I rebuilt a set of front A-arms for my car some time around 2005 while I was in japan (the car was state side in a barn). I bought a set of used A-arms had them sent to japan where I stripped them down, sand blasted them, installed new ball joint and polyurethane bushings painted and primed (not necessarily in that order) . Upon my return in 2006 I installed them and ebayed the old ones that were on my car.

So I had been considered getting new fabricated A-arms but they are expensive and the ones on there are only about 9 years old.
The car has been sitting for about 3 year and I am putting it back on the road so I figured I would repack the front wheel bearings (last time I did it was some time around 2009).
I noticed the drivers side ball joint does not have a boot around it at all. I have no idea what could have happened to it or how long its been that way.

I wanted to know if any one offered front lower control arms that have factory style spring pockets and use bolt in ball joints?
Everything I have seen appears to use push fit or it does not say

Push fit ball joints are so much fun I would rather pay for after market A-arms I always wanted as opposed to screwing with the factory setup again.

 

I dont know of any a arm that uses a bolt in lower ball joint, only upeers since they dont see the load.
you can do screw in joints that may be a better idea.

But fwiw whats the point? How often do you have to change them?

 

I change them whenever I feel like it or when I find the boot missing. Which has turned out to be about once every 10 years.
If its not possible to get bolt in ball joints because of the loads subjected to this application then I guess I will just replace the bad ball joint.

 

We have a press at work. Its in the back of the machine shop and its so big the one or 2 times I walked by it did not even register to me as a press.

Problem is if you beat the ball joint out of an A arm, and then take the arm and the new ball joint to some shops they will try and charge you any where from $20 to $100, just to press one ball joint and give it back to you.
I thought I was going to have a problem finding a press again.

 

Get a c-clamp ball joint press. Easy.

As for going to a weaker bolt-in design, the lower carries a lot of load and stress; this would be a poor idea and have zero gain.

 

you can buy a good C clamp balljoint press for about $50... mount it in a bench vise and balljoints are childs play.. you will also find other uses for it besides balljoints: it's crazy how many things that you might need to take apart and put back together that are pushed into other things with an interference fit..

 

I didn't think a C-clamp could apply enough force.
I have 2 or 3 fairly large 16 to 18 inch C-clamps.
But its in now thanks to the 100 ton hydraulic press at work.

 

Ive never had any luck with the c clamp style balljoint tools on these cars