I have the pesky clunking noise in the front end of my car. I have replaced the ball joints and inner tie rod. Now I'm looking at replacing the control arm. I've helped a friend install the powell control arm bushings and I just son't want to deal with that again. I have a few questions, please chime in if you have any good input.

If I remember correctly when we installed the CABs my buddy's LSJ control arms and changed my ball joints on my LS the control arms looked similar to mine except his were casted, and mine were stamped

... and with that in mind, on to the questions.

Are FE5 LNF or LSJ lower control arms direct swap for FE1 lower control arms? If not what parts will have to be changed in order to make it work?

 

Direct swap. I replaced my fe1 control arms for fe5 ones. I dunno if the fe1 suspension was the same thru all of the years but I had to get the pre-2008 fe5 control arms to fit my 2008 car. Hopefully that makes sense.

 

Sweet!! I I'm also thinking about doing the sway bar and and endlinks as well. I'm trying to eliminate as much of clunking and rattling that I can. After I get all the linkage and smaller suspension things done. I think I'm going to start looking at coilover kits, a bit more.

 

Now I'm looking at parts on rockauto.com and I don't see any LCAs that say FE5... does the 07 LSJ have FE5 LCAs?

 

here are pictures of the FE3 Vs the FE1

FE3


FE1

 

Go to crateenginedepot they carry both 08+ FE5 LCA and pre 08 FE5 LCA. You can make the 08+ fit, there's a thread on here about it

 

I've searched control arm and it came up with 98 threads with control arm in the title. I must have tread 40 of them and no help. If I have an 07 LS which year FE5 LCA will fit? Crear engine depot offers 05-07 and 08-10 LCA, but none of them say what they will or will not fit.

 

pre TC LE5 control arms have a ball joint post diameter in the 19.5 mm range. Post TC arms have a ball joint diameter in the 20.5 mm range. The TC ones are cheaper. CED have them good peeps to deal with and prices are good.

Just put a chisel in the knuckle slot at the ball joint and wack it a few times with a BFG before you dismantle the arm off your car, it will make it easier to remove and easier to install the larger post new arm.
it will make it easier to install if you slide the rear of the arm (trailing) into place, then install the ball joint into the knuckle. If the post does not go in square it will make life very troublesome. Then install the leading arm cab bolts.

torque values are on here somewhere I expect.

 

I could care less about the ball joint I replaced mine with moog greasable ball joints about a year ago, so I'll be swapping them to the FE5 control arm. I just need to know which control arm will phiscially fit the 07 FE1 suspension. I also have the torque values in the haynes guide. If the only thing that is different is the ball joint, and I'll be replacing that with my moog ball joints, does it matter which year FE5 control arm I get?

 

They all are the same shape and size (execpt for the ball joint on the 08+ FE5 being ~1mm larger as Powell Racing pointed out) The main difference is stamped steel verse aluminum, and i'm sure the CABs are a little stiffer in the FE5s (i'll let the suspension Gods inform on that)

 

I don't think you should replace a perfectly new working balljoint with the Moog. There's nothing wrong with the stocker. The balljoint on the new arm should last a very long time. Personally, I'm not a fan of greasable joints either. They tend to introduce dirt and grime into the joint when grease is added.

 

As for you saying the ball joint will last a very long time.... well that wasn't the case with the stock ball joints I had. My car is an 07 and they were worn out in 2010. To me three years is not a "very long time."

Well I've already forked out the cash for the Moog ball joints I have. I don't know how your saying that you intoduce dirt and grime when you grease them, because that is clearly not the case. There is this thing called a Zerk fitting on the ball the ball joint that allows you to pump grease in from a grease gun. The fitting allows grease in, and keeps dirt out. The aircraft I work on have these zerk fittings on just about every moving surface, allowing us to gread them. We never have any issues with "dirt or grime" so I will just go a head and tell you your are wrong on that.

Also if any LCA will I may just buy them used for cheap, in that case the ball the joint would not be new. Thats mainly why I was asking what the difference were for the 05-07 and the 08-10.

 

Not many people actually clean the fittings before greasing, meaning the dirt and crap that is sittting at the orifice opening gets pushed in. If you're religious about cleaning and keeping a cap on it, then great, but I prefer permanently sealed.

 

only time you have to clean it is before you grease it, and a quick wipe will be fine, but I guess... to each his own.

 

And thats the problem, people not taking time to do it right. I know a lot of sealed joints that fail before a joint with a zerk fitting because the lubricant would break down. It takes like 2seconds to clean a zerk fitting with a rag, paying a little attention to the end of your grease gun, and making sure you use the correct high quality grease.

But to each their own, its not my car so its not my choice.

To the OP pretty much every suspension part on cobalts are intererchangable, if i remember correctly they only thing that has issues is the sway bar connectors, some are 1 bolt retainers and others are 2 bolt retainers.