BlueRidgeMark

It's probably about that time. I have a hint of a wobble in the front end, and I'm thinking it's time to give some love to the front suspension on my 97. AFAIK, it's all original.

Anybody have feedback on the Crown replacement ball joints? It's a DD that rarely sees offroad, so OEM quality is just fine. Does Crown meet that standard?

Anything else I should replace while I'm at it? Shocks are new last year.

What about the control arm bushings? Tie rod ends? Anything else?

XJRed96

Track bars are a common wear components and a large to contributor to wobble. check the bushing to see if its separated or badly cracked and check the driver side for play in the joint. see below.
If the steering stabilizer shock is starting leak then that may be up for replacement as well.
Control arm bushings seem to hold up pretty well but since you will be under there its always good to check for separation and heavy cracking. it wouldn't hurt to check them at normal rest position and when the vehicle is lifted and the front end is at full droop.

Tie rod ends are easy enough to check with large enough channel locks. squeeze em down and judge how much play they have. if one has more than the others then its time for some new ones.

unfortunately I have no personal experience with Crown Replacement parts. Moog is a preferred brand and sold at most auto stores. I know that most TRW parts come with a 3 year warranty on them and definitely seem to be made with decent quality(i'm referencing other TRW components that I've used for other makes and models).A/C Delco professional line, and Spicer are also two good brands. And i believe Alloy USA makes possibly the strongest ball joint but at $200 for a complete set it may be a bit over kill for what you want to accomplish.

OldTires

Never used the Crown ball joints (Spicer when I changed mine) but other Crown parts I have used are quality - but your bushings are probably done by now if they are original. PITA to change.

BlueRidgeMark

Bushings.... Control arm bushings?



Good info, gents. Thank you. Any more from the crowd?

OldTires

Well, I changed the control arms which already had the bushings in them. The only ones I had to press in where the two on the top axle side. You should be able to tell if they are coming apart (deep cracks), but after 20 years I would guess so.

Getting the control arm bolts off is the challenge (if you are stuck), as you probably already know. Maybe it's one of those jobs you can give your kids to do, Mark.