How to Repair a Lower Ball Joint on a 1999 Hyundai Elantra

In the 1992 model year, Hyundai offered the Elantra, a compact sedan, to the U.S. marketplace for the first time. The initial Elantra came fitted with a 1.6-liter engine that produced a respectable 113 horsepower. By 1999, the Elantra got a huge boost, as it came with a 140-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Underneath the 1999 Elantra was an independent suspension with MacPherson struts. A set of lower ball joints allows the suspension to move up and down, while keeping the tire flat against the road. When replacing a failed ball joint, it is best to replace the control arm as an entire unit, as the ball joint requires a wide array of specialty tools to remove, assemble, grease and install. The ball joint is pre-installed and pre-greased in the control arm assembly.

Instructions

1

Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel with the failed lower ball joint with a ratchet and socket. Raise the front of the vehicle with a floor jack and slide jack stands under the Elantras subframe. Lower the vehicle onto the jack stands. Remove the lug nuts and pull the wheel off the vehicle.

2

Remove the locknut securing the ball joint to the steering knuckle, using a ratchet and socket. Position a Pitman arm puller over the ball joint, so its screw part contacts the ball joint stud and its jaws wrap round the lower part of the steering knuckle. Tighten the Pitman arm puller with a ratchet and socket until the ball joint pops free from the steering knuckle.

3

Remove the nut securing the stabilizer link to the control arm, using a ratchet and socket. Pull the stabilizer link away from the control arm.

4

Remove the nut from the control arm-to-frame bolt with a ratchet and socket, while holding the bolt steady with a combination wrench. Remove the control arm-to-frame bolt. Remove the control arm pivot bracket the bracket on the front part of the control arm bolts with a ratchet and socket.

5

Pull the control arm from the Elantra.

6

Lift a new control arm with ball joint into place under the vehicle. Line up the rear bolt hole in the control arm with the bracket on the vehicles frame and slide the control arm-to-frame bolt. Hand-tighten the nut onto the control arm-to-frame bolt.

7

Thread the three control arm pivot bracket bolts,. Lift the control arm and guide the stabilizer link stud through its mounting hole on the new control arm, hand-thread the nut onto the stabilizer link stud.

8

Guide the ball joint stud into its mounting hole on the bottom of the steering knuckle and hand-thread its locknut. Tighten the ball joint nut to between 43 and 53 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket, then tighten the stabilizer link nut to between 25 and 33 foot-pounds.

9

Torque the control arm-to-frame bolt to between 72 and 87 foot-pounds, using a torque wrench and socket, while holding its nut still with a combination wrench. Tighten the three control arm pivot bracket bolts to between 58 and 72 foot-pounds.

10

Reinstall the front wheels onto the Elantras hub and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Raise the vehicle off the jack stands with a floor jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the Elantra to the ground. Torque the lug nuts to between 66 and 81 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

11

Take the Elantra to an auto repair facility to have an alignment performed.