521 Upper control arm bushings?

[banzai510(hainz)]

those NAPA ones look like the AC DELCO I have. bet there from the same place.

on 521s the center link adjust the toe in out However I did not not have the CROWN nuts mine were the nyloc type.

[d.p]

Should I do center link at the same time as tie rods and idler arm?  

[mainer311]

Up to you, really. All of that stuff "sees" the same loads when steering. If everything is of the same vintage, you can only assume that the ball joints are probably in similar condition. 

 

I'll be doing my idler arm pretty soon, mine is shot. 

[d.p]

Ball joint?   And how can you tell its shot?  Lots of play?  Cold as shit down here so no way I am going to work on this or even check but buying parts to do so when it gets warm.  

[wayno]

521 trucks have kingpin front ends.

There is a lot involved in completely rebuilding a 521 front end, there are inner and outer LCA bushings, inner and outer UCA bushings, idler arms, center links, tie rods, and the worst of them all the king pins which play as big a part as any of the other parts mentioned, king pins are a bitch to rebuild and they wear fast when not maintained.

[mainer311]

Each steering joint is a ball joint. A telltale sign of a ball that is going bad is an awful squealing noise when you turn the steering wheel, but not all of them will do this. You will see a lot of play in the joint when they go bad. Once they get to this point, they are dangerous, and can actually pop apart. I change mine out after so many miles, but on old trucks like this, it's hard to tell how old they are. Better just to replace them all.

 

Cold? It's 38 here today and I consider that great weather to work on 'ol green.

 

Hey Wayno, try to stay on topic. Your ADHD is back.

[gene knight]

i had to order the 1 piece tierod/dogbone for left side in fact i ordered 2 from amazon for early 620 and it fits or maybe i ordered it from rockauto

[mklotz70]

Each steering joint is a ball joint. A telltale sign of a ball that is going bad is an awful squealing noise when you turn the steering wheel, but not all of them will do this. You will see a lot of play in the joint when they go bad. Once they get to this point, they are dangerous, and can actually pop apart. I change mine out after so many miles, but on old trucks like this, it's hard to tell how old they are. Better just to replace them all.

 

Cold? It's 38 here today and I consider that great weather to work on 'ol green.

 

Hey Wayno, try to stay on topic. Your ADHD is back.

....in fairness to wayno.....no one ever refers to the tie rod ends as ball joints, but you're correct, they are.  The debate about benefits and conversions over kingpins and ball joints gets a lot of interest.....so when you say ball joints, everyone is going to be thinking about the post kingpin suspensions. :)     .......and yes.....I'm pretty sure you're just giving wayno crap(hard time)........but he's really, really, really old.....so cut him some slack! LOL!!!!  Honestly.....he can still run circles around me. :)

[mainer311]

We were talking about steering stuff, and he started rambling about king pins. I was trying to steer him in the right direction. (See what I did there?)

 

Wayno, how old we talkin’?

[Charlie69]

Hey Wayno, try to stay on topic. Your ADHD is back.

Wayno Is only affected by being to nice to most people.

 

ADHD is not a joking matter!

[mklotz70]

We were talking about steering stuff, and he started rambling about king pins. I was trying to steer him in the right direction. (See what I did there?)

 

Wayno, how old we talkin’?

 

carbon dating can only get you a range or approximation. ;)

[wayno]

Ball joints do not squeal, they hardly move at all, what squeals is other things(tires?) because the idler arm, tie rods, king pins, or the bushings are loose because of being wore out and/or the front end is out of alignment, I am used to hearing knocks more than squealing.

 

If I have ADHD it is un-diagnosed, what I do have is this need to have everything drive good without surprises.

 

I am not that old, but I have beat the shit out of my body all my life and it is catching up to me.

[mainer311]

The steering tie rods on my Xterra squeal when I turn the steering wheel. If I hit the zerks with grease, it goes away. Of course, I wheel it pretty hard, so she’s had a tough life.

[mklotz70]

It was so much more fun picking on guys older than me when I was a lot younger.............now I'm one of them old guys. :(    Just giving you crap wayne. :)   You accomplish and do more than pretty much everyone else I know!  

[d.p]

Just learned ACDELCO tie rods from RA are not serviceable, IE no zerk fittings.   Does that matter?  

[mainer311]

Not really. Just means you can't easily regrease them (if at all). If the truck isn't driven a whole lot, they could last many years.

[Crashtd420]

Just learned ACDELCO tie rods from RA are not serviceable, IE no zerk fittings. Does that matter?

Yes and no... I have those... while they don't have a grease fitting they are lifetime warrantee... I would prefer to have the grease fitting personnally...

[d.p]

Fuck it I bought the 555 ones from Mexico along with an idler arm and center link from Rock Auto.  

[Crashtd420]

Not really. Just means you can't easily regrease them (if at all). If the truck isn't driven a whole lot, they could last many years.

It would be an interesting topic to find out how many people actually grease all the fittings in there datsun...

I know I have 12 or so on my 521... my 99 chevy has non...

[Crashtd420]

Fuck it I bought the 555 ones from Mexico along with an idler arm and center link from Rock Auto.

The centerlink?

You mean the actual bar or the 2 tie rods one the end?

[Crashtd420]

Ahh looked it up.... bar and both ends... I may have to buy one as a spare....

[d.p]

555 tie rod arms, mevotech center link and moog idler arm.  

[Charlie69]

555 are one of the best after market parts available,  I have had several Mevotech parts that do not fit.

 

I try to buy as much as I can in the US.  I believe that we should support our own businesses as much as possible.  This does not mean I do not but from foreign vendors.

 

Kentigo stands behind their products.  Good people to deal with.

[d.p]

Well the only other center link I could find was a NOS one on ebay for $198. 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fits-Datsun-Nissan-620-620-521-Center-Drag-Link-Tie-48560-B5000-65-79-2WD-OEM/222442087817?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

 

Mevotech was $50 so I guess if it doesn't work I can just send it back to RA.   

[Crashtd420]

I was just wondering why you needed the center link bar when you can just buy the ends... but for the price why not get all 3 parts....

And theres is No reason it shouldn't work....

The only thing I want to point out is it says it's good for the 620 and 521... as Charlie I believe pointed out the 620 should be a metric bar while the 521 is sae....

Again not a big deal because you have a complete matched set... but if you ever needed just the ends you may have to get them for a 620 next time... just something to keep in mind... plus I would keep your old bar just incase you got replacement ends that were sae next time....