can someone either scan a few pages out of chiltons, or give me a detailed explanation about replacing the ball joints, like what all needs to be removed before i start hitting away at the ball joints to get them out?

 

Heres what you do . jack car up by x member in the fron letting the front end fall. place another jack inder the LCA. using a 13mm socket disconnect brake line from caliper and brake hose from strut. Compress spring with spring compressor. Remove top strut nut with a 10mm wrench and 13/16 open end. Then remove strut using a 15/16 open end and a 15/16 socket. Remove strut. Then remove brake assemply and caliper from ball joint using 15/16 wrench. Lower the LCA with the jack until you can remove the spring. Then remove the LCA using a 18mm open end and a wrench . Take the LCA to a machine shop so then can press out the old one and press in the new ball joint. I was able to get my old ball joint out with a small press but to get my MOOG ball joints in I had to take it to a place with a 20 ton press.

 

Then install the dust seals and put everything back together. The bottom side of the seals should be marked with an arrow that you point inboard. You just don't want the slot to face the disc or it'll sling grease onto the rotor (not a good thing for braking performance).
Install the grease fittings, then grease the ball joints 'til they start to gush slightly, then wipe off all the excess.
Don't forget an alignment.

 

anyone got any pics?? i don't know what of, but anything to make it easier??

oh and thanks alot guys i appreciate it

 

I would suggest a library.The usually carry Chiltons and others.

 

Here is one way I did mine. After the wheel is off and the car on jack stands, place a jack under the front control arm,First I unbolted the inner tirrod and hit it with a hammer so it will be loose from the spindle. Second,removed the bottom bolts of the strut, next the top nut, remove the strut, you will be able to move the spindle/rotor to better position to seperate. Went to autozone to rent a balljoint remover/installer and seperator.Next, remove nut from balljoint hammer the balljoint seperator, when the spendle breaks loose position the whole rotor/slindle to the side, I used my tire to set it on. keep an eye on the brake hose. Finally, used the remover/installer, installation is reverse. good luck.

 

In my opinion, it is worth the 50 or so bucks a shop will charge to swap out the ball joints. I just finished my control arms (sandblast, paint, bushings, balljoint) and i spent hours fooling with the balljoint press (like a big C clamp, and some adapters). It was one of the biggest pita's ever. We heated with a mapp gas torch, to the point where the grease boiled over and splattered everywhere. Especially when the balljoint stud broke through the rear of the housing. Those 20 year old suspension pieces really don't like to budge. The point is. . .. . its not worth the pain (physical and otherwise), just take it to a shop. If you do try it yourself, throw the balljoints in a freezer overnight first, and make sure you are pressing them into the control arm straight.

later, jeff

 

Wow, greta info. I need to replace my BJ's, and a local shop quoted me at 300 fer those and new struts....no way...

 

here is how i do them. jack up car on crossmember. remove tire, take both bolts out of spindle to strut. then take off the ball joint nut. take a tuning fork ( ball joint separator) and remove spindle. put bottle jack under control arm. hit ball joint stud with big hammer. POP it comes out. while doing this have the new ball joints in the freezer (metal shrinks when cold). now, take the new ball joint and use the bottle jack to support it. lift up with the bottle jack. now, hit the control arm and the ball joint will start ot slide in. jack up some more as you do this to add pressure. make sure the ball joint goes all the way back in. then reinstall all the other parts. work for me everytime. i run a suspension shop in florida.

 

so mrr23.... do u not have to remove the strut\spring using ur method??


and once again thanks guys for all the replies..

 

no. just the spindle. you really don't need to remove the spindle either just more room because the rotor is out of the way then.

 

okay. did mine today. lift car up. remove tire. take caliper off spindle. take off 13mm bolt holding brake line to strut. take off ball joint nut. using ball joint separator(tuning fork), separate ball joint from spindle. move rotor and strut towards the front of the car. i used a bungee cord to hold it away from the ball joint. have caliper hanging to the rear of car. support the control arm with a bottle jack or some wood to keep it from coming down and releasing the spring. now take a BIG hammer, i have a 10 pound hammer myself, and hit the ball joint until it pops out. now, using a bottle jack, put the new ball joint into the control arm. put the bottle jack under the ball joint. jack it up some. hit the control arm and the ball joint will start going into the control arm. jack up again. hammer on the control arm again. do this until the ball joint is all the way back into the control arm. now install the zerk (grease) fitting. put dust boot on the ball joint. now reinstall the spindle to the ball joint. tighten nut. put in cotter pin. put on caliper. put the brake hose on the strut with the 13mm bolt. put on wheel. now go do the other side. took me about 30 minutes a side. grease the ball joints when your done.

 

Hi whats up , Hey jus wondering how did you guys make out with the ball joints? Jus wondering cause im doing mine next. Its inspection time once again.

 

they were ALOT easier then i thought, if u can wait a day or two im going to write up a tech article for my website with lots of pics and detailed info..

 

Oh man! Yer writing a tech artile on ball joits?!?!?!?!?
:hail: :lala: :hail: :lala:
Well, that might be going overboard....
...Nah....

 

im half way through, and its late, ill have the finished thing up tomorrow (thursday).. its my first one so i hope its good enough..

 

Dont worry, I have confidence in you.

 

Here is the link to the tech article i wrote. Plz feel free to ask any questions on anythign that is unclear, as i want to make sure my tech article is useful for others. Also i would like ur feedback and the article both on how useful it was and how u liked the design. I wanted to keep it real simple and fast loading.. And i am in no way perfect, so if anyone sees any problems or things that aren't correct then PLZ PLZ tell me..

thanks

http://www.fbody.com/members/david88.../balljoint.htm

 

my question is: why did you remove the rotor from the spindle. i did it without removing it. look at my post above and see how i did it. save even more time.

 

good question!!! I guess i just like to take stuff apart however it did make it easier to jack up the a-arm (the way i did it anyways) and made it easier to geto the strut bolts.. plus i don't have air tools so i have to have room for long breaker bars But now im wondering, did i even have to remove the lower strut bolts to get the spindle off with the strut attached?? but i guess your right, if u do this all day long you will want to do it as quickly as possible..