Howdy all -

I have a 1993 Aerostar XLT AWD minivan. Recently, the guys at Sears told me I needed new Upper Ball Joints and Outer Tie Rod ends before they would even attempt to align the vehicle. (I did not have the work done by them.)

I called a local dealer here in Denver, and the service rep said that to replace the front ball joints and outer tie rods would run around $1100!!

I find that hard to believe - so I would appreciate any feedback or advice on how hard it is to DIY, cost of the parts etc.

Also, if anyone knows of a good ford shop in the SW Denver Metro area, that would be appreciated!!!

Thanks,

Jeff M

 

Jeff, on a whim I called two reputable shops (not Ford dealerships) here in the Sacramento, CA area, and asked for a quote on what you needed done, using your '93 XLT AWD. The quotesI received were $289 and $327, parts and labor. Both shops included an alignment as part of the job, only if the front tires were new, or in very good condition. So yes, I'd say that price of $1100 was a bit high, even considering two different market areas. Ed

 

If you're not up to doing the whole job, you could probably replace the outer tie rod ends yourself and save a little bit on labor. I replaced the outer tie rod ends on my '95 AWD and can say that it was one of the few jobs that actually had no surprises (nasty or otherwise) while doing it. Parts were $70 at NAPA plus about $12 for a tool to press the tie rods out. I have no experience with the ball joints as I've been fortunate enough to not have to do the job (yet).

 

I've replaced both tie rods and upper ball joints. The tie rods are simple to replace. You can use a separator tool but two hammers work just as well. Remove the cotter pin and loosen the large nut holding the tie rod. Unscrew it almost all the way off, down to where it will still protect the threads. Sometimes the rod ends have worked themselves loose and just tap on the nut will drive the end out. If it is tight, take two good sized hammers and place one on backside where the tie rod goes into the arm. Hold it tight against the arm and whack the side of the arm closest to you with the other hammer. This usually will release the tie rod end.
For the upper joints you have two options. A: Replace the entire upper A-arm assembly which includes the ball joint. This is what most manuals show but getting to the A-arm bolts is nearly impossible. This is the way Ford does it and why the pricing is so high. I suspect the prices quoted on the earlier post are for the following. Option B: You can buy just the ball joint itself and replace this. To do so, you need to have a stout 3/8 or 1/2inch drill and a 90 degree drill adapter, a 5/16" cobalt or other bit that will drill hardend metal. There are four rivets holding the original joint in place. It looks at first like you could just grind off the rivet heads and pry the joint out. Looks are deceiving. They can't be pryed, they must be drilled. To gain enough room to drill you have to release pinch bolt securing the upper joint. This gives you sufficient room but the A-arm swings free and you have to put a chain around it and the lower A-arm to have something to resist the drilling pressure. It involves some sweat and puts a strain on the biceps but it really is not all that difficult to do. The new joint bolts right in. You will need an alignment no matter whether you replace tie rods or ball joints, so best to do both at one time. Plan on spending most of the day if you are replacing both sides. Let us know how it goes, any tricks or hints you can share with others.

 

Thanks for the advice guys -

I'll keep you posted, but for now it looks like I'll take it into a shop and have them do the work. Not sure I'm quite up to the task right now :-)

Jeff

 

Hi guys - a quick update.

I replaced the outer tie-rod ends today. The old ones appeared to have quite a bit of play in them, but I'm not exactly sure how to tell if they were worn out or not. I decided the 45 minutes or so spent changing them out couldn't hurt.

As far as the upper ball joints are concerned, I am still not convinced they are bad, so I'll see what good the tie rod ends do before I go to the next step.

Thanks for all of your help on this!

Jeff