Noisy Front end

[Toxophilite]

Helllo? No-one?

[stickman007]

Just buy the balljoint/tie-rod and reuse the end.

 

Wear in front end components are generally directly related to the type of roads and driving conditions. Poor alignment can also cause unnecessary stress and movements as well. A common neglected issue is sagging or broken front springs - leads to poor alignment angles, and tire wear.

[Toxophilite]

THanks very much! Buying 4 ball joints and some control arm bushings as well. Looking at it both sides mostly have play in the lower ball joint and thus a little play in the bushings. The passenger side has a little play in the upper ball joint. Will probably just do all the ball joints and maybe the bushings if I decide to completely remove the control arms

[Willys]

Sorry just had hip replaced and have other things on my mind other than smart car issues...lol...
Check all bushings with pry bar to try and flex them and if you see movement then I'd say replace them. But that's just me...? I think I have two brand new a arms that I ordered when I rebuilt my car as a second set by mistake, doh...!  They come with new bushings already pressed in, the reason I went this route over pressing out the old bushings and then being able to press in the new bushings without damaging them in the process. IF you are interested in them I will look for them if I can get my leg operational without too much pain. I was doing great but started driving and the motion of lifting my leg into the car and then forward pulled two of the main muscles so now I am back to square one......limping around like the day it was done! I would do you a good deal but I expect the shipping from ontario to BC might be expensive?

[Toxophilite]

Oh heck sorry to hear about your hip! That sucks, I hope it starts to get better sooner than later. It's hard to rehabilitate and not do things.

How much do you want for your control arms?

 

Right now I'm irritated as Smart uses all these even numbered giant metric sockets and wrenches which I don't have which is making taking off the control arms impossible. Then I read I am supposed to preload it for replacement which I can't quite understand how I'll do that with the car in the air on blocks. I have the calipers off, the disc and wheel hub off, the upper drop link connection off ,the ball joint unbolted top and bottom, but the top of the control arm with it's 18 and 24mm nuts and bolts has me stymied, and then the pre-loaded stuff for replacement, Makes me want to lie down and die.

Need to borrow the girlfriend's car again and buy more stupid one use tools and waste this spate of dry weather we're having doing it.

And I haven't even had my hip replaced!!

 

Hope you feel better!

[Toxophilite]

Roar! control arms off , old bushings out and nice new ones pressed in , putting in the lower ball joints and reinstalling. Feel a little stupid that I didn't order sway arm linkages. I still could but I'd have to wait a few days for them to arrive and I'm on a ^#^%$ roll.I'm also sick of being housebound and relying upon the girlfriend's car. I might very well be able to install them afterwards. Most of the movement I noticed was in the lower ball joint and the bushings, However I will be replacing the upper ball joint as well, Ball joint splitter coming in the mail tomorrow. Hopefully that will get the suspension sorted and then I can look at the steering problem if it still exists

[Toxophilite]

Everything back together, humourously blew a rear tire on my test drive( I live at the bottom of a very steep and windy 1/2 singe lane road) had to limp home and then tale all the wheels off and borrow the girlfriend's car to get some new used ones. Drives way better now, tight steering, no wobble. etc.

 Thanks