Technical => Suspension/Steering => Topic started by: Bob on January 17, 2009, 09:33:18 AM
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Bob on January 17, 2009, 09:33:18 AM
I got the front suspension all apart, springs are out, spindles are off so I went to autozone and rented the balljoint press.
I don't think I'm doing this right (see pic below I have the large cup on the top and am pressing on the bottom). I'm turning this thing till me eyes pop out of my head LOL. Is the metal sleave suppose to come up and out of the A-arm as a whole with the balljoint? What I mean is when I'm done should the sleave still be in place? Or is the sleave part of the stock balljoint and I would be left with just an empty hole in the A arm to press in the new BJ.
This picture I found on the corral is the opposite of what I'm doing. So I figured its time to stop and figure out wtf I'm doing wrong here :hick:
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Chuck W on January 17, 2009, 09:46:47 AM
The ball joint comes out the bottom of the arm. Put the cup on the bottom, like in the pic.
You will be left with just a hole in the A-Arm.
Sometimes while there is pressure on the press/ball joint. A few taps on the arm with a hammer will help things along too on the removal.
But yes, you are doing it backwards.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Bob on January 17, 2009, 09:58:41 AM
Okay thanks Chuck, anything I should look out for when I press the new one in? Or is it pretty straightforward
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Kitz Kat on January 17, 2009, 10:07:28 AM
pretty straight forward, just make sure it's seated all the wayagainst the arm.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Bob on January 17, 2009, 10:17:14 AM
Now I have to wait 6-7 hours till I get home to work on it, part of me wants to sneak home for lunch and try pressing it out LOL.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Kitz Kat on January 17, 2009, 10:22:35 AM
I hope your in the garage, its freaking cold out today.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: vinnietbird on January 17, 2009, 10:28:59 AM
I have to do that with my car.I'm waiting to find a spare set of A-frames so i can install the ball joints and bushing at once and still have the Sport to drive.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Bob on January 17, 2009, 10:43:12 AM
Quote from: Kitz Kat;252138
I hope your in the garage, its freaking cold out today.
Yeah you ain't kidding 7* this moring, little colder up your way kitz, my co-worker went to the poconos this weekend LOL.. bad weekend for that
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: andrew beedle on January 17, 2009, 05:40:10 PM
I did the ball joints on my bird with a nice hydraulic press but even then I still had to use a little map gas to heat up the a-arm to get them to come out. It was a major pain.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Kitz Kat on January 17, 2009, 05:47:10 PM
Quote from: andrew beedle;252210
I did the ball joints on my bird with a nice hydraulic press but even then I still had to use a little map gas to heat up the a-arm to get them to come out. It was a major pain.
I here that, I broke the c in one already trying to hard. Had to heat it.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Chuck W on January 17, 2009, 05:52:42 PM
The whacks with the hammer on the arm while the balljoint is under pressure works well for me.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Kitz Kat on January 17, 2009, 06:01:18 PM
Your right chuck , but most people would just crank on it,I did the first time.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Bob on January 17, 2009, 07:08:10 PM
I'm back :) It popped right out no problem. Now when I put the new one in, I press it in and than install the rubber boot on top right? The boot doesn't get pressed in with it does it?
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Kitz Kat on January 17, 2009, 07:45:09 PM
Smash the boot on later , It goes on last before you put the arm on. don't forget to grease everytrhing later.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Bob on January 18, 2009, 12:59:02 AM
Quote from: Kitz Kat;252239
Smash the boot on later , It goes on last before you put the arm on. don't forget to grease everytrhing later.
Cool, I'm squared away now I got it.. Thanks for the help! I'm just waiting for my Strange Engineering adj struts I ordered from summit to come on Wednesday and I can button it all up.
I just have to mess with the master cylinder and bleed the brakes and this bad boy is ready to run :D
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: jcassity on January 18, 2009, 02:34:29 AM
Ive never used a press to put em in. I guess you gotta have two jack stands and a jack .
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: massCougarxr7 on January 18, 2009, 10:04:07 AM
Quote from: jcassity;252320
Ive never used a press to put em in. I guess you gotta have two jack stands and a jack .
How?????? Just curious.... seems impossible that way..
