what is involved in replacing worn out ball joints on an 86 crown vic. LTD?
I did it once in high school. The harrowing part was lowering the ? arm with a floor jack to remove the coil spring. Cleared out one end of the shop in case it decided to go BOING!. The remainder was beating the tar out of a separator to get the old ball joints out. If I recall it was a sledge hammer head on a short handle that we used. My truck needs ball joints. Haven't decided whether to do it myself or not. Not looking forward to it. I have this vision of a coil spring blowing a hole in the side of my garage.
Unless you have the necessary tools to do the job correctly (ie: a ball joint separator, etc.), don't do it. As for the cost, it will depend upon where you take your vehicle. If you know of a garage where the people are honest, take it there. Stay away from dealership service/repair, as the average price of labor is $96/shop hour.
HOn My soul mate says you need something called a pickle fork and a mechanic. It is the best bet he says. I think he and my sons have done it before with good results but they wouldn't suggest you do it if you don't have the right equipment. Sorry we couldn't be more help.
