Rausch
Well-known member
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Ball Joint
- Thread startermooserage
- Start date
s_firestone
Well-known member
I bought and used the 3-IN-1 BALL JOINT/U-JOINT/C-FRAME PRESS SERVICE KIT from Harbor Freight, which has the press and adapters. It worked really well on both the ball joints and tie rod ends without damaging anything(which is always a plus). It's beefy steel(Think C-Clamp on steroids) and should be stocked in the actual retail Harbor Freight stores (was in mine).
ken inn
Well-known member
i bought the factory tool from otc. cost me 200 bucks. slicker n' sh*t. looks like forged steel, with really long, thin jaws. works on other cars, too. which is a good thing, since i no longer have the galant.
CP
Well-known member
I just got my four new ball joints from JNZ. They're $37.50 each, and the part number is MB241883.
The circlip doesn't have any holes in it to stick a tool into, so I assume I should just pry it open to slip over the ball joint once it's installed in the control arm?
Still waiting on the pickle sniffer from Harbor Freight (already got the ball joint press/kit), and will be tackling this project some night later this week. Gonna be doing all four ball joints, bushings in the front control arms, and re-mounting my front camber plates.
The circlip doesn't have any holes in it to stick a tool into, so I assume I should just pry it open to slip over the ball joint once it's installed in the control arm?
Still waiting on the pickle sniffer from Harbor Freight (already got the ball joint press/kit), and will be tackling this project some night later this week. Gonna be doing all four ball joints, bushings in the front control arms, and re-mounting my front camber plates.
BoostedAWD91
Well-known member
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?
yes there used to be a trw plant in town here that make automobile parts but they went out of business so i agree with ^^, be careful with what u buy, just because it has the brand name on it doesnt mean thats what ur getting
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?
yes there used to be a trw plant in town here that make automobile parts but they went out of business so i agree with ^^, be careful with what u buy, just because it has the brand name on it doesnt mean thats what ur getting
s_firestone
Well-known member
Quote:
I just got my four new ball joints from JNZ. They're $37.50 each, and the part number is MB241883.
The circlip doesn't have any holes in it to stick a tool into, so I assume I should just pry it open to slip over the ball joint once it's installed in the control arm?
Still waiting on the pickle sniffer from Harbor Freight (already got the ball joint press/kit), and will be tackling this project some night later this week. Gonna be doing all four ball joints, bushings in the front control arms, and re-mounting my front camber plates.
The circlip is a one use item, they make a pair of pliers specifically for them but you can use whatever works. You should be able to accomplish everything with the press kit(you may not even need the fork). As with all high torque screw based presses, clamps, pullers, etc I recommend greasing the screw with axle grease(especially if you ever use an impact wrench or hammer).
I don't know about the rear(yet), but yes you can pop the ball joint without taking apart the lower arm on the front.
For the front: You will have to unbolt the brakes, unbolt the strut, unbolt the axle nut, push the CV axle through and move it out of the way. Then take off the ball joint nut and ***don't forget to remove the existing clip***. You will have to remove the ABS sensor and dust shield nuts to get the clearance for the press(unless your using a pickle fork). I think thats it.
If you are replacing bushings in the lower control arms I would just remove it anyway. Don't forget to jack up the control arm to pre-load it) before tightening it.
There is no way to get a torque wrench into a couple of spots, just go by feel to get close to the listed factory values.
Are you replacing the tie-rod ends at the same time?
I just got my four new ball joints from JNZ. They're $37.50 each, and the part number is MB241883.
The circlip doesn't have any holes in it to stick a tool into, so I assume I should just pry it open to slip over the ball joint once it's installed in the control arm?
Still waiting on the pickle sniffer from Harbor Freight (already got the ball joint press/kit), and will be tackling this project some night later this week. Gonna be doing all four ball joints, bushings in the front control arms, and re-mounting my front camber plates.
The circlip is a one use item, they make a pair of pliers specifically for them but you can use whatever works. You should be able to accomplish everything with the press kit(you may not even need the fork). As with all high torque screw based presses, clamps, pullers, etc I recommend greasing the screw with axle grease(especially if you ever use an impact wrench or hammer).
I don't know about the rear(yet), but yes you can pop the ball joint without taking apart the lower arm on the front.
For the front: You will have to unbolt the brakes, unbolt the strut, unbolt the axle nut, push the CV axle through and move it out of the way. Then take off the ball joint nut and ***don't forget to remove the existing clip***. You will have to remove the ABS sensor and dust shield nuts to get the clearance for the press(unless your using a pickle fork). I think thats it.
If you are replacing bushings in the lower control arms I would just remove it anyway. Don't forget to jack up the control arm to pre-load it) before tightening it.
There is no way to get a torque wrench into a couple of spots, just go by feel to get close to the listed factory values.
Are you replacing the tie-rod ends at the same time?
CP
Well-known member
No tie rods ends this time. They look ok. Thanks for the info.
CP
Well-known member
I'm in the middle of this job right now. The hub is at NAPA getting a junked wheel bearing replaced as we speak. The old tie rod is off and inner rack boot replaced.
How do I access the circlip on top of the ball joint so that I can take it off? The bottom of the boot (which I have cut off) seems to have a metal base to it.
Here's the OEM replacement. I'm having doubts about getting the thing pressed in and then the snapring placed around it. I've got both the Harbor Freight ball joint press kit and pickle forks, but have never done this before.
How do I access the circlip on top of the ball joint so that I can take it off? The bottom of the boot (which I have cut off) seems to have a metal base to it.
