ball joint replacement

[SparkSVT]

How hard of a job is it to replace the ball joint on my 93 loyale 4x4 wagon?

[All_talk]

Its not bad... a few tricks/notes:

 

Disconnect the sway bar first, makes prying down the lower arm much easier.

 

Get a 3 foot or longer pry bar, place it over the lower arm out near the balljoint then back under the mount point for the trailing rod to pry down the lower arm, and give you something to pound on to get the joint out of the socket.

 

Use a short fat straight screwdriver or brake adjuster tool as a wedge to open the pinch slot on the socket (helps to have the steering turned all the way to that side). Use this coming out and going back in.

 

A picklefork is often the only way to get the joint loose from the lower arm, beg borrow or steal one.

 

Remove the joint from the socket first, then picklefork it off the lower arm.

 

If the socket is rusty (it will be), take the time to clean it out. I small wire wheel in a drillmotor works well. This will make installing the new joint much easier.

 

Use Anti-seeze on everything (especialy in the socket) when it goes back together, it will save you later when you replace a axle or wheel bearing.

 

Gary

[operose]

I'd have to say, that if you've never done it before, there's a good chance it's going to be a big pain in the rear... but you'll figure it out. make sure to take a beer break if you need it

[msteel]

A picklefork is often the only way to get the joint loose from the lower arm, beg borrow or steal one.

 

I use a Pittman arm puller instead of a pickle fork. I borrow tools using AutoZone's free loan-a-tool program.

 

One more thing-do everything you can to keep the pinch bolt from breaking. My job was a lot harder because of a broken bolt.

 

Matt

[All_talk]

Just noticed you are back in PA... the pinch bolts are know to get rusty and snap off (I've never had a problem), be careful and maybe soak it with some penetrating oil for a few days before you do the job.

 

Gary

[MorganM]

I'd have to say its a real PITA !!!!!

 

I saoked the pinch bolts for two days using PB Blaster; one still twisted apart! I ended up replace the whole dang knuckle. At that point I figured it's time to just do the dang wheel bearings also.

 

With a GOOD pickle fork and a BIG hammer (5+ lbs) it was not a problem poping the taiperd stud out of the control arm. Thanks be to Humble Nuto for coming over with both of those key tools. My 4lb hammer and cheap oriental drop forge pickle fork werent cutting it.

 

To get the ball joint out of the knuckle is the worst part. Mine was rusted to the knuckle and packed in with sand and dirt ( from dried MUD!!! ) What I did was use a small chizel to spread where the pinch bolt was (leave it in there). Then slip the stud through the control arm agian just enough to get the nut on. Now I wedge a 3' crow bar diagonaly behind the knuckle, resting on top of the control arm, and the pry end wedged into the bracket that holds your radius rod to the unibody. I stepped on the crowbar with my left foot to hold it down tight. Now I hammerd down onto the crowbar with my 4lb hammer untill it poped out of the knuckle. Took about a half hour of hammering; wish I had Nuto's hammer again then!

 

Hopefully yours will go better than mine have been. I've been plagued with rust, broken bolt, wrong sized ball joints, and doing wheel bearings all at the same time. Good luck!

[Snowman]

Just noticed you are back in PA... the pinch bolts are know to get rusty and snap off (I've never had a problem), be careful and maybe soak it with some penetrating oil for a few days before you do the job.

 

Gary

 

I've had to drill out three or four broken pinch bolts and replace them with a thru-bolt. That's a b****, as the bolts are really hard steel and take forever to drill through.

 

On the one balljoint I've replaced, I just onbolted the control arm and put it in a vice before beating the joint out with a BFH, but that was because I didn't have the right tools to remove it in the car. If it's really stuck in there, that's another option though.

[ogiesdad]

I've changed three of those things, and one thing I discovered is it's alot easier to loosen the pinch bolt with a 2-3lb. hammer tapping on the ratchet handle. The one time I used a cheater on the wrench the bolt twisted right off. Get extra beer before you start.

[operose]

I've changed three of those things, and one thing I discovered is it's alot easier to loosen the pinch bolt with a 2-3lb. hammer tapping on the ratchet handle. The one time I used a cheater on the wrench the bolt twisted right off. Get extra beer before you start.

 

the thing with that is that steady pressure is less likely (IMHO) to break or twist a bolt off than sudden sharp pressure for a short period of time repeatedly (like beating ratchet with hammer)

[Snowman]

the thing with that is that steady pressure is less likely (IMHO) to break or twist a bolt off than sudden sharp pressure for a short period of time repeatedly (like beating ratchet with hammer)

 

Not necessarily true....why do you think impact wrenches work so well?

[operose]

Not necessarily true....why do you think impact wrenches work so well?

 

 

impact wrenches have their place.....

that's why I said "in my humble opinion"

[Dickensheets]

Last month I did mine (97 OBW). It was my first. I bought the el cheapo Pickle stabber from AotoZone and it worked fine. Taking my time and consulting my Haynes every so often, the job took me 1.5 hrs.

 

 

Ryan