onehotpocket
Member
Hi all,
I had a couple bad rear control arm bushings, questionable ball joints, and pulled threads where the sway bar end links attach - so I decided to go with the complete control arms from IDparts:
http://www.idparts.com/control-arm-complete-ball-joint-tt-bushings-right-a4-p-6180.html
I installed them last weekend and while it went well overall, the three ball joint bolts were already torqued (and yielded) from Mevotech. I left them in the position they had been installed in but I'm unsure if this is how I should leave them. I know you only get a small amount of camber adjustment out of the 1/2" slots and it isn't even an official adjustment procedure, but what should I do? Just leave the ball joints where they're at? Buy new bolts and re position them? I'm not sure where to put them if I go that route. Perhaps go in for an alignment check only, then adjust ball joint mounts in/out based on that?
Also, after the install, the steering wheel is a few degrees off of center when traveling straight down the road. Could this all be in the ball joint mount or is it more likely that the PO got an alignment (toe) done with worn bushings? I know I'll need a front alignment regardless. I've got a clunking front end so I'll be replacing my strut mounts and sway bar bushings before the alignment.
Thanks for any help,
David
I had a couple bad rear control arm bushings, questionable ball joints, and pulled threads where the sway bar end links attach - so I decided to go with the complete control arms from IDparts:
http://www.idparts.com/control-arm-complete-ball-joint-tt-bushings-right-a4-p-6180.html
I installed them last weekend and while it went well overall, the three ball joint bolts were already torqued (and yielded) from Mevotech. I left them in the position they had been installed in but I'm unsure if this is how I should leave them. I know you only get a small amount of camber adjustment out of the 1/2" slots and it isn't even an official adjustment procedure, but what should I do? Just leave the ball joints where they're at? Buy new bolts and re position them? I'm not sure where to put them if I go that route. Perhaps go in for an alignment check only, then adjust ball joint mounts in/out based on that?
Also, after the install, the steering wheel is a few degrees off of center when traveling straight down the road. Could this all be in the ball joint mount or is it more likely that the PO got an alignment (toe) done with worn bushings? I know I'll need a front alignment regardless. I've got a clunking front end so I'll be replacing my strut mounts and sway bar bushings before the alignment.
Thanks for any help,
David
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