Ball Joint

[CP]

BFHammer? I bought my first 3 pound sledge for the job /ubbthreads/images//graemlins/laugh.gif

 

Hammer did not work. I had to use my Harbor Freight ball joint press. The "ball" part of the joint was cut off with a grindwheel. Then, I cut a piece of steel tube just big enough to fit what was left of the bottom have of the bolt. I then used a steel plate on either end to cover the holes on the tool. The ball joint press was held in place by a vice while I used a breaker bar to really wrench down on that sucker. One of the steel plates has a significant dent from the bolt!!! It didn't pop out under all that pressure so I took a hammer and tapped the knuckle a little and it popped loose. I can't believe it took so much monkey business to get that thing off of there. I've never had this much trouble doing a ball joint.

 

[CP]

Trying to do the other side right now and I can't get the hub off the balljoint...





Also a question on the OEM ball joints. They come with 3 little dabs of grease on the top of the ball. Am I supposed to cover it with grease before I slide the boot on? If so, I'll be taking the other front side apart again, since I didn't add any grease to it last time /ubbthreads/images//graemlins/rolleyes.gif

 

[Rausch]

Get the jack under the hub, and off the control arm, jack it up enough that it pulls the control arm up a bit, put the castle nut back on the ball joint so it's almost flush, and whack that thing with a BFH.


as for the OEM lube....i'm really not sure, but more would not hurt anything...

 

[CP]

Goddam car /ubbthreads/images//graemlins/mad.gif Taking a break for the night. I'm gonna take the hub to NAPA to get a new wheel bearing pressed in whenever I get the thing off the car.

 

[Rausch]

srsly, just whack the MOFO. it'll solve that problem, and maybe make you feel a bit better as well.... /ubbthreads/images//graemlins/devil.gif

 

[CP]

I beat the hub for a few minutes with a 3# sledge all around where the shaft of the ball joint goes through it. No go. It's soaking in PB right now.

 

[G]

Quote:
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.



I just bought some trw sway bar links & they were made in japan. If a trw part is made in honduras or some sh*t, i'd take it back. They have plants all over.

 

Remove the jack, screw a nut down flush with surface of the ball joint stud and wack the heck out of it with a sledge.

Or use your pickle fork (if the fork is deep enough) and go all Thor on the end.

With ball joints, brute force wins the day.

 

[CP]

Got it. Gonna attempt to do the rears this weekend, as both boots are ripped.

 

How did you end up doing it? I had the exact same problem a few weeks ago and had to take the whole hub assembly off and use the ball join press kit from harbor freight. I had to cut throught the bolt shaft of the joint to separate the control arm from the hub and then use a plate of 1/4" steel and the press on the remainder. What a pain it was. I've done the ball joints before on this car and they popped right out.

-Josh

 

[CP]

Whacked the sh*t out of the hub while applying pressure to the pickle sniffer. That got the hub off the control arm. Then I used my Harbor Freight ball joint kit thingy to get the ball joint out, and the new one in. That corner should be back together tonight, and then I'll start on the rears.

This car is kicking my ass right now. I had the manifold off and the turbo out to get a snapped bolt removed last week. Re-wrapped the downpipe and exhaust manifold with heat wrap because the old stuff was falling off. Ball joints will hopefully all be replaced by the end of this weekend. Replacing the t-case with another one that just showed up to hopefully (but doubtfully) solve the driveline noise/slop issues that have been growing all summer. Next week will be the "get it ready for 6 track days," including changing the brake pads, brake fluid, oil and filter, spark plugs, and adding some antifreeze to the water in my colling system so it doesn't freeze and crack my radiator later this month. ^^^This is why I'm going to be driving a Miata at the track next year /ubbthreads/images//graemlins/mad.gif Prepping the Galant for track days is exhausting and I'm tired of it.

 

Resurrection: Seems like a good thread on ball joints in general, so I'll just add a question to it.

I'm replacing the ball joint boots while doing the front right half-shaft. I ordered the ball joint boot from jnz (part no: MB176047), and I'm wondering if I can lube the joint with standard blue multi-purpose grease, or if I should buy something else. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif