At 85k my car is handling erratically and feeling really jumpy when moving throttle back and forth between 0% and 15%. Turns out the control arm bushings are shot.

I want better quality and stiffer bushings if I'm going through all the work to replace them so I'm going to go with Powerflex bushings.

I am considering doing the ball joints at the same time but I'm wondering what their life expectancy is and if it is worth it to replace them.

I can get the bushings for $90
or
Kit for $299 that includes:
1 set front powerflex control arm bushings
2 outer ball joints
1 Left inner ball joint
1 Right inner ball joint

How much more work/labor is involved to do the ball joints as well?

 

I just did my second set of CA bushings at 110k and original ball joints were still in good shape. You will love the PF CA bushings.

 

Oh, and make sure you check the lower engine mount. They are super cheap to replace and if yours has failed that could explain the "jumpy" feeling you describe.

 

Yeah my upper motor mount is bad and I've read that can kill the lower one too.

I think I'm going to try out these new BSH lower engine mounts:
BSH R53 Lower Engine Mount
http://www.bshspeedshop.com/store/home.php?cat=1141

 

124,000mi. and just replaced my LCA bushings with the powerflex and my ball joints were fine. WOW, the car is new again after the bushings were installed. My VIP engine mount's bushings are going so they're next on the list. I also just ordered BSH's lower engine mount too. FUN!

 

Are these similar to the TSW ones? If I remember correctly, TSW had a modified lower-one, but also sell the OEM upper one as a package since that one normally will go bad too.
I was wondering how long the ball joints lasted. My car has ~23k miles and the CA bushings are bad (previous owner ), so I was thinking of replacing the ball joints together. Based on the feedback in this thread, I guess the ball joints can wait.

 

Other way around... TSW has a modified upper one and sells the OEM lower one. The TSW upper mount actually doesn't apply to my car because it was built 10/2003 and uses a full rubber mount (like the TSW mount) instead of those leaky metal ones.

http://www.txwerks.com/servlet/Categ...%3AMotor+Mount

 

Don't confuse the engine mount (rubber ball/fliud filled orb) with the engine bushings.

The bushings try to hold the engine still while the mount simply supports the engine weight.

 

With your car at 85k, why would you have it all apart to do the bushings and not change the ball joints?

I did all my ball joints when I did my bushings...there was no way I was going to have the subframe laying on the floor and not do the ball joints while I had the control arms off.