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Hey guys, you have probably heard this a lot, but how do you replace a ball joint. I just bought a new one and I have a press I rented out from auto zone, and now I just have to figure out how to remove it and put in the new one. Can someone please post instructions (and maybe some pics) to replace one ASAP, I have to do this in a couple of days. Are there any other tools or parts I need? I need to replace the drivers side (if that matters). Thanks!!!
This is how I do it, first I take off the control arm, second I take off the safety ring, third step is find a hammer and wack the old ball joint out should take a few blows to wack it out. Putting it in is just the opposite, hope this helps.
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I am very spastic with hammers. So I just use the autozone tool to take them out, and bring the arms to this shop down the block from me. The guy charges me $20, and has them back to me in 2-3 hours if he's not too busy.
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I've been pounding at the ball joint for an hour now and it won't come out of the control arm. I removed the snap ring and it hasn't moved a mm. I'm gonna try this tool, but I'm doubtful it'll work.
I first tried a hammer to get the ball joint out, but it didn't work for me either so I rented the autozone tool and it worked just fine.
use the balljoint press tool, either rent it from autozone or buy one for real cheap from harbor freight.com it worked like a champ. You just need a big breaker bar to make your life easier with the press.
Press the old one out and then with the proper size sleeve press the new one back in. For me getting the new one in, was harder than getting the old one out. I can take pictures of my tool and show you the set up I used this evening.
1. jack up car, remove wheel
2. remove cotter pin and loosen ball joint nut but dont remove it.
3. pop ball joint loose from knuckle. you can use a pickle fork or use scott higashi's trick
Place a 12mm wrench above the nut (between the balljoin nut and the axle carrier) then use a wrench the loosen the nut with the wrench between the nut and the carrier. Since the 12mm wrench keeps the balljoint nut in place, everyturn on the nut force the balljoint down which will eventually pop free if you keep wrenching. It will take some force but it will eventually pop and you wont have to worry about splitting the ball joint boot. In this case it doesnt matter.
4. remove control are pivot bolt (toward front of car).
5. remove control arm bushing bracket bolts (toward rear of car)
6. remove control arm. ( you may have to loosen the sway bar bushing bracket to get enough clearance to pull the control arm out
7. Use the ball joint press and go to work, pop old one out and pop new one back in.
Install is reverse of removal. Balljoints were alot easier to do than I thought. Do not attempt to replace the ball joints without removing the control arm, it is a complete PITA and will take longer.
remove cotter pin and loosen ball joint nut but dont remove it.
3. pop ball joint loose from knuckle. you can use a pickle fork or use scott higashi's trick
Place a 12mm wrench above the nut (between the balljoin nut and the axle carrier) then use a wrench the loosen the nut with the wrench between the nut and the carrier. Since the 12mm wrench keeps the balljoint nut in place, everyturn on the nut force the balljoint down which will eventually pop free if you keep wrenching. It will take some force but it will eventually pop and you wont have to worry about splitting the ball joint boot. In this case it doesnt matter.
i read step 3 a few times, but it confuses me, pictures anyone????
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Originally Posted by brooklyn nx
1: Dont give up 2: You need to get a job that pays a little better 3:Get a girlirfriend who supports your cause. I got 2 cars that need help and no steady work but that dont stop me from getting a little done at a time,If you love your car and love what you do youl get through it.
get under the car and take a look at the nut for the balljoint and its location and then that scott higashi trick will make sense. I used it, and it works flawlessly.
You not only have to take the nut off the balljoint, but you also have to pop the balljoint. The trick takes care of both issues, by jamming something above the nut to hold it in place, this way when the nut turns it forces the balljoint down instead of the nut coming up.
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heres a trick fo you. all you need is a big hammer and a large crow bar.
once you remove the nut on the ball joint, find a safe place to pry down on the control arm...try to get the crow bar as far towards the hub as possible (more leverage) now take the hammer and start to hit the hub where the tapperd portion of the ball joint enters the hub.........DO NOT HIT THE STAMPED CONTROL ARM. if you slip thats fine. but dont intentionaly slam the control arm. the hub is cast steel and wont get a scratch on it. a few solid whacks and the ball joint will pop right out of the hub.
you can do the same to tie rods
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Last edited by classicaddict : 12-06-2007 at 11:43 PM.
yep, they can press anything, i took my control arm for new ball joints. they pressed the old ones out and new ones it and i took my new wheel hub to get the wheel bearings pressed also..........i didnt know this either until i saw the shop in the back of the store
I don't mess with ball joint replacements. I just replace the control arms, because it's like $100 for both sides. By the time you need new ball joints, the control arms are, in most cases, pretty rough.
i love that word. i have this picture of pure acwardness in my head
