Ok, either advanced are dumb, or I am...

[charx2]

In the process of putting my truck back together and I had to replace my D.S. upper ball joint. So I went to Advanced and took mine up there. (My truck is like a 67, 69 and 80's model) I compared my ball joint to the one they brought me and it looked about right to the eye. So today I tried to install it and it seems as if either the shaft is to big, or I am supposed to beat the ever living hell out of it to make it seat right. I tried tightening it with the nut but it seems as if I'm going to strip the thread because of the strenght I have to put into it. I also tried beating the upper control are down a bit to see if it would seat it but no luck. It sits with about a 1/2" or so of shaft exposed. Is it supposed to be extremely tight like that? Kinda like a wheel stud is? I've never installed a ball joint so I just don't want to cause any more $ to fly out my pocket then already has. I did a search and could not really locate anything on this, so I'm guessing either I have to beat it in, or rent a tool(if possible) or I was given the wrong ball joint! Thanks guys, without you all I would never of been able to start my learning project!

Edit * LMAO ok I'm dumb, it's not "either advanced are dumb" it's "either advanced is dumb", lol

[ed2552]

Sounds like you have the wrong piece. It should pop in relatively easily, and tighten down.

[charx2]

Damnit!!! I bought it like 3 weeks ago and I'm pretty sure I no longer have the receipt. Makes me want to punch that guy in the face because he was so cocky about how much he knew. "I'm 100% positive that that's what your looking for, I've been doing this for a long time". What a douche!

[ed2552]

I had a guy like that at our local Advance too. He either got fired or quit, he hasn't been there in a year.

[dwcsr]

Depending on what year you have the upper joints are different. Sounds like they gave you the newer joint and you need the earlier. the moog part number for 67-70 is K6024, 71&72 is K6124. The the K6024 is thinner and will fall further into the hole

[charx2]

Well, I'm not sure what year the control arms are for, the PO put the tubed strong arms on it, but he also converted to disc up front from what I believe to be 73+. I just replaced my x-member with one from a 69 and my truck is a 67.

[dwcsr]

Whats the part number for the joint you got?

[charx2]

Man, it was 3 weeks ago and the box got wet so I threw it out. Maybe there is a pn on it, I'll check in the tomorrow and post if so.

[RW71]

Did you beat the new one up? if not go buy the right one use the box and receipt to take the first one back and get your money back. Take that you cocky!

[JHT67]

Those parts houses usually take your name and #, they should know when you bought it. Good luck.

[ERASER5]

I remember your "I hate you" pictures and I looked at your build thread.

Crossmember makes no difference.

The tube UCA and the spindle make all the difference.

Is the spindle aftermarket too? The taper changed from 70 to 71, so you need to know.

A call to Ride Tech might help.

Looking up Strong Arm I only found '71-'72 so that might help.

http://www.ridetech.com/shop/suspens...ont-upper.html

[67chevy1series]

well i got done replacing my ball joints not to long ago i went with moog andd they went in very nice and are holding up fine my advice sell the ball joint for as much as you ca get then go buy a new one and if the guy says anyhting tell him ''im the one with the truck not you jack@$$'' if he gives you **** call another emplyoee to help you and if he acts stupid then call the boss out its your truck you didnt have to go to advanced you coulda went any where else but no you went there and they should give you respect because of it any ways nice truck as soon as you can get it on the road it should be a nice truck i like 67s the best sorry for the long post

[OhioDan]

Replaced mine not long ago. Up to '70, won't work if you converted to disc. You'll have to get a '71 and newer ball joint. Don't have the numbers handy. Sorry.

[70STOVEBOLT]

What he said. It's your responsibility to know the application, it's the parts guy's responsibility to get you the right parts for that application. What I usually do to avoid getting the wrong parts is get on the internet and look 'em up myself, that way I only have myself to blame if the part is wrong. Just my .02

[71 super]

The problem is your mix of parts. The control arms are basically the same,later ball joints will fit into the holes made in the control arms but as said earlier the ball joint shaft size changed in 71, which is why 71 up can use the same spindle as a 73 up. The tubular control arms are prob. modeled after the 71- up model, but what spindles do you have? If you do not know it is a crap shoot at best, as is his choice of parts for your collection of parts. I realize that you bought the truck and are trying to fix the destruction that has been done, but getting mad at the counterman for not knowing what you have is misplaced at best. Call the previous owner and ask him what the crap he used or trash it all and get parts that you know the origin of, it is the only way you will be able to avoid this in the future. I am not totally defending the counterman, but I have been on the other side of the counter in both mom and pop stores and the dealership and people really expect you to know what they have when they dont even know, due to lack of experience or because of a collection of parts. Go back to the store you bought the joint at, they would have placed the transaction in the computer they have to in order to honor the warrenty, look up the part number they gave you, and move forward in the elimination process. For the record, if you have to replace the tierods, you are going to have an even harder time as you will have three choices and sizes to work with, and it will depend on what center link you have as well as the spindles. Good luck.

