce of grease on them.
Inspect the press before you leave the store mine was broke and did not realize it till I got ready to use it( i looked it over in the store but just missed it). Just make sure you torque everything back down.

 

[revhead347]

Yes, they are pressed in. The X2 balljoints come with spring spacers to bring the car back up to the correct ride hide.

Kurt

 

[DrScientist]

Wait... why would I want to bring the car back up to correct ride height? I'm wanting to lower the car properly, not raise it back up once its lowered.

 

[revhead347]

Yeah, I guess I should be more clear. The x2 balljoints lower the car even more because the shank on them is longer. The concept is that they correct the turn pivot on lowered cars. So if you run the x2 balljoints with the Steeda lowering spring it will be even lower than it would withjust the lowering spring. The spacers bring it back to the normal lowered height.

Kurt

 

[DrScientist]

Hmm something to consider. I'll probly forgo the spacers. I like 'em low. Do you happen to know offhand how much more the steeda balljoints lower the car? My guess would be only like a quarter inch.

 

[revhead347]

I went without the spacers when I installed them in my car. It lowers the control arm inside the rim. It was a huge issue on my car, because I have drag brakes up front, and I had to trim a lot of metal off the control arm to get them to fit. It won't be an issue with stock brakes, or Cobra brakes. I would say it lowers the car about another 1/2". The issue isn't really the lowering of the car, it's that Steeda says that if you don't run the spacers it defeats the purpose of the X2s in the first place. To be honest with you, my car never had steering problems, so I wasn't worried about correcting the roll center. Here is a picture of the way my car sits. It is a hair too low for my tastes. I have a little drop off on my driveway, and it's a pain to get the car in the street without scraping. This is also with a QA1 K-member which moves the wheels forward a little bit.

Kurt

 

[DrScientist]

Ok so you NEED to run the spacers.

 

[revhead347]

No, you don't need to run the spacers. I didn't. I bought the X2 balljoint because I know it's made in America, not to correct a steering geometry problem that I've never noticed before. However, Steeda insists that in order for it to correct the geometry problem it's designed to correct, you do need to run the spacers.

Kurt

 

[VibrantRedGT]

You don't need to run the spacer. I did on mine though per Steeda's suggestion when my car was on the alignment rack. I also have the same set up Kurt has- QA1 Tubular K-Member stock A-Arms with Steeda X2 Ball Joints. Also had Tokico 5 way adjustable struts and Steeda springs. When you're done with everything up front get it aligned.

Steeda Alignment for reference.

 

[turbogt]

They lower it 1/2" without the spacers.. I'm running no spacers to get it a little lower