The Top Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 Resource

Join the best E39A 1991-1992 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 community and document your GVR4 journey.

  • Software Upgraded - Reset Your Password to Login
    In order to log in after the forum software change, you need to reset your password. If you don't have access to the email address you used to register your GVR4.org account, you won't be able to reset your password. In that case, follow the instructions here to regain access to the forum.

Ball Joint

mooserage

Staff member
Joined
May 17, 2004
Messages
1,293
Location
Seattle, WA
Going to change out my front ball joint for the first time this weekend. Any helpful advice for someone who has never done this before? I am assuming I just raise the car and undo the nut on top of the ball joint.... then just press out the old and in the new. Thanks for any help guys.
-shamus
 

a2vr4

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 13, 2005
Messages
1,546
Location
Ann Arbor MI
Buy a moog(brand) grease-able ball joint, and add grease at every/ every other oil change. take you time and look for anything else that might need replacement/ refurbishment.
~Brian

Edited: 4 am... beer... yeah sorry eh?
~Brian
 
Last edited:

CP

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2004
Messages
8,938
Location
West Simsbury, CT
Do a search here. I remember something about having to whack the crap out of it to get it to come out. Sounds like you may have a press though...
 

spooling92vr4

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
2,511
Location
long island, NY
Quote:
count threads or mark the location of the old one, so sh*t isn't completely out of wack, you might still want an alignment, but this might save you some time and money. Buy a moog(brand) grease-able ball joint, and add grease at every/ every other oil change. take you time and look for anything else that might need replacement/ refurbishment.
~Brian



no need to count threads for a ball joint, you really only do that for tierods. they are held in by C clips so make sure you get the proper lockring pliers to take them out.. then they should press out fairly easily.. press the new ones in, use the new lockrings and your set if they fall out, see if the new ones slide in just as easy, if they do i would think about getting new control arms. Not a big deal to do all in all though.
 

ken inn

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 23, 2001
Messages
7,529
Location
krum texas
Quote:
count threads or mark the location of the old one, so sh*t isn't completely out of wack, you might still want an alignment, but this might save you some time and money. Buy a moog(brand) grease-able ball joint, and add grease at every/ every other oil change. take you time and look for anything else that might need replacement/ refurbishment.
~Brian



that's a tie rod end. a ball joint is attached to the bottom of the strut assembly. and, it AINT a lickem and stickem deal. there is a mondo c clip you gotta remove, then that sucker is really ON there. dunno if it can be done on the car. i think you gotta pull the arm and press it out/in. watch out for buttco brand ball joints. personally, i dont like the joints with the fitting for grease. all that i have seen that have the fitting are buttco. one thing to look for is heat treated threads that are cold rolled. they will be very dark colored, and you will see a dimple in the top. some of the buttco manufacturers have figgered this out, and will make a dimple at the top with a drill, but it will not be centered. then, they will heat the metal, and you will see burn marks. but the heat treated cold rolled threads just cant be copied.
 

a2vr4

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 13, 2005
Messages
1,546
Location
Ann Arbor MI
my bad. 4 am mistake. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
~Brian
 

a2vr4

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 13, 2005
Messages
1,546
Location
Ann Arbor MI
Quote:
Quote:
Buy a moog(brand)


I don't agree.



what would you recommend? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
~Brian
 

poppin3000

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 16, 2006
Messages
319
Location
bay area, ca
I'm sure you know this but just incase...

use a pickle fork obviously, but save yourself about 40 minutes and use a cheater bar on top of the pickle fork. (just use a pipe to give you extra leverage).

edit: this is to remove the ball joint
 
Last edited:

Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Buy a moog(brand)


I don't agree.



what would you recommend? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
~Brian


To be VERY clear, I'm not bashing Moog at ALL. A Moog joint will most likely be completely fine, but I would suggest something with with a full ball design as opposed to a gusher.
 

