The rivets are already out, they've apparently been fixed earlier. I guess using the pickle fork sounds like the best way, but I also guess I'll tear the rubber and need a new ball joint anyway.

 

Oh, I just thought of something. The rivet tops may be ground away, but the bodu of the rivets IN the a-arm and ball joint bores are still swolen and pressed into place. I used my grinder to actually cut the ears off the ball joint and the body of the rivets can fall through and the ball joint needs to be ried off the a-arm. It was tough if I remember right.

 

I'm glad all of my ball joints have been replaced before because grinding the rivetts etc sounds tough.

 

Yeah, just get in there and caveman it out...

 

Just an added thought....I've always used the 'caveman' method of getting springs out on Chevys (floor jack) but on my C3 the length of the stock spring made reinstallation difficult.....unless you're gonna replace them with shorter/stiffer springs I would highly recommend that $30 compressor. Also, getting your balljoints separated with a pickle fork is easy as long as you use a 5-lb. sledge for a hammer BUT you will destroy the grease seals in the process. Those little balljoint presses don't really cost any more than the combined cost of the pickle fork and hammer and they're tidier and a lot less dramatic.

 

But if the ball joint is being replaced it'll come with new grease seals.

 

i recently changed ball joints and bushings. Initially i used a nylon ratchet strap to bind the spring and let the control arm drop.Chain is more prone to slide unless you ubolt a clamp to prevent slippage.Although i was able to drop the unit and check ball joint for wear i became uncomfortable with it and put it back together until i got a "free rental" spring compressor with my ball joint purchase. As far as removing upper ball joint i beat and beat and beat my pickle fork.Having a small 1/2 ton jack.took alemite out of lower ball joint and stuffed alemite hole with paper first, i put the jack between upper and lower control arm with stem of jack on on upper ball joint stud,backed nut off upper ball joint a few threads and jacked and tapped til it finally popped out. The same small jack i used for that also worked well in helping me get the old bushing housing out of the upper control arms.The jack is about 2 1/2 O.D. and about 7 inches tall, i wanna say it is 1/2 ton bottle jack . They do have a ball joint removal tool that will remove ball joint using similar method as my jack but rental place only had pickle fork type.As the gentleman above said if the car body is in good shape i think i would avoid trying to manipulate the spring. Either way mark your spring against your car body somewhere to be sure to put it back right side up etc

 

ES makes very nice polyurethane ball joint and tie rod boots - you can probably get them through AutoZone or Advanced...maybe O'Rielly's. Summit and Jegs definately have them. They'll never wear out like rubber boots.

 

I wish you would have said that before I did all this frig'n suspension work. I would have installed them for sure.

 

I didn't even think about it. They came with my Hyperflex kit.

 

yes i bought a pack of 4 ball joint boots from autozone for about $7...i used the larger pair in the set

 

Man I really don't want to swap them all now, maybe I'll get some grease seals and hang on to them until a year or so goes by and I can change them then when I tune and check the suspension.

 

Does the poly material make noise? I heard that using poly will last longer, but will squeek. . True/False??

 

was told poly won't squeak, and for the rubber seals etc. With rubber not having a life span anymore i sprayed mine with SP-400 an aerosol made by CRC"green can". It is the same thing as kosmolene if any of you are familliar with that product.It is a good rubber "preservative"and steel "anti rust" treatment. i put it on tires too "my motorhome"but i used it on all my rubber pieces,under door handles,door lock rubber,exterior boot seals,even on the dust covers on my brake calipers.I will know how it works in a couple years and i'll get back to ya

 

Grease poly right and it won't squeak.

 

go to auto zone and get the loaner spring compressor. when your done bring it back no charge

 

What state you in RG?

 

 

Did you get them out yet?

 

I had pickle forks so I tried to get them out that way. I guess I didn't apply enough "caveman" power and it didn't work. Didn't like all that pounding and worried about other things being messed up because of that poinding (probably shouldn't have worried, but I did.

So I went out and bought a Ball Joint puller and got them out (all four) in about ten minutes. I tried to get free rental from checker auto to save money but they were out of the pullers and the only style they had available were pickle forks.


Now I'm up to getting the springs out. To get them almost out I had a safety chain around the spring as I lowered the control arm. Glad I did because each time they moved they of course moved like a sudden spring and I'd sure hate to have lost control of one without the safety chain (it didn't happen but I could see what could happen if I did loose control)
Next I'm going to get a spring compressor to get them out the final bit.

I have no clue, although a few have suggested, whether I should get new shorter ones or go back to rebuilt stock ones.

This has been a great learning experience, the only problem is, now I'll probably never do it again - it's the only car I ever work on and once fixed then "that is probably that"

Great comments from forum members