colonboy14

iTrader: (7)

OK, I rented a balljoint press from Autozone (the big C-clamp), but I can't get it to work. It seems like the whole clamp is too short to reach all the way around the balljoint. Can anybody give me better directions than those that are on the back of the box?

Oh, and I used the biggest acceptor ring or whatever. Is that what I'm supposed to do?

colonboy14

iTrader: (7)

anybody?

slowTA

iTrader: (1)

I rented the autozone one also... it worked great for me.

From what I remember you may have to turn it upside down to get the balljoint out. So the bolt might be sticking down to remove it and up to install it. But I can't remember EXACTLY how that worked for me.

What I can say is that you do not push on the threaded part of the ball joint. You have to use the large collar on the bottom of the control arm so that it goes around the pocket for the joint.

The non threaded end of the c-clamp may be large enough to go around the stud of the ball joint without one of the adapter/spacers. I think it rested right on the body of the ball joint.

I know this sounds confusing, but it wasn't obvious right away to me either.

prockbp

i had the same problem... the stud is just too darn long, cut it!


i used a dremel tool to cut about a half an inch off the top of the balljoint stud... and then i smoothed the threads out so the stud would fit into the little hole in the balljoint press plate....

works great if you do this..


if you don't understand what i'm talking about.. then email me and i'll give you my phone number and i can explain it better

joshua_kirby@hotmail.com

Hung Start67

Bro...I rented the press/removal tool from autozone as well. When I first got started it looked like the press would not work..But stick with it..If they gave you the right part it will work. when you go to press them in have fun..It was kinda tough I used my foot and a 7/8 wrench to cut new threads with the moog ball joints I bought. When I had my car aligned I told the guy that it was a PITA putting in the new balljoints..He told me next time..use a air gun on that sucker!! stick with it bro..you can do it.

mrr23

or don't use one.

http://www.fl-thirdgen.org/balljointreplacement.html

colonboy14

iTrader: (7)

WHOOOOOOO DOGGEY!!!!!! I got it!!! And it was so easy.

Ok, for those of you who will be reading this in the future, here is what you do to get them off easily.

Arrange the clamp so that the threaded part is on the bottom, followed by the disk with the SMALL hole, then the largest spacer. (I know the instructions say to put the one with the large hole on the bottom ... don't.) This goes onto the bottom of the balljoint, and the disk with the large hole goes on the top. The stud will stick through the hole, and the disk will push right on the ball itself, not the stud. Just tighten her down, and it takes like 30 seconds.

Just make sure you use a 2' breaker bar at least.

prockbp

hehe.. i think it's an easy job... getting them in takes patience, you need to have them lined up really well(use lots of lube!), even then you may end up having to back the ball joint back out and do it again

i actually got to a point where i could not make the new ball joint press all the way in.. i just let it sit with pressure on it for a while and it slid into place


when you're pressing those new joints in with a 2foot breaker bar... you start worry about the strength of that autozone ball joint press
that's the only thing that caused me any stress

prockbp

wow, that's like some kind of a joke..... i can live with the way they uninstalled the ball joint...

but there wasn't a whole lot of thought put into the safety of installing them...... and no thought put into damaging the control arm...

when you care that little about your car.. why even waste time reaplacing the ball joints?

TomP

Glad you got it, colonboy! I just did this to my 250,000 mile firebird; I bought the OTC balljoint press, and it worked great. The sucker popped out with no problem. I was so glad to see that the opening in my control arm wasn't oblong or misformed or in any way f'd up. Haven't pressed the new ones in yet... bought Moog K6145T's from Summitracing.com (MOG-K6145T).

mrr23

there was plenty of thought in safety while installing them skippy. ever see a ball joint press fly apart? less safety there than doing it my way. if you can damage a control arm by hitting it with a hammer, then it would just break apart everytime you hit a pothole. i do this for a living.

slowTA

iTrader: (1)

I don't see how a ball joint press could fly apart, please explain how.

I would think it is more dangerous to use the sledge hammer method because of the spring too. I saw how you were supporting the car on that lift, but with jackstands I wouldn't want to try it that way. My control arms were completely off of the car at the time, so I clamped them to a workbench.

mrr23

ok rephrase ever see a ball joint press shatter? or slip off the ball joint? if your control arms were off the car, then using a ball joint press is the better choice. or still just support the control arm and hit the ball joint into place.

slowTA

iTrader: (1)

No, I haven't actually seen one of them fail. But I can picture it shattering, causing someone to fall if they are putting alot of pressure on it. As for slipping off, I would think that they would have to be pushing/pulling the threaded part instead of trying to twist it. So in other words, using a wrench completely wrong. The one I used seemed to have some really good steps or indentations to keep from slipping. But I think using pitchforks to seperate the joints is caveman-like, so of course I'm not going to like the sledgehammer method.

mrr23

not all will like the caveman method. but for those without the use of airtools (air hammer to separate the balljoint from the spindle) and doesn't want to pay to have it done, this is an alternative. so long as you support the arm with a jack, then use the bottle jack to put pressure on the ball joint, the spring will not come out. if the bottlejack was to come out, the first jack under the arm will catch it. no way the spring will propel the arm down with enough force to lift the car up and pop out. but a safety thing you can do is wrap a chain through the arm and around the spring. that way it can't go anywhere.

slowTA

iTrader: (1)

I didn't use air tools to remove or install mine. Just a longish box-end wrench.

TomP

Same here; I have air tools, but I use a regular balljoint pickle fork to separate the knuckle from the balljoint. Used a breaker bar and 24mm socket on my balljoint press.