bottom ball joints, HELP

[jessewebb]

Hi All, I'm in the process of replacing my ball joints in my 69 C/10. I have all my parts, Have everything loose. I know that I have to get rid of the rivets in the top.... how do I get the bottom ball joint out. I'm hoping I can do it without having to take the thing somewhere to have it pressed out, then have the new one pressed back in... It looks like thats what I'm going to have to do. UNLESS,,, someone can HELP me Please

[STOCKISH]

You can knock it out the bottom of the control arm with a hammer. Might be a little tough but they will give up once you smack them a few times!

[jessewebb]

Thanks a million, figured I had ran into a wall. Never hurts to ask...Thanks

[70longbed]

your best bet is using a ball joint press. there are some parts stores that loan them out.

[ctpchevy]

well i have found to get them out so u can clean the arms up before you have the others pressed in just lay the arm on something solid with the bottom of the ball joint hanging over the edge i found a curb works great lol but smack the top of the joint with a sledge hammer and it should pop free but you do have to have the new ones pressed back in

[jessewebb]

Guess I better call some parts stores first thing in the morning. I was hoping I could just knock them out and get it started back and pull it up with a inpact wrench. Didn't want to remove the a-arm.. Thanks for the info

[Hubscrub]

Originally Posted by jessewebb

Guess I better call some parts stores first thing in the morning. I was hoping I could just knock them out and get it started back and pull it up with a inpact wrench. Didn't want to remove the a-arm.. Thanks for the info

you can do it with them in the truck with a big hammer, place a jack or something under the a-arm with ball joint end open and whack it. As for the new ones whack them in also. The last ones i did i left the spring in and shock attached with a jack under the a-arm/and i have removed the lower arm too before but still always used a big hammer.

[jessewebb]

I'll give it a try. Don't have a very big hammer, got a good swing though

[Olds-kewl]

Jess I don't if this will help or not. I just replaced my upper and lower ball
joints in my 68, I drove the lowers out with a hammer and to put them back in I set them in the Freezer overnight and then set them in place and tap them back in. Of course the proper way is to have them pressed in but I don't think the way I did it hurt anything.

[hugger6933]

The ball joint press that I have is portable and you do not have to remove the a-arm to use it. You should try to find a loan or rental program somewhere that has one. Jim

[bigsnookmaster]

Originally Posted by Olds-kewl

Jess I don't if this will help or not. I just replaced my upper and lower ball
joints in my 68, I drove the lowers out with a hammer and to put them back in I set them in the Freezer overnight and then set them in place and tap them back in. Of course the proper way is to have them pressed in but I don't think the way I did it hurt anything.

I've never heard of doing ball joints this way, but it works with other things, so why not. Good idea. I always used to jack up the lower control arm, and placing something solid under the new ball joint, then smacking the arm to put the ball joint in place. I would try the freezer method, and maybe heat the arm a bit to make it easier. Good luck

[Jeffs70]

I used BFH and after about a few hits they popped out really nicely. putting the new ones in I put some bearing grease around the edge and held it in place and tapped it with the BFH and it went right in.

[Tmwoodall]

FYI, if you find my thread on this exact subject I spent a whole day trying to dissamble just the passenger side and a about an hour trying to get the upper driver out, to no avail.

I was using a standard claw hammer and it was just beating up the studs. I then went and replaced my newly lost 4# mini sledge, literally two wacks and both upper and lowers popped out. (This after having spent an hour just trying to get the upper out to see it not move a cm.

Moral of the story: The hammer needs some weight on it.

[jessewebb]

Well, used the BFH method. worked rather well. However I did soak it down with WD-40 and left it overnight. Put the new one in, put a bottle jack under it, put pressure on it, used the BFH and tapped alittle on the a-arm, went right back in place. Grinded off the rivets on the top, banged on it, got it out. Bolted the other one in and S%@T... Wrong ones. So I'm off to the parts store.. Dang I hate to order a part, happens everytime I try to shave a couple dollars off.. Should have went to NAPA to start with, could have had it done a week ago, Instead of waiting on the mail.. Oh Well.. Thanks for all the advice, Wouldn't have even started it without you guys..

[BIGBLU 72]

i did mine with the LCAs in the truck with a ball joingt dress from AZ took me about 30 mins for both sides

[Shyguy]

Harbor Freight sells a press that can be used for lower ball joints and u-joints. I bought one a couple of years ago and it works ok.

[jessewebb]

Finially got it finished. Bigger job than I thought. I'm not exactly sure I put the right ones back in it though. The new ones wasn't as long as the old ones. the old ones had more threads on them. I went to 3 different places, none of them would go through the spindle far enough to get a full nut on the ball joint. tightened one up so tight it stripped the threads. I don't know run it and retighten them I guess...

[Jeffs70]

Originally Posted by jessewebb

Finially got it finished. Bigger job than I thought. I'm not exactly sure I put the right ones back in it though. The new ones wasn't as long as the old ones. the old ones had more threads on them. I went to 3 different places, none of them would go through the spindle far enough to get a full nut on the ball joint. tightened one up so tight it stripped the threads. I don't know run it and retighten them I guess...

make sure the taper on the ball joint matches the one in the spindle. I took mine and placed it in the spindle first to make sure it looked correct.

[jessewebb]

They fit and match up perfect. There just not as long as the old ones. There's more threads on the old ones. I can't get enough nut on it to get the cotter pin through...Don't know why there so short, I checked different places. All were the same length, I don't know what the problem is