Replacing front Ball Joints
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,520
Likes: 11
From: Hinckley OH
Here's what I do:
Put the car on jack stands
Completely remove the castle nuts from both ball joints (you don't want them seizing after you have separated the ball joints or the ball joint will just spin in it's socket and you will have a tough time getting them off)
Put the castle nuts back on but do not snug them up. Leave 1/4 inch gap so you can tell when the ball joint separates. The nut will "catch" the control arm when the ball joint separates. I separate the lower ball joint first because the spring helps push it out then the weight of the spindle will cause it to drop when the upper ball joint separates.
Once the ball joints are separated, put a floor jack under the spring pocket in the lower control arm and remove the castle nuts.
Lower the jack just enough to remove the spindle from the ball joints. You can lift the upper control arm to get the ball joint stud out of the spindle so that you don't have to drop the lower control arm as far. Once the upper ball joint stud is out of the spindle, you can just drop the spindle off the lower ball joint stud.
Then I drill out the rivets and replace the ball joint with the shock and spring still in place. I leave the jack under the lower control arm for safety.
To replace the spindle, put the lower ball joint stud through the hole in the spindle and put the castle nut on it. Raise the upper control arm, then lower it's ball joint stud into the spindle and put the castle nut on it. If necessary you can raise the jack under the lower control arm to compress the spring.
If you are only changing the lower ball joints then you don't need to do anything to the upper ball joint, but you will need to drop the lower control arm farther to get the ball joint stud out of the spindle.
Put the car on jack stands
Completely remove the castle nuts from both ball joints (you don't want them seizing after you have separated the ball joints or the ball joint will just spin in it's socket and you will have a tough time getting them off)
Put the castle nuts back on but do not snug them up. Leave 1/4 inch gap so you can tell when the ball joint separates. The nut will "catch" the control arm when the ball joint separates. I separate the lower ball joint first because the spring helps push it out then the weight of the spindle will cause it to drop when the upper ball joint separates.
Once the ball joints are separated, put a floor jack under the spring pocket in the lower control arm and remove the castle nuts.
Lower the jack just enough to remove the spindle from the ball joints. You can lift the upper control arm to get the ball joint stud out of the spindle so that you don't have to drop the lower control arm as far. Once the upper ball joint stud is out of the spindle, you can just drop the spindle off the lower ball joint stud.
Then I drill out the rivets and replace the ball joint with the shock and spring still in place. I leave the jack under the lower control arm for safety.
To replace the spindle, put the lower ball joint stud through the hole in the spindle and put the castle nut on it. Raise the upper control arm, then lower it's ball joint stud into the spindle and put the castle nut on it. If necessary you can raise the jack under the lower control arm to compress the spring.
If you are only changing the lower ball joints then you don't need to do anything to the upper ball joint, but you will need to drop the lower control arm farther to get the ball joint stud out of the spindle.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 46
From: Raleigh North Carolina
Here's what I do:
Put the car on jack stands
Completely remove the castle nuts from both ball joints (you don't want them seizing after you have separated the ball joints or the ball joint will just spin in it's socket and you will have a tough time getting them off)
Put the castle nuts back on but do not snug them up. Leave 1/4 inch gap so you can tell when the ball joint separates. The nut will "catch" the control arm when the ball joint separates. I separate the lower ball joint first because the spring helps push it out then the weight of the spindle will cause it to drop when the upper ball joint separates.
Once the ball joints are separated, put a floor jack under the spring pocket in the lower control arm and remove the castle nuts.
Lower the jack just enough to remove the spindle from the ball joints. You can lift the upper control arm to get the ball joint stud out of the spindle so that you don't have to drop the lower control arm as far. Once the upper ball joint stud is out of the spindle, you can just drop the spindle off the lower ball joint stud.
Then I drill out the rivets and replace the ball joint with the shock and spring still in place. I leave the jack under the lower control arm for safety.
To replace the spindle, put the lower ball joint stud through the hole in the spindle and put the castle nut on it. Raise the upper control arm, then lower it's ball joint stud into the spindle and put the castle nut on it. If necessary you can raise the jack under the lower control arm to compress the spring.
If you are only changing the lower ball joints then you don't need to do anything to the upper ball joint, but you will need to drop the lower control arm farther to get the ball joint stud out of the spindle.
Put the car on jack stands
Completely remove the castle nuts from both ball joints (you don't want them seizing after you have separated the ball joints or the ball joint will just spin in it's socket and you will have a tough time getting them off)
Put the castle nuts back on but do not snug them up. Leave 1/4 inch gap so you can tell when the ball joint separates. The nut will "catch" the control arm when the ball joint separates. I separate the lower ball joint first because the spring helps push it out then the weight of the spindle will cause it to drop when the upper ball joint separates.
Once the ball joints are separated, put a floor jack under the spring pocket in the lower control arm and remove the castle nuts.
Lower the jack just enough to remove the spindle from the ball joints. You can lift the upper control arm to get the ball joint stud out of the spindle so that you don't have to drop the lower control arm as far. Once the upper ball joint stud is out of the spindle, you can just drop the spindle off the lower ball joint stud.
Then I drill out the rivets and replace the ball joint with the shock and spring still in place. I leave the jack under the lower control arm for safety.
To replace the spindle, put the lower ball joint stud through the hole in the spindle and put the castle nut on it. Raise the upper control arm, then lower it's ball joint stud into the spindle and put the castle nut on it. If necessary you can raise the jack under the lower control arm to compress the spring.
If you are only changing the lower ball joints then you don't need to do anything to the upper ball joint, but you will need to drop the lower control arm farther to get the ball joint stud out of the spindle.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
threaded rod has more strenght than you might think.... here is an example and typical
http://www.marfas.com/atr.shtml
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 201
Likes: 0
From: some hole in the ground town- camp verde:) arizona
Removed the springs several times on my 66 327 no AC several times with no problems. Used the same method on my 71 LS5 W/AC and FACTORY springs (long height, many coils, high rate).... ended up in the hospital. They can and will just "pop" out given the right circumstances. The heavier FACTORY big block springs are a different animal than any others. Now I know. Be careful regardless of which spring/method you use.
I'm lucky to still have my right hand. It was thoroughly crushed.
I'm lucky to still have my right hand. It was thoroughly crushed.
i know (young and naive, just let me do it my way)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 46
From: Raleigh North Carolina
you're scaring the daylights out of me! i have all my control arms out right now to replace the bushings, and as soon as i can find somebody to media blast all these parts i have to put them back in. i got them out w/out a spring compressor and was planning on putting them back in the same way. i know (young and naive, just let me do it my way)
i know (young and naive, just let me do it my way)
