New tie rods and ball joints installed today

[76Datsun280z]

I just got my car back from the shop today and we had them install new ball joints and tie rods since they were extremely worn out. I can't believe the improvement this made on it! It handles, corners and drives atleaste 10 times better than before when the steering wheel used to shake off and on. We took home the old ball joints to take a look at them and there was a lot of play in them so it was a good thing we had them replaced.

[mlc240z]

glad to hear it's such an improvement!

i've never bought a new car in my life, always at least 4 yrs old.

so the running joke in my house is with all the new front/rear end work on my 35 yr old Z, it will be the newest 'driving' car car i've ever owned.

[kenz240z]

It's amazing the difference a front end rebuild can make. I replaced the tie rod ends, ball joints, struts, springs and bushings on my '73 and it drives like a new car. The steering is tight and very responsive. Gives a good feel for the road.

[DatsunZsRule]

This last summer before fall came, I took a few days vacation from work and redid all my ball joints & tie rod ends with all new factory Nissan parts. The Ball Joints and Tie rod ends only took me a full day. I then called it a night and then I performed the alignment the next morning. The rest of my long weekend I was out enjoying cruising around New front end components always makes a huge difference

[greekmaster]

Just wondering how much you spend on the tie rods and ball joints. I have a 1983 280zx that needs the same work. I also need to replace all the other rubber parts in the front suspension. Any suggestions or things to watch out for? Did you buy the parts yourself? Or did you rely on your shop for all the parts?

[76Datsun280z]

We had a local tire dealer do it for us (Les Schwab). They ordered in the parts, all AC Delco, and they installed them. I think the total cost was around $500 including installation and everything or so?, but I'd have to ask my dad to be sure on that because I can't quite remember to be honest.

[Nissanman]

Don't forget Mr Steering Rack:finger:

He deserves a re-lube and adjustment after all these years.

It is amazing how easy it is to get it back to factory fresh performance:classic:

[DatsunZsRule]

greekmaster,

I bought all my parts through Courtesy Nissan. (I can't remember exactly what I paid for everything at the moment) and put everything in myself (I only trust me, myself, and I when it comes to my Z ) Me personally I always go with Factory Nissan Parts but thats just me.

Do yourself a favor if you do decide to go aftermarket on these and do the job yourself - Click on the Search here and type in "Aftermarket Ball Joints" Reason I say this is because many have run into fitting issues with the aftermarket Ball Joints (bolt holes not lining up with the ones on the Transverse Link). So search and look for which aftermarket brands other members on here have had good luck with.

Best of luck.

[greekmaster]

DatsunZsRule

Thanks for the heads up. I have to admit that I am not loaded with cash, so any savings in labor is a plus. I like to do my work myself, but finding good parts has been a struggle. So, what kind of problems or special issues did you run into when you did your tie rods and ball joints? How hard was this job to do? I read somewhere that you need some pretty specialized tools, etc. etc. I have a Haynes manual, but it is pretty vague sometimes.

[Ramses]

Kenz240z,

I have to do the same thing to my '73. Where did you get all those parts, how much did it cost and did you do the work yourself? Did you do the rear as well? That is the next project that I have to do and I am taking my time to start ordering the parts, because I am unsure of how easy it is. Thanks.

[Sailor Bob]

You can get most of it on Ebay for very reasonable prices, but individual shipping is a pain. I did my front end last year for a couple of hundred $$. If you have the time and the gear the work isn't difficult and it is a little on the rewarding side, esp when you realize the difference befor and after. I was extremely inpressed with the difference it made - I did ball joints, tie rod ends and all steering bushings.

[mlc240z]

this is pretty simple mechanical work.

i think it was about $60 for ball joints, about same for outer tie rod ends, didn't replace inners). $40 for tension rod kit and rubber (requires 2 rubber bushings).

also replaced all other bushings with poly.

if money's really tight, buy the individual bushings separately.

but try to scrape together the money for the whole bushing kit. it was $155 from Summit racing and will save you lots in the long run. individual costs are about $90-100 for just the front end and steering. and when you finally get around to it, you'll have all the bushings for the rear on hand instead of spending another $100 individually.

be forewarned, once you drop everything down to do the ties and ball joints, it's real easy to get the IMAW's and WIAI's.

i replaced springs, struts, calipers, rotors, pads, bridge tubes, SS brake lines, repaint, refurb rack, etc because it was just all accessible anyway.