Here's the OEM replacement. I'm having doubts about getting the thing pressed in and then the snapring placed around it. I've got both the Harbor Freight ball joint press kit and pickle forks, but have never done this before.
Rausch
Well-known member
you need to clean all the crap out from around the circlip. snap ring pliers are the best way to get at it, but if it's seized, you can get the edge up with something flat(medium screwdriver) and pry it up enough to get a grip on it. once you get that out of the way, press it out, and press the new one in, the new clip will be much easier to install than the old one was to get out.
CP
Well-known member
All set /ubbthreads/images//graemlins/grin.gif
Rausch
Well-known member
good deal mang!
I'm in the middle of doing a ball joint too. I had to quit for the day because I lost sunlight but I wrestled with it for a few hours. How do you get the damn ball joint bolt out of the hub. I was able to get the 19mm nut off the ball joint but I can't seem to get the ball joint end of the arm to drop to save my life. I am using a harbor freight pickle fork and I am torquing on that bitch until the steel handle starts to bend. I've pounded on the side of the arm near the ball joint with a hammer and I still can't get the effer loose. I don't have a socket to pull the axle so I can pound downward on it. Maybe I'll have to go get one tomorrow if no one else has any ideas. Does anyone know what size the axle nut is? Looks like a 31 or 32mm.
The rest of the arm came off the car relatively easily. Oh, and the boot on the old ball joint is now really messed up (most of it gone). I have new bushings and a new ball joint and I'm stuck.
-Josh
The rest of the arm came off the car relatively easily. Oh, and the boot on the old ball joint is now really messed up (most of it gone). I have new bushings and a new ball joint and I'm stuck.
-Josh
Last edited by a moderator:
Rausch
Well-known member
it's a 32mm for the axle nut. are you trying to get the hub seperated from the ball joint? hose it down with some PB blaster, and let it sit. it's probably seized up. just remember to get the circlip out before trying to get teh ball joint out of the arm. /ubbthreads/images//graemlins/wink.gif
if the arm is still connected, you can use a jack on the hub and raise it up a bunch, slide the fork in there, and pound down on the fork, as close to the joint as possible.
if the arm is still connected, you can use a jack on the hub and raise it up a bunch, slide the fork in there, and pound down on the fork, as close to the joint as possible.
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for the size info. I did hose it with PB blaster before I stopped for the day. I think I'm gonna go get a 32mm suck-it tomorrow and pull the hub off the axle. I was trying to avoid doing that but I don't think I have a choice.
Yeah, every time I've done it I've ruined the boot as well. Turns out all this time I was trying to use the pickle fork as a pry bar. A friend of mine is a mechanic and he informs me the correct way is to hammer the pickle fork in around the ball joint (not too hard) and then while applying tension to the fork wail away on the hub or arm with the hammer. The impact should break it loose enough that the tension supplied by the fork will pop it out. I seem to think he said to use a normal hammer, not a dead blow. An air hammer would also work, but don't use to small of a tip or you'll ruin the thing you're trying to get the balljoint out of.
CP
Well-known member
Pickle fork worked for me. I put an extension pipe on the end of the handle for more leverage. As stated above, I was told by a mechanic to apply pressure to the fork, while at the same time hitting the hub area around the ball joint stud with a hammer. The vibrations should cause it to loosen. Keep hosing it down with PB.
i will gonna add that you can rent a nice ball joint press from autozone for free...they just ask for a deposit...however now that i know harbor sells one for 30 dollars i may as well just buy one already
The harbor freight tool works well. I was at work and figured a vise would be easiest so I used the cups and the like from the HF tool and it pressed in perfectly.
-Josh
-Josh
Quote:
I'm in the middle of doing a ball joint too. I had to quit for the day because I lost sunlight but I wrestled with it for a few hours. How do you get the damn ball joint bolt out of the hub. I was able to get the 19mm nut off the ball joint but I can't seem to get the ball joint end of the arm to drop to save my life. I am using a harbor freight pickle fork and I am torquing on that bitch until the steel handle starts to bend. I've pounded on the side of the arm near the ball joint with a hammer and I still can't get the effer loose. I don't have a socket to pull the axle so I can pound downward on it. Maybe I'll have to go get one tomorrow if no one else has any ideas. Does anyone know what size the axle nut is? Looks like a 31 or 32mm.
The rest of the arm came off the car relatively easily. Oh, and the boot on the old ball joint is now really messed up (most of it gone). I have new bushings and a new ball joint and I'm stuck.
-Josh
You did remove the swaybar endlink right? /ubbthreads/images//graemlins/uhh.gif
I'm in the middle of doing a ball joint too. I had to quit for the day because I lost sunlight but I wrestled with it for a few hours. How do you get the damn ball joint bolt out of the hub. I was able to get the 19mm nut off the ball joint but I can't seem to get the ball joint end of the arm to drop to save my life. I am using a harbor freight pickle fork and I am torquing on that bitch until the steel handle starts to bend. I've pounded on the side of the arm near the ball joint with a hammer and I still can't get the effer loose. I don't have a socket to pull the axle so I can pound downward on it. Maybe I'll have to go get one tomorrow if no one else has any ideas. Does anyone know what size the axle nut is? Looks like a 31 or 32mm.
The rest of the arm came off the car relatively easily. Oh, and the boot on the old ball joint is now really messed up (most of it gone). I have new bushings and a new ball joint and I'm stuck.
-Josh
You did remove the swaybar endlink right? /ubbthreads/images//graemlins/uhh.gif
Yes. I finally got it out yesterday, I will post a pic or two of what it took tomorrow.
