Ball joint

[SlimPickinz]

Really need help with my ball joints. 1996 Chevy k2500. Sclb. I bought ball joints from Rock auto and got he old ones out. Cleaned up the knuckle and greased it. I got one ball joint in crooked. It was going straight till it slipped and now one side is almost seated and the other isn’t. The other ball joint won’t press in all the way either. Not even with an impact. Now I can’t get them out. Really don’t want to go through everything to take the lower CA out. Appreciate any help.

 

[User_name]

You should've replaced the control arms anyways, would've been less hassle

 

[454cid]

You should've replaced the control arms anyways, would've been less hassle

They're not a wear part, and are not available new for a 4x4.

 

[454cid]

Really need help with my ball joints. 1996 Chevy k2500. Sclb. I bought ball joints from Rock auto and got he old ones out. Cleaned up the knuckle and greased it. I got one ball joint in crooked. It was going straight till it slipped and now one side is almost seated and the other isn’t. The other ball joint won’t press in all the way either. Not even with an impact. Now I can’t get them out. Really don’t want to go through everything to take the lower CA out. Appreciate any help.

I'm not sure what to tell you. Hitting it with an impact when it's crooked is not the thing to do. I'm also not sure how you greased the knuckle. Everything should be clean and dry, and then thread locker on the ball joint before it goes into the control arm.... not sure of that was speced by GM or just some aftermarket ball joints.

 

[Caman96]

You should've replaced the control arms anyways, would've been less hassle

He’s talking about lower control arms.

 

[Nad_Yvalhosert]

You need a bigger impact gun. Step up to a 3/4". While your gun is tightening, hit the LCA, with a BFH.

 

[Schurkey]

And make sure there's proper room on top of the ball joint so the joint doesn't hit the ball joint press or adapters.

You did grease the threads of the ball joint press...right?

What is the air pressure AT THE AIR INLET OF THE TOOL when the tool is RUNNING? I don't care about the pressure in the air tank.

When I put lower BJs into my '97, the new joints came with green anaerobic juice to lock 'em in place. If yours did, too, that stuff will have set-up by now. You're gonna have to either break the anaerobic locker, force the joints in, and call it a day...or knock 'em back out, clean the hardened goo off of them, and then buy some more anaerobic goo to put 'em back in with.

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Hey, Nad...that's a lovely pair of impacts! I've got the same in 3/8 and 1/2, but went with an AirCat 3/4.

 

[Vikingdude]

I was fortunate enough to have mine out of the car when I did it, but I could get about half a turn on the BJ press, than I would hit the bottom of the c-clamp with my 4lb mini sledge. The hammer seemed to be what actually moved the BJ further into the cup, and the press was just keeping tension/directing it where to go.

 

[Schurkey]

Maybe the Moog ball joints have less press-fit than what you guys are using.

My 1/2" impact had no trouble cramming the BJ into the arm. I could almost do it with the 3/8 impact. Not quite. I had to have the 3/4 to get the hub-bolts out, though.

When I was stuffing the ball joints into place, I needed a spacer on the top of the control arm, or the ball joint wouldn't go in all the way--the top of the ball joint would only press in to the point where it hit the BJ press plate on the top of the arm.

This did not work, except to start the BJ into the arm.

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I had to add the short spacer above the control arm to make room for the part of the BJ that rises above the level of the arm when fully installed.

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The top of the BJ is well above the control arm, the BJ press tooling needs some "head room".

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(And I spin the BJ stud so that I have good access for the cotter pin.)

 

[454cid]

I'm pretty sure, I did the same with the spacer, Shurkey. I don't have an impact, I use a breaker bar.