Nissan Repair: ball joint replacement, nissan sentra, pickle fork

Question
QUESTION: How do you replace the lower ball joint on a 1998 nissan sentra for the driver and passenger side.

ANSWER: Tony,

The easy way is to purchase an entire lower control arm.  That way, the bushing is replaced with the ball joint.  The hard way is to purchase a lower ball joint and unblot the old one and install the new one.  Remember that the lower control arm is unloaded so it is just a matter of unbolting the lower control arm from the spindle and use a pickle fork to get the ball joint loose.  Then, unbolt it and smack it with a hammer to get it out.  Then, replace it with the new one and bolt it back in.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the quick response.  I have to share this story.  This process all started when the car would turn over, but would not start.  Everyone I have spoke with could not believe what it was. After checking to see if it had spark and doing a compression test (which revealed low compression, I removed the distributor cap only to find the set screw for the rotor had fallen off. Can you believe that.  So I aligned it back and put in the screw and vrrrrm it started up!!!  Anyhow then I went for a drive and started to hear this clanging and looked underneath and noticed the boot was torn and I replaced the drive shaft/half shaft on the drivers side.  If I do replace the entire control arm what is all involved in changing it.  I am just a novice do it yourselfer with some additional help.  Thanks again.

Answer
Tony,

Purchasing the entire lower control arm is more expensive.  But, since you have not done it before it is the easiest way to replace the lower ball joint.  Just a matter of following what I described above.  You jack up the car and put it on stands and remove the lower control arm at the ball joint and the pivot point, inboard, and the anti-sway bar and replace with the new one.  If you do it this way the car will only need a slight alignment.  Remember that the spring is on the strut so the lower control arm will be unloaded.  That means it is not under pressure, providing the car is on jack stands and the lower control arm is unloaded.