Y’all get a crick in your neck from lookin sideways? I did, and could find anything but the two GM numbers for LH and RH LCA

 

I sent an email to Federal regarding the Moog line of parts. I was asking for some clarification about the parts # of "one fits all".

Thought I'd give it a try,,,,,,,,,,,,,but not holding my breath for an answer.

 

I looked at TRW, "fits all" there, they both do admit the springs are different.

I think it is mecotech that list Elegance LT and Comfort LT, but "fits all" for all of the suspension.

 

It gets messy when you start looking at Cobalt parts. Yes, the steering knuckle is the same. But they had FE5 on both the supercharged and turbocharged SS models, but they had different knuckles, LCAs, and ball joints. SC had the smaller ball joint stud, and fit all cobalts. TC had the larger ball joint stud and should interchange with our HHRs.

But GM books say the 25930724 and 25930725 fit HHR SS, but they also say they fit all Cobalt from 2005 - 2010. So GM is wrong for Cobalt, how can we even trust them for our parts?

And to further confuse things, the experts over at CSS https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/susp...4/#post2972053 say that the right side LCA(15803767) is the same for SC and TC(but the smaller ball joint stud?), but the left side LCA is (our) 25930725 for TC and 15803766 for SC. And our part number for the right side, 25930724, is not mentioned on their site at all.

So I guess the takeaway is this: We really can't trust parts books, aftermarket or GM, we have to compile our own database. For the SS anyway, just like we are with the SS front axle shafts.

 

Mitchell Estimator has an FE3 LCA on the left and an FE5 on the right. My copy is from 2011, so that isn't a new thing. (huge difference in price; R to L).

I guess they are going by that.

 

Yes its quite messed up. I went thru every similar based car and checked for lower ball joints and crossed numbers and found the same thing, they all end up with the ball joint being a universal fit, the 20mm nub, which isn't what comes on the SS LCA from Chevrolet.

Its too bad that there isn't better access to the ball joint dimensions, such as the nub diameter. I think in all my looking I only found listing that gave that measurement and it was the wrong size.

You guys probably have better resources in hunting this down, but myself, and probably a lot of other SS owners appreciate the hunt.

Thanks

 

I guess if it came to a real parts shortage, one could try to change to the FE3 knuckles, and therefore the plentiful FE3 LCA/ball joint, but I don't know if the larger LNF axle shafts would fit through the knuckle.

 

On what car? AND there are lots of listings for FE5 LCA but without actually measuring the nub they are probably the small ball joint as well. Thats more likely than getting a real SS ball joint on a FE5 LCA. I wouldn't trust any of the listings. The only "true" LCA are quite a bit more money.

Much like a Indiana Jones movie, the search continues..........

 

He's talking about the Cobalt differences I mentioned.

And yes, like I said, a lot of FE5 LCAs have the small stud, because of the Cobalt SS SC. But since even GM says that our SS TC LCAs also fit all cobalt 05-10, ordering an FE5 LCA, without a part number, is a crapshoot. You might get the big stud, but you'll probably get the small.

I'm not done researching this...

 

Gary, is there any way you could spec the old ball joint, maybe we can find a replacement?