[charx2]

You guys are right, but I was not really blaming him for giving me the wrong part because I know he was not resposible, it's just the way he acted is all that pissed me off, especially after it was the wrong part ya know? I guess I will just shoot my dice and try a 71 next, and I did buy some inner and outer tie rods but thank god I still have the reciept for them. I think the spindles are stock from ? year. I will take some good pictures when I get home and maybe someone can help me identify them? i think they are actually from a 73+ because when I got the truck, 2 studs broke off the rotor because the PO used locknut washers behind the lugs and they loosened and broke. Well when I took the rotor in to try to find a replacement, the guy pulled one for a 85 chevy truck I think and that's what fit. Still trying to sort this truck out, probably would of been easier to buy a junker out of a junk yard and fix then try to figure out what the PO did to this one. It's rough, especially for someone's first project! Thanks everyone for all your help though, you guys do indeed rock!

[71meangreenc10]

John,
I just checked Autozone and they show a 84-85-86 Chevy Blazer 4x4 6.2L. Thats what I used when I went shopping. The parts for the most part are still active in our system so if you are stuck I can get you the part number and most of the time the phone number of who supplies it.

I still have all the manuals for these trucks to, the service initially started selling these things off like mad in the 90's, but they did raise the limits on them and are trying to keep what is serviceable around for special projects.

Smitty

[junkyardjohn]

Originally Posted by 71meangreenc10

John,
I just checked Autozone and they show a 84-85-86 Chevy Blazer 4x4 6.2L. Thats what I used when I went shopping. The parts for the most part are still active in our system so if you are stuck I can get you the part number and most of the time the phone number of who supplies it.

I still have all the manuals for these trucks to, the service initially started selling these things off like mad in the 90's, but they did raise the limits on them and are trying to keep what is serviceable around for special projects.

Smitty

THANKS.... I APPRECIATE THAT. G.M. DID INDEED MAKE DIESEL BLAZERS FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT THEY NEVER OFFERED A 3/4 TON MODEL FOR THE CIVILIAN MARKET. EVEN THIER DIESELS WERE 1/2 TON RATED. THERES AN AWFUL LOT OF SURPLUS PARTS FOR THESE. IF YOU THINK THEY WERE SELLING ALOT OF THEM IN THE NINTIES.... YOU WON'T BELIEVE HOW THE G.S.A. IS SELLING EM OFF, & ALL THE NOS SURPLUS PARTS FOR THEM RIGHT NOW. I GUESS THE G.S.A. IS HURTING FOR MONEY IN THIS NASTY ECONOMY TOO. JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE I KNOW.. JOHN

[BluTrukker]

Off topic for the original post, sorry. The Army reserve is currently trying to eliminate all of the remaining CUCV's from their inventory. (good news if your looking to buy one) We have been directed to use them until they breakdown, then if it is more than a simple repair, they will go to auction. You wouldn't believe how many of these trucks are still in use. Units have been holding on to them with an iron grip. But now the army said enough is enough and we have to get rid of them.

[charx2]

Ok, so here is the deal. I went back yesterday and talked to the douche, I originally thought I had ordered a 67 but it turns out I did order a 71. Here is the kicker, their systems shows the same exact picture and pn for 67-72, but when I ordered them and had them go get it to look at it, it was not the one in the picture, it was the same one they gave me! I ended ordering a Moog for a 71 and I think that's the right one, we will see later when I put it on. I guess their OE brand is just garbage and completely wrong. Also, I tried to order replacement brake hoses for a 71, and none of them fit so I went to a 73+, no luck either. So then i was stumped, so I decided to go to o'rielys (or however it's spelled). They had the exact brake hoses I brought in to compare and they showed them as a 71!!! Advanced system is outdated or just plain wrong I think. Next fiasco will be when I try to replace the inner and outer tie rods! Also getting the 71 brake lines to mount in a 69 x-member should be fun too! Thanks guys for all your help again.

[charx2]

And 1 more thing, I should of know something was wrong with the other ball joint because for 1 it did not look like the one I took off, and for 2 it was metric! I was thinking that because it was made it china that maybe they had changed some things but it was still "the same". Not even close.

[swierker]

Getting the wrong part is frustrating. I had a similar but different experience. I ordered a rear drum brake adjuster kit online from o'rielys because none of the local parts stores had them. I got the left and right in the mail with the correct part numbers on the box. When I opened them they were a completely different part! both left and right (different part #'s). I called them and the first guy told me that it what should be in the kit. Unsatisfied, I called again and got a different guy. I told him the story and he did some looking and told me to look at another part number online so he could get an idea of what I had. It turns out that I got a chrysler/ford adjuster kit in the box marked for the chevy part?!? Go figure that one. I could understand one being mislabled box but two?

He told me to return in and buy the part from another parts place, not orieley's haha He didn't want me to send it back and get the wrong part again. So I ended up getting the kit from Advance.

[charx2]

Went into advance and ordered inner and outer tie rods, they should be in tomorrow so hopefully they will fit. Ordered them for a 71 so we will see. I like the guys in advanced except for the one guy who is a complete douche bag, not only is he cocky and thinks he knows it all, but he always sighs when I ask for something or to look something up, like I'm wasting his time. The other guys and gals are cool as hell, they give me stuff for free when it's something small and I don't need like a whole kit. I go in there at least 3 times a week, they know me by name. That one guy needs a good slap in the mouth though.

[smallblockchev]

I have a 71 chev but when I changed the tie rods I had to get tie rods for a 70

[charx2]

Originally Posted by smallblockchev

I have a 71 chev but when I changed the tie rods I had to get tie rods for a 70

Well, that's what I will try next if the 71 don't fit i guess. What exactly did they not fit? The steering knuckle on the spindle or the power steering/pitman arm?