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: 5.0 tbird on January 18, 2009, 09:43:00 PM
After doing them on my old Thunderbird I just buy the ball joints, and let the shop put 'em in. Make sure you have a good press too, the ball joint press I bought from Harbor Freight just bent when I tried to press the old ones out. Luckily I was able to borrow a OTC press from school and finish the job. :hick:
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: jcassity on January 19, 2009, 01:13:08 AM
Quote from: massCougarxr7;252347
How?????? Just curious.... seems impossible that way..
i had a how,, but then i backspaced it out. Many people frown at the way some people do things. But since you asked,,,,,,,,,,,,here goes.
main tools required: 2- jackstands 1- floor jack 1- decent block of wood (i have a piece of telephone pole 12'' high)
Remove Balljoint -loosen lug nuts -jack up car on sub frame -insert jack stand in place of jack -remove wheel,caliper,rotor -remove tie rod end (loosen nut till nut is flush with tie rod end stud, beat on nut till tie rod end pops out, remove nut all the way and swing tie rod out of the way. -rotate strut to access balljoint nut -loosen balljoint nut leaving nut on by a two or three threads -Beat on nut with hand sledge -control arm will pop down be stopped by nut. -jack up control arm from the side about 1/2'' or so -insert jack stand on the outter most part of control arm (sort of use the top hook part of jack stand to grab the outter round part of jack stand -lower control arm onto jack stand -remove nut on ball joint -lift spindal/strut assembly up and out of the way **all control arm presure is now on the jack stand -beat on ball joint until it pops out.
Install Balljoint -do not install zerk fitting yet -place balljoint in hole and tap into place getting it centered lined up. dont be a panty wuss, just a few good hard strikes on opposite sides alternating will get it started. just feel and look at the "ball joint stop lip" keeping it from getting cantered one way or the other. -jack up side of control arm taking presure off jack stand -relocate jack stand to side of control arm and lower -center block of wood with small / thick metal shim under ball joint. -lower arm till ball joint bottom makes contact with shim only when jack is removed. -using hand sledge, beat on outter most part of control arm. you are beating the arm down over the ball joint. -inspect to see progres and repeat above process. -you will see the ball joint "stop lip" gap decreasing as it seats. -once satisfied the ball joint is in, you might have a 1/16'' gap between the control arm and the ball joint "stop lip". -install ball joint boot making sure it snaps all the way around -grab spindal assembly and lift up and set on ball joint stud. -install nut and tighten -remove wood block -beat on bottom of ball joint a couple more times -check ball joint nut again -install zerk fitting and grease till you feel/see the boot swell -the rest is reverse order on the rotor,caliper and tie rod end. -remember to debur tie rod end stud / nut and test fit tie rod end nut prior to putting it on.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: jcassity on January 19, 2009, 01:15:48 AM
i still dont know why people keep thinking you need a press for this. We've only been debating this for how long?:rollin:
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: massCougarxr7 on January 19, 2009, 11:42:19 PM
i did it with a press.....it seemed a lot easier.... that must have been a lot of backspacing!
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: CatCarMan2012 on January 20, 2009, 04:28:02 PM
Sorry I had to do it. :hick:
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: pegasus on January 20, 2009, 09:08:29 PM
I use a C-clamp it works fine for me
* 3weeks later * and in local news and young man is dead today after a firey crash officer bob smith with the OSHP says the crash happen after the driver balljoint fell out of the socket more on this story and others at 11
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Bob on January 24, 2009, 09:38:35 PM
Okay so I got the old ones out and I'm ready to press in the new ones. I get them both this far and they stop. The "c" clamp starts to bend slightly it looks like they should go in more.. see pics below, I have about 2/8" -3/8" on the bottom not flush with the underneath
I tried using the same 1/2 socket wrench with my jack handle that I used to take out the old one, which gives me about 30" of leverage and I can't get past where its at now. I moved to the other side and they look almost identical in height. Than I borrowed my buddys impact gun and hammered on the a-arm while I had the impact gun on the press.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: jcassity on January 25, 2009, 03:12:56 AM
, dont listen to me.,,,, i didnt warn you about a gap underneath for no reason:D Everybody seems to love the ole c-clamp but as you can see more than 50% of you end up with the same problem. The clamp isnt strong enough and the thread count on the threaded rod should be double what it is to transfer the kind of leverage you need.
As for beating on the arm,, yeah right lol. The only beating you did was on the end, good way to pen 15 eye the joint into the arm and make matters worse. If anything, the jack should be directly under the ball joint and you should be alternating impacts (either side) on the arm beating it down over the joint.
I did foget to mention one thing though. If your garage is heated,, then the metal on your car would be about room temp. So........ you should have dropped your joints in the deep freeze over night and pressed them in freezing cold. It would or could have helped along with preheating the arm. Metal shrinks when it gets cold and expands when heated. This is the way you do a ring gear on a manual flywheel(toss the ring gear in or over a direct fire and have the flywheel ice cold. it just about drops right on like figging majic.
