Ball Joint Replacement

[jgasca]

Yes, if it's tight, it better turn with the spindle assembly. Sounds right. So did you get it to stop spinning? It should have once you got it tight enough and sucked up into the socket.

I mean like I said I tightened it the most I could, but even with that, when I would turn the nut the ball joint would spin with it.

 

[HotRodPC]

I mean like I said I tightened it the most I could, but even with that, when I would turn the nut the ball joint would spin with it.

I should get tighter and tighter in the taper to where it's being held. Did you use a ball joint tool to where you can get it pressed up and in quite a ways then tighten it? If it never got tight, then i's possible you have some taper wear and the spindle might need replaced. It's a bit rare, but it does happen. If you got it good and tight though, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[jgasca]

I should get tighter and tighter in the taper to where it's being held. Did you use a ball joint tool to where you can get it pressed up and in quite a ways then tighten it? If it never got tight, then i's possible you have some taper wear and the spindle might need replaced. It's a bit rare, but it does happen. If you got it good and tight though, it shouldn't be a problem.

All i did was press in the ball joint with the ball joint tool, then I put the snap ring on the bottom, then I put the nut on. I tightened the nut by holding the the ball joint stud in place with a screw driver, I mean I nearly messed up the groove with the screw driver cause I tightened it so much.

I googled it and some say you need to apply pressure on the ball joint so the stud won't turn with the nut.

 

[89Suburban]

Yeah, you need pressure on it to help wedge and seat it. Try using a pry bar or something to leverage the spindle sideways and that might work, sometimes it does. Be careful not to damage the grease boot doing this. I am surprised that is happening with a brand new part. The nut isn't bottoming out on the threads is it?

 

[HotRodPC]

OMG, you Googled it???

Yeah if you got it to get tight, you're OK, but you don't want it spinning. As said, if the taper is wore out, it won't tighten up, and it will only wear worse and worse. If it's tight, then you have nothing to worry about, but the spinning should take place in the ball joint, not the shaft in the taperred hole.

 

[jgasca]

Yeah, you need pressure on it to help wedge and seat it. Try using a pry bar or something to leverage the spindle sideways and that might work, sometimes it does. Be careful not to damage the grease boot doing this. I am surprised that is happening with a brand new part. The nut isn't bottoming out on the threads is it?

I'll have to recheck but I'm pretty sure its not bottoming out.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/pa...WD/_/N-ijqkzZ8oxla?itemIdentifier=201749_0_0_

Notice the groove on the very top, I'm sure its there for a reason, to hold it in place i'm guessing. Hopefully I can reach the nut now that I reassembled it. But I'm up for any ideas until i get home.

 

[jgasca]

OMG, you Googled it???

Yeah if you got it to get tight, you're OK, but you don't want it spinning. As said, if the taper is wore out, it won't tighten up, and it will only wear worse and worse. If it's tight, then you have nothing to worry about, but the spinning should take place in the ball joint, not the shaft in the taperred hole.

haha and yes I know how to use the google on the internet machine!!

 

[DoubleDingo]

In my experience, I am on the side of doing both sides at the same time. That way new parts are installed and you know when they were. And Moog is a quality product. I have bought ball joints where the nut fit loosely on the stud. Needless to say I trashed those(they came in a disc brake conversion kit). Off to CarQuest I went for some Moog products.

And to get the ball joint stud to stop rotating when you tighten the nut, pressure is needed to help it bottom out in the taper. On a 2WD it's easy because you put a floor jack under the control arm and jack it up until the ball joint bottoms out. Definitely find what the torque spec is and tighten them to spec. It's better for the safety of you and those around you. I used to be one that just tightened stuff to what felt right/tight, but now that I am older and a little wiser, I always torque stuff to spec, especially suspension components.

 

[jgasca]

In my experience, I am on the side of doing both sides at the same time. That way new parts are installed and you know when they were. And Moog is a quality product. I have bought ball joints where the nut fit loosely on the stud. Needless to say I trashed those(they came in a disc brake conversion kit). Off to CarQuest I went for some Moog products.

And to get the ball joint stud to stop rotating when you tighten the nut, pressure is needed to help it bottom out in the taper. On a 2WD it's easy because you put a floor jack under the control arm and jack it up until the ball joint bottoms out. Definitely find what the torque spec is and tighten them to spec. It's better for the safety of you and those around you. I used to be one that just tightened stuff to what felt right/tight, but now that I am older and a little wiser, I always torque stuff to spec, especially suspension components.

So which is the easiest way to add pressure on a 4wd?

 

[DoubleDingo]

So which is the easiest way to add pressure on a 4wd?

My guess would be that maybe it wasn't pressed in all the way? Not implying you didn't do it right, just a thought that popped in my head. I have never pressed ball joints on a 4x4.

Do you have access to a Shop Manual?

 

[89Suburban]

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[jgasca]

My guess would be that maybe it wasn't pressed in all the way? Not implying you didn't do it right, just a thought that popped in my head. I have never pressed ball joints on a 4x4.

Do you have access to a Shop Manual?

This is what I was thinking too. I might just take it apart and press it in more some how just to make sure it sets all the way. I mean I pressed in the lower ball joint with air tools until it stopped turning at about 130 psi. The snap ring groove was clearly visible and the ball joint looked set

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If only it said anything about the stud turning with the screw!!

What exactly is a knuckle yoke?

 

[89Suburban]

I believe the yoke refers to the holes the ball joints go into. Take that knuckle out and put that sumbitch in a bench vise or sumtin. It's been like 10 years since I had one of these apart. Also note the adjustment sleeve in the upper joint. I don;t know if you can use that in a way to help put pressure on the lower joint.

 

[jgasca]

I believe the yoke refers to the holes the ball joints go into. Take that knuckle out and put that sumbitch in a bench vise or sumtin. It's been like 10 years since I had one of these apart. Also note the adjustment sleeve in the upper joint. I don;t know if you can use that in a way to help put pressure on the lower joint.

i'll check it out when i get home, now that I think of it, the nut may have a groove or offset on the very top....where the stud may not be able to get passed. I'll take pics and post them.

Anyone heard of this? maybe a bad part?

 

[DoubleDingo]

maybe a bad part?

It is possible that it's a bad part. Any ball joints I have purchased did not have a stud that rotated easily when tightening the nut. An old ball joint I can see that happening. But like it was mentioned before, the taper that the stud slips into may not be a snug as it once was, and that would allow for the stud to rotate.