After 28 yrs driving, and owning 64 cars, this is the first time I broke a ball joint on the road ! 83 Firdbird, passenger side bottom joint, in a spot where a tow truck cant hook it up. What I need is a "wheel dolly", an item you put under the front wheels, where you can just push the car around. I saw these in a catalog not long ago, and have searched the net for them, but to no avail. I belive I saw them in a Eastwood catalog, or something to do with classic cars. Cant remember. Does anyone know where I might be able to find something like this ? Also, how hard of a job would it be to change out a lower ball joint on the spot ? Do they need to be pressed in and out ? This one broke right on the shaft. Do I need a coil spring commpressor ? The Lower a-frame is resting on the ground right now. Would reall ylike to get it home instead of fixing it in afriends driveway.........any help is truely appreciated !!!

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1983 Firebird, 305, 4bbl, 700r4, 3:42 rear, factory stock to the bone

 

About your wheel dolly question...Summit sells them...not sure how much though.

 

It's gotta be pressed in. There's a special tool to do those on the car, otherwise you have to remove the control arm and do it outside the car, in which case you'd need a coil-spring compressor.

 

Since the spring is already de-compressed, could I just use a floor jack under the a-frame and raise it up, or do I definately need a spring compressor?? I think I did it this way quite a few yrs ago.......let me know !!!

 

I tried Summits site and catalog.....didnt see one........thanks !

 

Is Summit P/N SUM-G1023 something like what you're looking for?

 

I tried that part # on their site......nothing came up.

 

Oops, SUM-G1032 http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=22425

 

Howdy there, the Eastwood website is as follows: www.eastwoodcompany.com FYI, when I changed the springs on my 85 sport coupe from stock to Global West I even the stock front springs had too much pressure to use the jack method to release them. Since it's already on the ground anyway I'd say if you can put a chain through the spring to keep it from popping out and jack the front subframe of the car until the pressure is released off the spring, you might be able to do it that way. Otherwise I'd strongly reccomend an inner spring compressor. I got mine through Eastwood. I've got a pair of Snap-On outer spring compressors that I originally was going to use they they don't work for camaro's, least on the front anyway. Never been used...LOL I use that eastwood inner compressor for everything. Word of advice though, I rebuilt the front end on a 2wd chevy truck I used to have, a 3/4ton, and there was less tension on the front springs of that truck then there was on my stock camaro springs when I changed them, so the safety chain or spring compressor is pretty neccessary as far as I'm concerned. Later

 

Broken Ball joint, Ouch!!

Well, I just put in a spring in the front end of my car. (Drivers side) and you do need a spring compressor. what you should do is unhook the sway bar, and jack the car up in the frame behind the front wheel.

As you jack stand clear of that spring. Once you get the spring out, put your new Ball joint in. And get a set of spring compressors. The spring compressors were too big to fit under on my car, so I compressed them, and used several feet of stainless steel wire to hold it compressed .

Next put your spring back in, jack under the A-arm, and make sure the spring is in the right spot. Once the ball joint slips through, tighten...then the sway bar, cut the wire, pull the wire out, put the tire back on and away you go...

(I had two jacks, spring compressors, and a hany set of 1/2 drive drive sockets, and I did this in my drive way,) And your right it is time consuming ....