Control arms or ball joints?

[OKLAexplorer]

Hello all! About two months ago, my car started making this creaking sound whenever i run over a bump or i turn the wheel either way. It sounds like metal on metal or rubber on metal, like a creaky door. Whenever I push down on the front passenger end side, it makes the creaking sound. I replaced both shocks because I was told that it was most likely either shocks or ball joints. The sound still persists even after i replaced the shocks, and now i can see that the rubber exterior of front end lower ball joints is torn in the middle.

Now I have a '99 explorer xls and i'm not sure if i need to replace the entire control arms or just the lower ball joints?

Any advice would be appreciated! thank you!

 

[storlied]

They suggest to replace the whole arm, but you Can replace the balljoint itself if you have a press [or a hammer] The hammer technique isn't suggested either because mistakes can be made... stick with the press. They don't suggest replacing Just the balljoint because after awhile the hole can stretch in the arm.... it's your call really. I replaced just the balljoints, using a hammer... no problems here but it's all about how you wanna do things and the condition of your parts.

Here's what you need:
Lower Ball Joint Replacement How To (lots of Pictures) Now with Video!
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=188225

 

[team]

I've done an explorer and ranger here in the past two weeks with the creaking front end. Put lower ball joints in each and it fixed the problem. You don't even need to rent the ball joint press either. Both times I knocked out the ball joints with a ball peen hammer. The last set I went to lowe's hardware and got a 2" diameter piece of pipe around 4-5" long precut and used this to press in the joint with a floor jack from below while giving it the ball peen from the top and it worked perfectly.

 

[storlied]

Heh, for putting them back in.. I put the weight of the truck on the balljoint itself.. [being held by a jack] and hammered the arm until it was snug in the hole.