Hey all,
Have a 97 blazer LS. Yesterday the wife was backing out of a parking spot and BAM!, the lower front left control arm broke in half. Rusted through I guess. Upon breaking, it came down on the cv joint, breaking it too. I got a nice control arm from a junkyard this morning and tomorrow (sunday) plan on putting it in.
Now, we don't have alot of bucks to replace a lot on this car. We are thinking, after tons of problems with this blazer, of trying to drive it to our local scrap yard. It is nickle and diming us to death and we need reliable transportation daily for our delivery job.
My question is this: If I replace the control arm, can I drive the car without that left front cv joint as long as I don't use 4 wheel drive so we can get it to the yard? (We have never had it in 4 wheel drive anyway) Junkyard will give us $50 for it, but this scrap yard will give us $10 per 100 pounds and it comes out to abot $450 we can use as a downpayment on something else. But I need to know if it is rollable without the cv joint. Why put in a new cv joint if it's going to the scrapyard? Hating to do it, but our job depends on it. Any ideas? Thanks fellow members.

(by the way, after we can save up, we want to get another blazer since we know so much about them already. This one has more than earned back what we paid for it 10 times over and we used it everyday for work for years)

 

Based on what I have read here and several other forums, (and an internet search before I shot my mouth off), I would say you should be able to drive it in two wheel without the cv joint.

Also, where are you located? I would imagine in any decent sized area you could make more if you throw the vehicle up on craigslist or something than junking it, especially a 4x4 that runs and drives.

I'd wait until one of the better mechanics weighs in on the safety of driving without the cv joint, and, as long as it's safe, try listing it for a week or so at 1500 or something while still driving it to and from work. If it doesn't sell you can always fall back on junking it.

Shoot, if you were close to me, and I could scrape it up, I would offer you 500 for it just to keep in my back yard for spare parts, lord knows with two gen2's and a gen1 I need them

Just had another thought for you, had you considered using it as a trade in?

Just seems like a 97 4x4 has alot more than 450 in value.

 

not always the offered my moms friend $200 for a 2000 ford focus.

 

Yea, I'd pay more to keep as a part cart, where you at?

 

i have driven my truck without a cv for a week once. didnt cause me any troubles. my friend has had his whole front diff and cv's out for over a year. too bad if you do scrap it but you can get away with no cv's.

 

you could make alot more than that by just parting it out on here. Then after everyone has stripped it of what they want you could still take it to the junk yard and get cash. Just post it as a part out in the classifieds and wait more all the P.M's you will get from people wanting parts. Im telling you bro you would make alot more off of it this way.

 

I would not drive a vehicle lacking structural parts. The CV is an axle, giving strength and support to all of the parts connected to it. Without a CV to support weight, the hubs will bust and you will be SOL.

 

Hey Steelrfn, you may be right. I have been trying for several days to get the spindle nut off. Even had a 250 pound friend standing on a cheater bar. Cannpt break it loose. Got the new control arm on except for the ball joint part because the cv joint is in the way. Any ideas on how I can get that locked up spindle nut off?

As for parting it out, that wouldn't be a bad idea, except that I live in a neighborhood that would really frown on it sitting for weeks/months, on blocks or with a door, hood or windows out of it. So I can't do that. As for selling it, pmzudmc, I live in southeast ohio on the wv border. If I can just get the spindle nut off and then get the lower ball joint in, maybe down the road I could get a new cv joint and not have to junk it right away. Even though it has many other problems. Any ideas on the spindle nut would be greatly appreciated. As are every one of your responses. Thanks guys.

 

I really hope things work out for you, I know how hard times are right now, I wish just one thing would go easy for me with my blazer

 

that nut can be a pain to remove, I would coat the hell out of it in wd40 or a penetrating fluid repeatedly let it sit over night and then use a really long cheater bar and just give it all you can. If that doesnt work you could always try heating it up with a torch.