Date:         Mon, 23 Dec 2002 07:10:59 -0800
Reply-To:     Michael Snow <mwsnow@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Snow <mwsnow@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Ball Joints
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Sean Garrett wrote:
> I agree with Stan, send it out to a local shop. Mine took two days to
> complete (over a weekend, so four days total).
>
> Sean Garrett
> 1981 Westy (his)
> 1995 Eurovan Camper (hers)
> Soon... 1987 Syncro project
> sean.garrett@asu.edu
>
>
>
>
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Tim New [mailto:tim@PRIMEMEDIAADV.COM]
>>Sent: Monday, December 23, 2002 10:03 AM
>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>Subject: Ball Joints
>>
>>
>>I need to replace my ball joints, but I have never performed
>>such a repair.  I'm not much of a mechanic and any advice you
>>could lend would be helpful.
>>
>>I have some stupid questions.
>>
>>What parts will I need?
>>What tools will I need?
>>Should I change anything else while I'm under the car?
>>Would you recommend a novice mechanic change his own ball
>>joints? Could I damage the car.
>>
>>Tim New
>>86 GL
>>


And now, the dissenting opinion...

It's a lot less expensive to remove the lower control arm yourself
and take it to a machine shop to have new lower joints pressed in.
  Mine took 4 HOURS vs. days.  A Bentley manual costs less than
the labor for this job and should be in your toolbox anyway.  I
think the shop charged about $40 labor to remove/install the lower
ball joints.  A word of warning about ball joints, the first set
of lower joints I bought (from a local VW shop) were out of spec
and would not fit into the control arm.  Fortunately, a friend had
a better quality set on hand.

Mike Snow