Ball joints

[rjkoop]

I have all my front suspension apart. The only issue I had was that the rubber boots were cracked.


Except for the A-arms I was hoping just to replace the boots and not replace all the components because the rods themselves are actually in really good condition. A few questions.
- how can I check the joints when the components are off the car? They move freely (stiff but move with no binding) and I can't detect play
- to replace the boot can I just pry up the metal ring at the bottom of the boot, grease up and snap on the new boot?

[redcars]

Yes you can remove the rubber boots like that. I also cleaned mime before greasing. I did mine three years ago and they are still good.

[rjkoop]

Thanks. I used a slotted screwdriver and was able to pry up the metal bottoms of the boots no problem. Cleaned the rods joints up but I think I detect some play on one of the tie rod ends and the steering link. So I'll probably just replace all the rods.