Timz06

Just replaced the differential on my C5. When I try to tighten the lower ball joint nut the bolt is turning and there is no room to get an alan key in the top of the bolt. How can I get this tight?

If I drive up and down the road, will it help seat the tapered bolt so I can tighten the nut?

Slow Z06

"DO NOT DRIVE IT!!!!"

You can try to seat it with a jack underneath but it needs to be tight before you drive. If that means pulling other stuff out of the way to get the Allen key in then that's whats got to be done.

Timz06

Jack didn't work.....the halfshaft is in the way of the allen key

Tim

Bill Curlee

Can you use a C clamp to pull it together?

BC

Chris Stewart

I'm thinking I used a ball joint fork to pull it in. With the nut on, carefully wedge under it to pull things together.

bumble-z

Thats a very good idea. As Chris said CAREFULLY!. It doesn't take mush to put a very small pin hole in the outer 1/2 shaft grease boot.
Another idea, might be is cut off the allen wrench to where you have a straight piece about 1/2" to 5/8" Have a small box end on it to hold the straight piece in position, while you torque down the nut below. Good luck, you can do it!!

Slow Z06

Either cut down an allen key ( easiest ) or remove half shaft

Timz06

I cut an allen key to about 1/4 and welded it to a small 6 mm wrench. That worked. Thanks for the ideas guys.

Tim

lionelhutz

Next time, just put the jack in place lifting under the ball-joint then just use a ratchet strap over upright and to the base of the jack to press it down onto the ball joint stud.

Peter

Timz06

Also a good idea. The tool I made also works fine...in any case, it's things like these that make a 4 hour job a 12 hour job (changing differential.)

Tim

AlanC

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I just did this and wanted to add my $0.02.

I used the ratchet strap method without the jack and it worked great.

I wrapped the strap all the way around the upper and lower ball joints and tightened it up. This put enough tension on the lower ball joint to allow it to be tightened.

cptinjak

Im a bit curious why the ball joints came apart for a diff swap...

AlanC

Just followed the steps in the service manual for R&Ring the torque tube.

Disconnected the lower ball joints and dropped the LCAs with the rear cradle.

cptinjak

I find it much easier to do upper c/a bolts, shock bolts, and slide the whole cradle out.

Guess its just preference.

Jack

AlanC

Hopefully I won't have to do this again any time soon, but next time I'll try it your way.

Thanks!

Alan

lucky131969

much easier to pull the assembly, in my opinion.

RX-Ben

agreed, loosen the upper bj, tighten lower bj, install halfshaft, tighten upper.
I cut an allen to fit, but after a while it doesn't work reliably and took longer than the above method.