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[addy]

Hi

I was wandering if anyone can help?  I am updating my front steering parts, steering idler and replacing control arm bushes with polybushes. The question is, can the ball joints on the centre rod assembly be replaced, if so what are they called apart from ball joints or do you have to replace with a complete new one? If it has to be replaced complete apart from Lemforder has anyone had luck with any other make?

Recently replaced the front coils, shocks with new parts, also the track rods and drop links. But want to change the parts then get full geometry setup. Think I have found a place down the road from me, who setup expensive cars for track day etc. When I told them I wanted my Omega setup to the settings I have, not factory. They said no problem. Hopefully they are OK.

Thanks for any help.

[Nick W]

The centre trackrod is not serviceable; it has to be replaced.


It's not a cheap part, and poor quality replacements don't last long. I would only replace it if there was a proven problem with it. My needed one because the NS balljoint was badly worn - so much that the toe on that side had been adjusted to put it under tension. When the new part was fitted, that wheel had about 5mm of toe-in!


I strongly recommend that you inspect yours before going any further: check the ball joint boots are still effective, and feel for play in the joints while someone turns the steering through its entire travel. Be careful, as there isn't a lot of space to do this. If you have any doubts at this point, disconnect it from the outer track rods and try again. Examine the steering drop arm while you're there, although I don't believe that's as common a failure as reported here.

[Enceladus]

Yep! This is a case of "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

Be aware that this part also comes as LHD or RHD. RHD parts are harder to get. I don't think ZF have manufactured any Lemförder RHD centre rods for some years, so you'll struggle to find one.

The GM part number is 90510648 which superseded 90447693 around 2001.