popping in my front end. maybe wrong size ball joints.

[lowflyinmx3]

Before race season started this year I replaced my wheel bearings, lower ball joints, axles and a new clutch. The axles were the only parts that really needed replaced but if you seen how hard I autocross you would undrestand.

Ever since then I have a click/pop sound everytime I hit a hole, corner hard or even encounter a pavement elevation change. I pull into the parking lot at work and the pavement slopes up into another parking lot. I pull in slow (5-10 mph) and hit the slope with the right tire first, where I am greeted with a loud pop. Then the left tire hits and it greets me with a loud pop as well. It sounds like my ball joints are bad but they are new.

My car is a 94 GS and I remember reading somewhere that there was 2 different size ball joints. I was thinking if I purchased the small onesbut my car requires the larger ones then that may be my problem. Any ideas? The car is going to go into the garage for the winter (hopefully a klde swap while its there) and I'm going to be checking it out myself, I just wanted some other ideas to look at. Thanks in advance.

[_-Night-Shade-_]

I accidentally put in the smaller size ball joint on my 94 MX-3 once and as soon as I went over a bump it slipped out, so I dunno - if it was the ball joints you would have been greeted with that unpleasant surprise already.

[umcamara]

They changed to the larger diameter post part-way through '93.

[_-Night-Shade-_]

They changed to the larger diameter post part-way through '93.

Captain obvious

[umcamara]

They changed to the larger diameter post part-way through '93.

Captain obvious

What's obvious about that??

[_-Night-Shade-_]

...and I remember reading somewhere that there was 2 different size ball joints.

I accidentally put in the smaller size ball joint on my 94 MX-3 once...

[umcamara]

...and I remember reading somewhere that there was 2 different size ball joints.

I accidentally put in the smaller size ball joint on my 94 MX-3 once...

Yes, your ability to quote is uncanny. However, nowhere in this thread has anybody mentioned that the size was changed part-way through '93, and that was the point of my post. Nothing obvious about that Sherlock.

[_-Night-Shade-_]

Ah okay, I see the confusion now! I just kind of assumed everyone knew when the change took place, hehe.

[Mad Cow]

Hey, my car does the exact same thing but only on the driver's side front wheel. Could it be a bad balljoint?

[_-Night-Shade-_]

Hey, my car does the exact same thing but only on the driver's side front wheel. Could it be a bad balljoint?

Jack up the car and to to move the wheel up and down, if movement = yes. If movement side-to-side = tie rod.

[Mad Cow]

Hey, my car does the exact same thing but only on the driver's side front wheel. Could it be a bad balljoint?

Jack up the car and to to move the wheel up and down, if movement = yes. If movement side-to-side = tie rod.

It actually doesn't move at all, which is confusing.

[Ryan]

possible broken springs?

[Mad Cow]

Checked for that too, the springs are fine.

[Mooneggs]

I am pretty sure that if you had the wrong size ball joints they would not stay in I'm guessing some other suspension component. Are your swaybar endlinks tight/good? When mine were loose I would get all kinds of popping especially when articulating one or both of the front wheels. I would also check tie rod ends and maybe even springs or the shocks.

[PATDIESEL]

Shocks can make some noise when they are going bad, but I've not heard of them popping loudly before. I would check the sway bar links and bushings, and check the ball joints again. You are right that ball joints are what usually pop like that ,but new ones do not mean they are necessarily good ones. Also, if you bought the small ones, but use a mid93+ spindle you'll know by the time you get out of the driveway usually. Also, make sure you have the ball joint seated with the bolt properly. The ball joint has a groove in the shaft that the bolt should slide by to hold it in place. If it is not aligned properly you might get a pop as it moves around.