tools needed

[DSPENCER]

I Tore My Suspension Up From Driving It For So Long W/ My Airbags At %75 For So Long, I Found One At A Local U Pull And Pay Store Here In Orlando With A Pretty Good Set-up, My Question Is What Tools Will I Need To Take With Me In Order To Take All The Parts I Need, Upper/lower Ball Joints, Control Arm, Etc...Also do i need a press to get the ball joints back on or can i use something else?

[partsman662002]

I wouldn't waste my time/money on used ball joints. But that's just me.

[DSPENCER]

Well the car that im looking at only has 88,000 miles on it, and was totalled from the back, and the front end looks mint, and with everything ill only end up spending $24 each side

[Philip]

I agree with partsman and to add to it: At 88K, this car is past the norm for replacement of a lot of suspension parts. Bushings dry rot way before that point and ball joints are also very heavily used at that point as well. Yes new parts cost money, but replacing that stuff is a heavy labor job and your neck is worth more than junkyard parts. Safety issue.

[mechaniclese]

I'm going to have to disagree. I use junk yard parts all the time including suspension parts. You can almost always find something either thats had everything replaced or is low milage originals. If the stuff looks good and solid buy it. If your like me you can't always afford to blow $200-300 for new parts. Buy the used stuff and replace it with new later when you have the money.

[partsman662002]

Personally, I'd rather pay the price and have all new stuff. Especially for safety related items.

[luxuryrules]

Personally, I'd rather pay the price and have all new stuff. Especially for safety related items.

Bingo. No point in doing the job twice when you can do it once and be done. Ask yourselves how much your wrench time is worth :)

[partsman662002]

Bingo. No point in doing the job twice when you can do it once and be done. Ask yourselves how much your wrench time is worth :)
Worth more now than ever. Especially when I work 6 days a week.

[mechaniclese]

Ok so by your rationale, when I bought the power steering rack for my 88 volvo from the junkyard that was obiviously almost new from tie rod end to tie rod end for $40. I should have instead bought a brand new one from the parts store for $300 because it said new on it? Or bought the $40 one then bought $100 plus for 4 new tie rod ends just because it came out of the junkyard? Thats bad logic the way I see it. It doesn't matter if you buy brand new parts they can be bad as well and I have bought several bad front end parts that were poorly made even from supposedly good manufactuers! If the junkyard parts look and act as new then whats the difference? You can visually inspect and do the tests everyone knows to see if the front end parts are good. I understand what this guy is trying to say $24 a side right now is a hell of a lot better then perhaps $200 a side. Like I said in my previous post not everyone can afford to just throw money at their car for brand new stuff every time it needs something. Just because it says junkyard on the sign going in doesn't mean the parts inside the gate are junk.

[SignatureSeriesOwner]

For me, its a quality issue. If there are new parts on a wrecked car, go for it :cool: but if the car has mileage that'ss equal to 3/4's the original (whether it looks like it on not) parts' life span, I'll just go and buy new. But thats just me. :)

[partsman662002]

I would buy some things at a junk yard, but never ball joints, or tie rod ends. Maybe a rack.
I don't have money to just throw around, but when it comes to these kinds of parts, I find the money.

[pro-five-oh]

Ok so by your rationale, when I bought the power steering rack for my 88 volvo from the junkyard

Different ballgame than balljoints...especially balljoints with 88,000 miles on them. They have 20-30,000 miles left on them, if you are lucky. (and you don't get that lucky with parts at a junkyard)

[partsman662002]

Different ballgame than balljoints...especially balljoints with 88,000 miles on them. They have 20-30,000 miles left on them, if you are lucky. (and you don't get that lucky with parts at a junkyard)

Exactly.

[mechaniclese]

I guess we are going to have to agree to disagree. I have bought whole front corners off cars before(upper/lower control arms, spring, upper/lower ball joints, hub assembly). Brought it home bolted it on and run it for thousands of miles and not once had ill effects. I know how to buy salvage parts and not buy parts that are truely junk. If he gets 20-30k miles out of the junkyard suspension parts for $24 a side I can't see how thats a bad thing. Oh and one more thing sometimes for me there is just no more money to find to buy new stuff with.

[partsman662002]

Yes, agree to disagree. There is no right or wrong here, just opinions.

[luxuryrules]

Yes, agree to disagree. There is no right or wrong here, just opinions.

Once again... exactly. I'm the unfortunate kind of soul that would try a junkyard part and it would last three weeks, then I'd have to do it all over again. I just know I have that kind of luck :)

[partsman662002]

Once again... exactly. I'm the unfortunate kind of soul that would try a junkyard part and it would last three weeks, then I'd have to do it all over again. I just know I have that kind of luck :)
Same here. I like do do it once and do it right. Also, I have 2 kids that ride in my car. I want to keep it safe. I'd hate to have to say "I wish I bought new parts".

[Philip]

Ok so by your rationale, when I bought the power steering rack for my 88 volvo from the junkyard that was obiviously almost new from tie rod end to tie rod end for $40. I should have instead bought a brand new one from the parts store for $300 because it said new on it? Or bought the $40 one then bought $100 plus for 4 new tie rod ends just because it came out of the junkyard? Thats bad logic the way I see it. It doesn't matter if you buy brand new parts they can be bad as well and I have bought several bad front end parts that were poorly made even from supposedly good manufactuers! If the junkyard parts look and act as new then whats the difference? You can visually inspect and do the tests everyone knows to see if the front end parts are good. I understand what this guy is trying to say $24 a side right now is a hell of a lot better then perhaps $200 a side. Like I said in my previous post not everyone can afford to just throw money at their car for brand new stuff every time it needs something. Just because it says junkyard on the sign going in doesn't mean the parts inside the gate are junk.

There are items that make much sense to salvage, I totally agree there. However, with the Mark VIII, there are a few key front-end parts that just go south regardless of mileage. The bushings on the control arms and the bellows that cover the upper ball joint will dry rot no matter. Those parts from a salvage will require replacement sooner than you think and you will have paid twice for the same part when it's all said and done. If you're savvy enough to do the labor yourself, then you just afforded the new part. The labor is where the real money is.

I have a few salvage parts on my 1998 Mark, but none of them are mechanical pieces. I always weigh the cost factor from a total perspective rather than just the immediate cash outlay. If I have to replace something twice, I didn't save anything at all.

[jamies98lsc]

well miles mean nothing with these front ends, my buddy mike has a 93 mark VIII with 43k on it, and i just had to replace everything in it, lowers, uppers, strut rod bushings, end links and all 4 tie rods, he couldnt understand why with low miles, yet the car is still 15 years old, junk yard parts, i'm all over them, 88k miles on used ball joints, no way in hell. the first key sign to walk away from used front end parts, check the ball joint boots, if they even have the slightest split in them, dont even waste your time. me personally, would never buy a used ball joint out of a junk yard. you can rebuild the whole front end in one of these cars for around 250 bucks as long as you dont have to pay to have the parts put in, if you do the job 3 times in a year with used junk, you'll spend it anyway, my time is money, i dont like doing jobs over and over, everyone's time is money, sell something you dont need anymore if thats what it takes to get new parts! everyone has something they can sell.