Polish

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 10, 2005
Messages
8,936
Location
NE, IN
What brands would those be?

I just put on TRW Ball joints and Moog Tie rod ends a few months back. They seem ok but I hardly drive the car.
 
Last edited:

ken inn

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 23, 2001
Messages
7,529
Location
krum texas
Quote:
hat brands would those be?

I just put on TRW Ball joints and Moog Tie rod ends a few months back. They seem ok but I hardly drive the car.



be careful. some name brands aint what they used to be. check for country of orgin. trw used to be top notch, oem supplier to bmw, mercedes, yada, yada. iirc, they got bought up by the federal mogul group, then resold. i know there is another branch of trw called gold wing, and although it is trw, the stuff is made in third world countries and reboxed. lots of times, the box is the only thing made by the company. again, look at the part. stuff like ball joints MUST be heat treated for strength. heat treating(the REAL heat treating process) and rolled threads are way more expensive to do, so the cheap buttco parts wont have them. countries like india, taiwan, korea, dont have no copyright laws. can we get one of them gremlins that looks like a butt for me to use?
 

Dan D

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 27, 2001
Messages
1,171
Location
Brownsburg, IN
Good Info - maybe that's why my Durango's Ball Joints keep failing - either that or Daimler Chrysler can't design a ball joint worth a damn??
 

TWEAKD4

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2002
Messages
605
Location
Fort Wayne, IN
Quote:
Quote:
hat brands would those be?

I just put on TRW Ball joints and Moog Tie rod ends a few months back. They seem ok but I hardly drive the car.



be careful. some name brands aint what they used to be. check for country of orgin. trw used to be top notch, oem supplier to bmw, mercedes, yada, yada. iirc, they got bought up by the federal mogul group, then resold. i know there is another branch of trw called gold wing, and although it is trw, the stuff is made in third world countries and reboxed. lots of times, the box is the only thing made by the company. again, look at the part. stuff like ball joints MUST be heat treated for strength. heat treating(the REAL heat treating process) and rolled threads are way more expensive to do, so the cheap buttco parts wont have them. countries like india, taiwan, korea, dont have no copyright laws. can we get one of them gremlins that looks like a butt for me to use?



I bought Spicer brand which I have heard was good but when I opened the package it said it was made in Korea or some third world country. In the same purchase I bought Spicer ball joints for my 95 K1500 and they were made in USA.
 

DR1665

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2005
Messages
4,642
Location
Iowa City, IA
I've got a greasable Moog on one side and a Checker brand on the other. If anything, we've got a bet on how long it takes for me to shear the zerk off the Moog. Otherwise, I'm not overly concerned about them. I hope to be picking up a real suspension system within a year, so these should be good.

We replaced them on the car, but it was on a lift. You really need some leverage to get these bastards to cooperate.
 

mooserage

Staff member
Joined
May 17, 2004
Messages
1,293
Location
Seattle, WA
Hey thanks for all the info guys. I checked out the stuff I bought and it is made in the us, threw away the box, but I think it was black/blue /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
Anyway, I do have a ball joint press, so I am going to give this a shot, I'll let you know if I fail /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Thanks,
-shamus
 

Rausch

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 21, 2004
Messages
12,049
Location
Cleveland, OH
i did mine on the car. it's not too bad. the C clip is important, get that thing outta there. mine were original, so the clips just snapped and came out. the press will make it WAY easier. just clean everything up real well before reinstalling the ball joints. i had some minor fitment issues with all the crud from the deceased ball joits. oh, and mind the boots, they tear pretty easy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 

tpr103

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
466
Location
howell, nj
best advice i can give for any work on any car! make sure fridge is stocked with beer!!!!!
 

I'm doing my ball joints right now, and there don't appear to be any C-Clips on them. The new ones DO have them, however. The instructions with the new ones also point out that not all designs will use c-clips.

Chris
 
Support Vendors who Support the GVR-4 Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned

Recent Forum Posts

Top