ball joints for 5 lug swap

[stevesLX]

I'm thinking that my sloopy steering is due to my ball joints. When I say sloppy I mean when you are driving if you so much as move the steering wheel a 1/2 inch either direction you are all over the road. It has no steering assist to it it wont return back to center unless you bring the wheel back to center on your own. I have replaced the rack, springs, struts, and the power steering pump and it still does it. The car has been in for alignment 4 times within the past month and still no luck. The only thing I have not replaced yet is the ball joints. I have 94-95 5 lug spindles. The car is a 89. So do I get ball joints for a 89 LX or for a 94-94. Also the ball joints that are on there right now the spindle nut is all the way down to the top of the boot. It has a lot of threads showing up to the cotter pin. I don't know much about these but shouldn't that nut be up where the pin is? The 5 lug swap was done when I bought the car.

 

[gtxracing]

First off, stop driving the car until you can get something to control your steering. Replace your ball joints my friend... Order the ball joints for your model car "89"

 

[xherdlr]

You can use either 89 ball joints,you will have to add .333 inch shim under the nut.Or you could use 94-95 ball joints and not need the shim... Either will work..

Kelly

 

[gtxracing]

Yeah sorry, I wasn't even thinking about shims my bad. Don't knock your head on the brick wall. I was pissed when I got this car from a non expereinced dumbass who did the 5 lug conversion and had 4 lugnuts on the wheels. What a retard, it only cost like 2 bucks for 4 more

 

[PJB]

I got ball joint spacers from www.breezeautomotive.com
They were less than $6 shipped.

 

[stevesLX]

I just started driving the car again and something I noticed that it does from time to time is it will pull to the left and then out of nowhere it will just drive straight and then all of a sudden it will start pulling to the left again and then it will drive straight but still super loosey goosey steering very very touchy. Will adding the 5/8 washers help any of that or not. According to the guy I bought the car from the ball joints were replaced 11/05/05 by a service center. I know when I replaced the struts not to long ago it felt a little stiff on both sides as far as moving the spindle around on the ball joints. I just greased them the other day and each one took like 5-10 squirts before it started oozing out of the boot. I am so sick of putting money in this thing. If I can just put the washers on and correect the steering problem that would be great but whats the likelyhood of that fixing it?

 

[low5.0]

Do you have a bump steer tie rod ends or caster/camber plates. I dont know where you get your alignment but maybe they just set the toe and let it go.

 

[stevesLX]

I had all my alignments done at Tire discounters and the last one was done at a local shop up the street from my house. I don't have bump steer just regular tie rod ends. The last time it was aligned was when the front springs were put on and I cant remember if it was my camber or caster but one of those was maxed out at 1.1 positive and it couldn't go any further. I was just looking at the car and the front wheels are as far as I can tell straight up and down with the ground and pointing straight ahead. I have ordered caster camber plates but have yet to receive them. I guess tonight I will try the 5/8 washers on the ball joints to get the castle nut up where it belongs. Maybe that will help really dont see how it will but who knows.

 

[superhuaman]

you definitely need to have caster/camber plates and a bump steer kit to make those spindles work well for you. also if you had 96-up spindles, then MAYBE the bump steer kit wouldnt be necessary.

 

[393 notch]

You didnt say anything about the condition of the front tires. I had a similar problem with my stock front end, all i did was replace the worn front tires and the problem was gone. i didnt think the tires were the problem but they were. hope that helps.. ray

 

[Snikt89GT]

you definitely need to have caster/camber plates and a bump steer kit to make those spindles work well for you. also if you had 96-up spindles, then MAYBE the bump steer kit wouldnt be necessary.

You have that backwards. The 96+ spindles create way more bump steer than 94-95.

 

[superhuaman]

You have that backwards. The 96+ spindles create way more bump steer than 94-95.

Where'd you hear that? The 96+ spindles have a straight steering arm, and create more ackermann steering as opposed to the 94-95 spindles with curved steering arm.

 

[BlownFiveLiter]

If your car has too much negative caster, that can also cause loose steering. Pick up some C/C plates while you're at it, so you can get your alignment back within specification.

 

[superhuaman]

yep...too much positive caster causes bump steer also. lol. as long as your alignment tech is good, you'll be good.

 

[BlownFiveLiter]

as long as your alignment tech is good, you'll be good.

+1 couldn't agree more. You wouldn't believe the half assed jobs I used to see when I worked at a Firestone years ago. I think they'd screw the cars up worse than when they came in because customers would return in a day or so asking for the alignment to be checked like something was left loose.

 

[PJB]

Midas left the control arm bolts loose on my Blazer and the arms were moving around.
Atleast they did another alignment for free but the truck never did go down the road straight.

 

[Snikt89GT]

Where'd you hear that? The 96+ spindles have a straight steering arm, and create more ackermann steering as opposed to the 94-95 spindles with curved steering arm.

From maximum motorsports. The instrutions for the tapered stud bump steer kit I bought said that bump steer is correctable with this kit with 94-95 spindles but with 96+ it's too much to correct with the tapered stud, you would need the bolt-through kit.