While changing front tire and wheels today It was the first time I really looked at the front end close. So now I've got to replace all ball joints,. inner, outter, upper, lower, pretty much everything. With all that it needs am I better off to buy a complete kit, like something off ebay, or just buy each part form Napa (thats all I have close). Also, other than a couple of tools I don't have yet can this be done at home or should it be done at a front end shop?

 

If I was just doing ball joints I'd do it again myself, as other than a pickle fork and a drill motor you don't need special tools. The control arm bushings are another thing though. With having to compress the coil springs, it takes a few other tools like spring compressors, and they're a pain even with the right tools.
As for a kit; I didn't use one. I bought upper and lower ball joints from NAPA, then bought a complete Energy Suspension polyurethane bushing kit from Summit to get every body and suspension bushing I needed for the whole car.
Does your car need upper and lower control arm bushings, or just uppers? If it's just uppers, then you don't have to drop the coils out and that will be much easier. If I had to do it again I swore I'd never rebuild mine again. I had a quote of $600 to do ball joints and bushings, and I'd just pay someone next time. Those new coil springs going in really kicked my rear!

 

Bushings will be at a later date, Its got to have all the ball joints replaced. I have found some kits on ebay that range in price from $130 to $200. I figured if I keep measurments the same I could just do it myself.

 

Gee I hear you talk about rebuilding frontends and I just shake my head.
. Come on down to my work and see us do one in an hour. Yes they can be a pain but the payoff is a sweet ride. If you are going to do ball joints do bushings at the same time. You don't want to have to take your ball joints apart more then you need to and you need to get the frontend aligned twice.You guys would be shocked if you watched what we're do to brand new pickups with a sawzall.

 

As 5time F mentioned, you should not plan on doing bushings later, as you'll ruin the ball joints pulling them apart again. The pickle fork used to split them tears the boot off the ball joints.
Not sure what's in the kit for that price, but my ball joints were less than $70 for all 4 at NAPA. $16 and some change ea.

 

One hour? How many guys does it take to do a 2nd Gen Camaro in an hour? Took my friend's shop a couple hours to just get the old bushings out of all 4 arms and press the new bushings in! The ball joints were a snap to remove and reinstall, but the coils took forever!

 

For that price I'll go to napa!

 

It can be done that fast.... there are four of us.... one Guy just rips parts off..one Guy does ball joints another does bushings.. It is not our normal project but we are a killer team and are all good at what we do. We do very custom work on very interesting stuff. I just finished a suicide door job on a 2011 Chevy Suburban.

 

5time F, where are you located at?

 

Upper: Part Number:Part Number: MRC 10268 $13.49


Lower:Part Number:Part Number: MRC 10277 (std.)$14.79

MRC 104113 (oversized)$27.49