these are very easy to damage on install even a light press in the wrong direction and the preload is weakened and the part prematurly wears.

 

I can attest to this, kinda. I have been having a "popping" noise at low speeds, full stops, and over bumps at low speeds. I finally got around to taking the car in to a trusted shop to investigate. Apparently one of the snap rings that come with the Whiteline RCCK was never even INSTALLED on my passenger side ball joint! I've been riding around with it like this for 8 months now. It just started making noise. The shop's assessment was to get an all new ball joint assembly instead of trying to get the snap rings only (thanks for the effort SpeedElement!). So I ended up ordering an all new Whiteline RCCK. (Again, thanks SpeedElement!) and will have a shop I trust from past experience do the work.

Apparently "proper" install is relative to the shop you take the car to! FIND A GOOD SHOP!

The instructions don't realy highlight what function the rings perform. Could someone explain it to me? I should have asked the shop guys today but I was getting a little stressed out thinking how disastrous this could have been. Once the ball joints are installed are they visible via an under-car inspection?

 

The rings are pictured in post eleven... the groove closest to the boot is where they go. The ring and the lip at the bottom sandwich the arm. Hope that paints some sort of picture for you...

 

The snap rings seem superfluous to me...they keep the ball-joint from sliding down out of the lower control arm, but the joint is pressed in, so it's not exactly going to fall out. Also the forces placed on the joint during driving are primarily in the direction that would pull the joint up tighter into the control arm...unless you were off the ground. I guess it's handy for the rally cars that are doing a lot of jumping.

 

Well with that being said is it possible I am facing purely a failed ball joint? I did all my autocrossing etc. before the ball joints were installed. It's just been daily driving and the occasional road trip since then.

I've read in a few places here on the forums that there may have been a bad batch of Whiteline RCCK's sent out at some point, as people were having problems with them failing. I don't know what dates those were. I ordered mine August 2007.

Of course, like Robi said, perhaps the shop that did the install screwed the pooch...

 

This is how the snap ring should look when it's installed on the Whiteline ball joint properly.



I could not get one of the snap rings fully onto one of my ball joints due to the LCA being too thick. I ended up sanding the top surface of the LCA to give the snap ring enough room to fully clamp around the ball joint.

 

Interesting...I wonder if more people have had that problem, and maybe that's why Shadowpriest's installers didn't put it on there.

 

Keep in mind people this is NOT a steel arm. You NEED the clips. From pressing these out of steel vs. aluminum, it's like a rock vs. peanut butter. Those clips are not there to look pretty. You want zero movement or they will eventually wallow out.

 

the swaybar applies a vertical load to the control arm. one side pulls up the other side pushes down. the clips are not superfluous.

 

Funny - I had to do the same thing that marksae just mentioned above. I had an issue installing the snap-rings as well. They would not seat in the back for the life of me.

So, I took a file and sandpaper and had to grind down the control arm just a bit under the snap ring. I also sanded down the snap ring removing some of the black stuff off it to get some more clearance.

I installed the snap ring back and used a fine flat-tip screwedriver and hammer and tapped the snap-ring into place.

So, I know I have a real tight fit now.

Robi's comment above concerns me now. I had a buddy install it with his press. We avoided pushing the top part of the balljoint as we didnt want to squeeze it, I hope that we didnt hurt it somehow.

Back to the topic on hand - I do wish someone came out with a replacement balljoint for the Evo's - replacing the whole arm is ludicrous. I emailed whiteline asking if they would make other balljoints and got the response saying 'No'...Cannot understand why moog cannot make one. They do sell them for 1G/2G and GVR4's....I am not sure if those will fit, though!

 

Good point! I stand corrected.

Moog/Federal Mogul was not aware that they didn't really have a ball joint for the Evo until I called them. Maybe they will look into it now...we can hope.

 

I'm having mine finsihed up today...

getting a few minor things added too... let you know how it goes VR Performance should have a write up if not i will have some pictures they always take them as they do the work.

 

Well VR Performance installed them and they are golden, that was the clunking noise. I drove the car all week no noise, no clunking, no nothing, just perfect...

Whiteline was excellent, they sent me new ones with prepaid boxing to pack the old ones back to them...

VR Got installed them and they did some extras for me. (triple packing them and sealing the boots to the a-arms)


thanks again to Andrew at GTWORX and Horst at VR Performance...

 

Did you check for an SPC part number? They actually make a lot of the other parts that you see with different names on them.

 

How did they seal them? I had the shop that installed my new ball joints reuse the stock ball joint boots because the ones that come with the whiteline kit ride up on the top of the ball joint and create a space where dirt/grime/water can get into the joint.