ball joint help

[Summit925]

im looking at doing my upper ball joints this weekend i have been searching this site and found out alot of info, how ever every thing i read on it people seem to just use the socket and impact or alot of leverage, now in my FSM it says i need chysler tool c-3711 to apply pressre and hit with a hammer to losen the stud??? it looks like a bolt on top of a stud with a longer nut on the bottom, is this nessary or can i get away with just the socket?

[Jim_Lusk]

You need the socket, but before you unscrew the ball joint you need to separate the ball joint and spindle. I have had good results from just hitting the top of the spindle with a 3lb hammer AFTER the nut is removed.

[Summit925]

allright doesnt seem to hard to do, thanks for the help    just need a BFH

[Summit925]

how much more work is it to do the lowers while i am in there?

[william]

Removing the ball joint from the knuckle is the easy part, the ball joint screws into the upper control arm
and it will be very tight,  you will need the factory style ball joint scoket for this  . Depending on the year the lower ball joint will bolt in (easy) or press in, you will need a ball joint press for this .I hope this helps.

[Summit925]

yeah, the uppers seam easy i was just thinking about doing the lowers once i was in there goofin around, my fsm says i need the press, when i talked to the "parts specialist" at the bumper to bumper they said it was like a hole assembly not just the ball joint, thanks for the help now i just hope i dont break nothing 

[Tom1951]

I'm pretty sure the stock lower joints are screw in too.. Were are you located?

[Jim_Lusk]

The lowers unbolt from the spindles and have a tapered stud into the lower control arm. Same big hammer to remove them.

[abodyjoe]

hopefully these pictures will help...









  the arrows point to the lower ball joint bolts...




[attachment deleted by admin]

[Summit925]

allright sweet! those pics help alot, im in hastings minnesota its like 30 min south of the twin cities

[Jim_Lusk]

Joe, those pictures REALLY help. I won't complain as much about where I have to work on my cars.

[Summit925]

so im about ready to hit something  i called napa and the told me that he cant get anything that goes back that far?! he asked if i wanted a 4wd hub wrench for a dana 44!! i called orielys and i guess they never made a socket and the checker said if i can get a size he might be able to help me so what is the size for the 73 and later upper ??

[abodyjoe]

I won't complain as much about where I have to work on my cars.

  ....   man it sucks being in the stones...  been raining the last couple days...  was decent thismorning so i started putting the drivers side together and then the down pour started and hasn't stopped....

[abodyjoe]

so im about ready to hit something i called napa and the told me that he cant get anything that goes back that far?! he asked if i wanted a 4wd hub wrench for a dana 44!! i called orielys and i guess they never made a socket and the checker said if i can get a size he might be able to help me so what is the size for the 73 and later upper ??

  just suspension sells the socket....

  my local napa has a machine shop downstairs and that guy has both sockets so i just get him to intstall the ball joints for me...

[Summit925]

yeah i need this socket for this weekend im at school and i only get to work on my car durring the weekend and i have to go to the drags the weekend after this, what i have found is that it might be 1- 15/16 is that right??

[demon340v]

I won't complain as much about where I have to work on my cars.

  ....   man it sucks being in the stones...  been raining the last couple days...  was decent thismorning so i started putting the drivers side together and then the down pour started and hasn't stopped....

been there done that and yeah still doing it!

[abodyjoe]

yeah i need this socket for this weekend im at school and i only get to work on my car durring the weekend

  oh ok...  sorry my bad...     i have a friend that uses a pipe wrench to get them in and out...

[Summit925]

its ok, ive heard that from some one else too maybe i will have to look in to that, i am about ready to choke some parts people! no one can even get them i think they are just getting sick of looking for things and filling me full of  bs

[Tom1951]

Greg Z at www.magnumhp.com carrys them too.

[abodyjoe]

i am about ready to choke some parts people! no one can even get them i think they are just getting sick of looking for things and filling me full of  bs

  really . no one can get them...    my local pep boys and advanced auto can get them with no problem..  may have to wait a day or two but they can get themm..

[Summit925]

i found one! i printed off a picture and took it to them and then sat there to look though all the books to find one and they even can get it in today! i think it comes down to lazyness and not wanting to look though the books but thank you all for your help

[mopowers]

yeah, those autoparts store workers are worthless.  At the Autozone I go to, all they hire is mostly mexican women who don't know a thing about car parts.  I don't have any issues with mexicans or women for that matter.  I just can't stand when places hire people who can't do the job.

[mischiefdart]

I have found that moog has about the highest quality chassis parts out there. There is a list of all the part numbers for front end components in the tech pages on this site. check it out.

[Tom1951]

Not to highjack this thread but if any left coast members need a socket I have both sizes and you can borrow them for shipping only.

[DartKnight]

yeah, those autoparts store workers are worthless.  At the Autozone I go to, all they hire is mostly mexican women who don't know a thing about car parts.  I don't have any issues with mexicans or women for that matter.  I just can't stand when places hire people who can't do the job.

This is why I just quit my job (Autozone) three days ago, after 7 wasted, underpaid, overworked years of busting my ass for them. I've never quit a job without having a backup plan or second job waiting on the side, but I just couldn't stand it anymore. You get kind of worn out when you are trying to help your customer AND the other two guys' customers because your "co-workers" have no freaking idea how a carburetor works or why the computer isn't showing an HEI distributor for a 68 Camaro. And yes, they are all way too lazy and/or retarded to even think of looking in a catalog if the almighty computer tells them "not available".

Sorry for the slightly off-topic rant, but I just had to get that out. 

[Summit925]

hey thanks all for the help one side went easier then i would of thought, the other side is bad i have to get a hole new upper arm now oops! rounded out the socket even with a tourch so now i have a new upper control arm

[b569rr]

Don't give up yet. Weld a nut on top of the ball joint, like a 7/8". Use a conventional socket and 3/4" breaker bar or impact gun on this nut. Seemed like I could get better leverage with the smaller socket. This happened to me and I got it out. UCA was OK also.

Tom