I just replaced the driver's side balljoint on my '92 3.1. This's the first time I've done this. My dad's done this a billion times, but he wasn't around to help me. I had a friend come over and he helped me break loose the original balljoint. When I went to install the new one it seemed to go in crooked and then wouldn't go in anymore. When my dad came home and looked at it, we pressed it out some and it immediately straighted up. We went to press it back in and it still looked crooked on top, but seated on the bottom.

Is this normal? It seemed to me that when I took the old one out it was level, but then it was pretty worn out.

Should I be worried? I'm going to do the passenger side tommorrow.

Mathius

 

pics of the new one & the one about to be replaced for comparison. It's been about 2yrs since I did ball joints.

 

is the entire balljoint crooked inside the control arm, or is the shaft just pointed at an angle? if it's just the shaft tap it with a hammer so it will go in the spindle. if it's the entire balljoint, press it back out and back in, and hope that the hole in the control arm isn't elongated.

 

You said it looks seated on the bottom? The ball joint flange met up with the bottom of the hole in the control arm? Then, you're fine.

 

Yeah, that's basically accurate. For some reason the bottom seated, but the top of the rubber didn't pop out all the way. I figure it's bolted to the spindle, so it's only going to pull it out anyways, right?

Sorry guys, but I wasn't about to break the steering knuckle apart again to get good pictures.

I drove it only out of the driverway and back (want to take it for an alignment before I put extensive miles on it), so I don't know how well it drive's yet, but nothing fell apart, so I assume it went ok.

Mathius

 

Well it's not likely to fall apart. Every time you hit a bump that thing gets driven up into the A-arm.

 

thats not true, the spring pushes down on the a-arm, the spindle pushes up when you hit a bump.

 

Yes... um... that's the way the balljoint goes in. So if the spindle pulls up on the balljoint when the tire hits a bump and the spring forces the arm down then it cannot pop the joint out.

 

ohhhhh! sorry I havent done mine yet, but I am this summer, I didnt know they went up thru the a-arm but that does make more sense when I started thinking about it.

 

No problem. I usually don't have the chance to be right in dispute on the boards so I had to jump at the chance I decided to add a little diagram since I actually have some time on my hands.

PS gotta love Visio!

 

yea, i see now, i was thinking that the ball joint bolted on top of the a-arm, then after I thought about it that didnt make sense cause there would be an unspeakable amount of stress on the bolts (or rivets) that hold it down, now I see why you need a press to put them in too, man I dont know why I didnt do mine when I did the struts and springs, damn. Oh yea what is Visio?, anything like photoshop (thats what I use).