Hi guys. Although I still can't feel any slop in my wheels (when the car is jacked up under the spring), the front end clunks over potholes and small bumps and now it makes an audible clunk when I brake. I'm almost positive that I need new lower ball joints.

I've reviewed the instructions for replacing these and I may or may not do it myself. Either way, I want to buy them myself and I'd like to get lower joints with zerk fittings.

I've looked at Skandix, IPD, VLVWorld, SwedishTreasures, and SwedishParts.net (my best source for low price 122 parts), but I've been unable to find joints for under $50 each and can't tell if any of them have zerk fittings. I see a Lot of Scan-Tech joints and I'd like to avoid those due to possible quality issues.

Can anybody recommend a best price/best quality source for ball joints? I need to get this taken care of asap.

And in case it you're going to recommend it, I do already have a complete front end rebush kit from Skandix.

Well... among the other things I've been doing to the car (installing a new gas tank, then removing and dealing a broken weld in the new gas tank), I keep coming back to my front end clunk and my concern about ball-joints.

I checked the ball joints again and could find no movement whatsoever. Well, there's a tiny bit in the passenger wheel, but that is hub-spindle movement and it's not much... I knew my tie rods were a little loose, but tonight I closely inspected the whole thing. The passenger side (where I hear the clunk) is a little loose, but not too bad. The driver's side, which I had not looked too closely at, was in bad shape. The rubber boot was split and there was almost no grease left.

I removed the whole connecting rod assembly and swapped it for my known-good spare saved from my 71 1800E. The tie tod adjustments differ a bit, but I figure with the slop in the old tie rod - I could not trust that it was really aligned anyway. I'll have to get it to a knowledgeable alignment fellow soon, or try George's masking tape/measuring tape approach.

Anyway, I was preparing to order my new ball joints, but I'm going to hold off a little longer and see if the tie-rod replacement solves the noise issue. I've had some very favorable contacts with Matthias from Skandix and I suspect that I'll order from them when I do put in the order.

After tonight, I know that my wheels are not suddenly going to break away and send me careering into a concrete barrier or worse... That takes a lot of stress and worry off my shoulders.

Thanks for the help and specific advice!

Matthias at Skandix informed me that they carry "Triscan" or "NK" brand ball joints and says that they've had no issues with them.

He also asked me about my concerns with Scan-Tech products and I related the cheapo bushing discussion on the 240 forum.

RPR and FCPGroton are good. Get Moog, Thompson or OEM.
And check your steering rods - they clunk on bumps when they are going bad.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

Thanks George.
I've seen Scan-Tech several places, and brands like AC Delco (special item from Rock Auto) for $85.00 and (I'm leaning towards the professional grade) "Spicer" brand joints for $65.00. I can't tell what brand VLV World and Skandix stocks, but they have them for $35.00.. I don't want to go cheapo on such a critical part, but Skandix usually stocks good stuff... FCPG has never put their 122 parts online for me to review.

What about upper joints? I see some beck-arnley models for 18.00...

I'd call Rusty at RPR. AC/Delco is probably good. If it is not a name brand
hold out for OEM. I have not had any bad experience with Skandix but a lot of
folx apparently have.....
Upper ball joints are probably not the problem - they carry very little load
unless you drive into a curb or something. But be sure and check all the
tie rod ends! (all 6) They usually go first.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

opps, forgot to mention that I've checked the steering rods and the front tie rods. There's a little slop in the front rod, and I have fine-condition replacement from my 1971 1800 parts. I just need to clean it up and adjust the spacing to match. I did have to replace the passenger side steering/connecting arm - it was bent and the joints were shot. That fixed the poor steering behavior but did nothing about the clunk.

The "clunk at brake" is a new thing as of today and from what I've read is a classic sign of ball-joint failure...

Still... I'm not getting that "driving on bowling balls" feel when I steer...

If your clunking is caused by a ball joint you should be able to feel the slop
with the wheel jacked up. I'd replace the center tie rod first. Be SURE and
check the toe-in because a very slight change in length of the center rod
will screw it up and you just can't measure it very well because of the flex in
the joints.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

I was planning on counting threads on the tie-rods to get it as close as possible.
But you make a good point that I should fix the tie rods before I "attack" the front suspension.

What else could be causing such an obvious clunk? shocks?

In my experience nothing will take the place of measuring and setting toe-in.
I wrap a piece of 2" masking tape around the wheel and draw a line on it by
turning the wheel while I hold a ball point pen on it FIRMLY on a block very
close to the wheel. You can't do it freehand! Then measure between the lines
on the tires front and rear. Should be equal to 1/16" LESS in front.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

Watch out for Scan-Tech uppers, the last one I ordered from IPD had an incorrect mounting hole spacing, the bolt holes were slightly too far apart. You could have bolted it down, but the bolts would have been skewed slightly... not the way I want things on my car.

Bill

Hello Bill,

Were you aware that are 2 different upper control arms, early and late?

Although interchangeable on the car, they use different spacing for the upper ball joint holes, thus 2 different ball joints.
--
Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90501

I know about the two different ball joint sizes, my 64 Wagon actually had the old style. I will compare the Scantech part to a NOS old style ball joint I have laying around somewhere. I can tell you I certainly did not order the old style joint, I had thought the large hole in between the two bolt holes was smaller on the old-style A-arm, but I could be wrong. The top of the Scantech ball joint fit into that hole perfectly.

Bill