And why the heck did you take the spring out??????????
Oh well,,lol.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: jcassity on January 25, 2009, 03:27:05 AM
taking the spring out changes everything. You just lost your natural press assistant.
Leme revamp part 2 of the steps from earlier to include this unexpected variable.
Install Balljoint-do not install zerk fitting yet -place balljoint in hole and tap into place getting it centered lined up. dont be a panty wuss, just a few good hard strikes on opposite sides alternating will get it started. just feel and look at the "ball joint stop lip" keeping it from getting cantered one way or the other.
[COLOR="Red"]-Insert your spring back in place -jack up side of control arm until you feel presure [/COLOR]
-center block of wood with small / thick metal shim under ball joint. -lower arm till ball joint bottom makes contact with shim only when jack is removed. [COLOR="Red"]-insert a jack stand along either side of control arm as a safety catch[/COLOR] -using hand sledge, beat on outter most part of control arm. you are beating the arm down over the ball joint. [COLOR="red"]-alternate beatings in different areas of control arm to assist in centering the presure of your hammer.[/COLOR] -inspect to see progres and repeat above process. -you will see the ball joint "stop lip" gap decreasing as it seats. -once satisfied the ball joint is in, you might have a 1/16'' gap between the control arm and the ball joint "stop lip". -install ball joint boot making sure it snaps all the way around -grab spindal assembly and lift up and set on ball joint stud. -install nut and tighten -remove wood block -beat on bottom of ball joint a couple more times -check ball joint nut again -install zerk fitting and grease till you feel/see the boot swell -the rest is reverse order on the rotor,caliper and tie rod end. -remember to debur tie rod end stud / nut and test fit tie rod end nut prior to putting it on.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: jcassity on January 25, 2009, 03:45:42 AM
remember, the thing isnt going to seat 100% unless you pull the arms and get it under a real press. when mine are done, there is about a 1/16'' gap. over time, they settle and seat themselves due to simply driving. THis is one of those situations where size matters,,,,,and in my opinion, the psi reqired to press the joints in exceed that of most of your common off the shelf c clamp presses. If i run into one that has like 20 or more threads per inch on the threaded rod, thats probably going to be the one that lasts a man the longest and does the job right because from what i see out there, this round stock probably only has like 12-14 threads per inch which sux ass berries.
the only way your going to get the gap 100% closed is to hone out the a-arm hole just a little bit. (no i didnt suggest this nor do i think its a good idea-very bad idea, just simply stating facts)
If you are considering removing the A arm,, please note what you will need to do on both bolts or your dropping the rack as well. Or, just ignore this. Cut off a portion of the pan head bolt after you get the nut off the rear. Now your bolt slides off and out easy granted you have already yanked the dust boot off the rack and up the inner a decent distance.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Bob on January 25, 2009, 07:37:48 AM
Quote from: jcassity;253504
, dont listen to me.,,,, i didnt warn you about a gap underneath for no reason:D Everybody seems to love the ole c-clamp but as you can see more than 50% of you end up with the same problem. The clamp isnt strong enough and the thread count on the threaded rod should be double what it is to transfer the kind of leverage you need.
As for beating on the arm,, yeah right lol. The only beating you did was on the end, good way to pen 15 eye the joint into the arm and make matters worse. If anything, the jack should be directly under the ball joint and you should be alternating impacts (either side) on the arm beating it down over the joint.
I did foget to mention one thing though. If your garage is heated,, then the metal on your car would be about room temp. So........ you should have dropped your joints in the deep freeze over night and pressed them in freezing cold. It would or could have helped along with preheating the arm. Metal shrinks when it gets cold and expands when heated. This is the way you do a ring gear on a manual flywheel(toss the ring gear in or over a direct fire and have the flywheel ice cold. it just about drops right on like figging majic.
And why the heck did you take the spring out??????????
Oh well,,lol.
Quote from: jcassity;253506
taking the spring out changes everything. You just lost your natural press assistant.
Leme revamp part 2 of the steps from earlier to include this unexpected variable.
Install Balljoint-do not install zerk fitting yet -place balljoint in hole and tap into place getting it centered lined up. dont be a panty wuss, just a few good hard strikes on opposite sides alternating will get it started. just feel and look at the "ball joint stop lip" keeping it from getting cantered one way or the other.
[COLOR="Red"]-Insert your spring back in place -jack up side of control arm until you feel presure [/COLOR]
-center block of wood with small / thick metal shim under ball joint. -lower arm till ball joint bottom makes contact with shim only when jack is removed. [COLOR="Red"]-insert a jack stand along either side of control arm as a safety catch[/COLOR] -using hand sledge, beat on outter most part of control arm. you are beating the arm down over the ball joint. [COLOR="red"]-alternate beatings in different areas of control arm to assist in centering the presure of your hammer.[/COLOR] -inspect to see progres and repeat above process. -you will see the ball joint "stop lip" gap decreasing as it seats. -once satisfied the ball joint is in, you might have a 1/16'' gap between the control arm and the ball joint "stop lip". -install ball joint boot making sure it snaps all the way around -grab spindal assembly and lift up and set on ball joint stud. -install nut and tighten -remove wood block -beat on bottom of ball joint a couple more times -check ball joint nut again -install zerk fitting and grease till you feel/see the boot swell -the rest is reverse order on the rotor,caliper and tie rod end. -remember to debur tie rod end stud / nut and test fit tie rod end nut prior to putting it on.
Quote from: jcassity;253507
remember, the thing isnt going to seat 100% unless you pull the arms and get it under a real press. when mine are done, there is about a 1/16'' gap. over time, they settle and seat themselves due to simply driving. THis is one of those situations where size matters,,,,,and in my opinion, the psi reqired to press the joints in exceed that of most of your common off the shelf c clamp presses. If i run into one that has like 20 or more threads per inch on the threaded rod, thats probably going to be the one that lasts a man the longest and does the job right because from what i see out there, this round stock probably only has like 12-14 threads per inch which sux ass berries.
the only way your going to get the gap 100% closed is to hone out the a-arm hole just a little bit. (no i didnt suggest this nor do i think its a good idea-very bad idea, just simply stating facts)
If you are considering removing the A arm,, please note what you will need to do on both bolts or your dropping the rack as well. Or, just ignore this. Cut off a portion of the pan head bolt after you get the nut off the rear. Now your bolt slides off and out easy granted you have already yanked the dust boot off the rack and up the inner a decent distance.
I think I'm going to take your advice and just take off the A-arms and have them pressed in. I've been farting around with these things too long now its time to move on. Thanks for the response Scott
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: blu84302 on January 25, 2009, 08:57:23 AM
One of my biggest battles ever with a T-bird was removing an a-arm bolt. It was the last bolt and boy was it a SOB!
Good luck, use lots of heat and an impact.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Bob on January 26, 2009, 06:16:35 PM
Quote from: blu84302;253520
One of my biggest battles ever with a T-bird was removing an a-arm bolt. It was the last bolt and boy was it a SOB!
Good luck, use lots of heat and an impact.
The a-arms came right out no problem, lets just say when I brought them to my buddys place we all had a nice laugh about it.
I totally missed the fact that the edge is part of the a-arm and not the balljoint. You guys must think I'm smoking something over here LOL.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT THEY ARE IN COMPLETLY! LOL:mad: :mad: :punchballs: :punchballs: :punchballs: I TOOK THEM OFF FOR NO REASON!! HAHAHAHA
That explains why the c-clamp was bending LOL. Well I hope someone else learns from this... I did.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: blu84302 on January 26, 2009, 06:21:02 PM
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: jcassity on January 26, 2009, 07:59:01 PM
f'n crazy. I stared at that earlier pic of the ball joint and wondered why there was so much rust on the side. I wrote it off as perhaps it was a bunch of grease instead because you had it all over the ball joint. Apparently it was an illusion to me as well.
Sorry
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Chuck W on January 26, 2009, 10:07:04 PM
Quote from: Bob;253742
The a-arms came right out no problem, lets just say when I brought them to my buddys place we all had a nice laugh about it.
I totally missed the fact that the edge is part of the a-arm and not the balljoint. You guys must think I'm smoking something over here LOL.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT THEY ARE IN COMPLETLY! LOL:mad: :mad: :punchballs: :punchballs: :punchballs: I TOOK THEM OFF FOR NO REASON!! HAHAHAHA
That explains why the c-clamp was bending LOL. Well I hope someone else learns from this... I did.
:hick: I was just going to say that looking at that pic, they were in all the way. I've had nil issues with using the c-clamp on mine.
Title: How to use balljoint press? **update, there in!! LOL**
Post by: Bob on January 26, 2009, 11:50:28 PM
LOL where were you on Saturday :( I'm just glad the a-arms came off very easy. I read cougar5.0 threads about his trouble with removing them.. if I went through all of that for nothing I would be pissed.