Lower ball joints
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 102
Likes: 13
From: Beaufort SC
Lower ball joints
I got a ball joint kit from Mamotorworks and took the control arms to my machine shop. When they took the lowers apart the new lower joints were larger than the original. I called mamotorworks and they said that is how the new ones are made. Has anybody had the same issue? I'm worried that they will crack the arm if they try and press them in.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 19,691
Likes: 322
From: Alexandria VA
How much larger? Every one I've ever done takes a decent size press to get them in (It's an interference fit). The hardest part is making sure everything is perpendicular during the install.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 349
Likes: 55
That's about what my new one was. I was scratching my head going back and forth between the old and new ball joint with dial calipers, wondering how the new joint was meant to fit. I eventually got some light sandpaper, took the lip of the bottom of the control arm, and polished the inside of the hole. Next, I got some anti-seize, and put that on the new joint. Next, I got a torch, and heated the control arm for ~15 minutes. It was cooking grease off of the inside of the control arm when I stopped heating it, so it was darn hot. Finally, I put the new joint in the ball joint clamp, and it went it. I used a conventional press, shaped like a clamp, that I had to use a breaker bar to tighten. IOW, I did the ball joint with the control arm on the car. It took a lot of effort to get the joint to go, but it went in 1 or 2 degrees off of straight in, and it came flush/fully seated after I finished. It did cut a small sliver of aluminum out of the top lip of the hole since it was slightly crooked, but it went it, and it has been fine for 10k miles now.
So long story short, heat helps, and you should try freezing the ball joint before you drive it in. If this shop has a press, and the arm off the car, it should be a breeze. If I had to do it again, I would drop the arm and use a shop press.
So long story short, heat helps, and you should try freezing the ball joint before you drive it in. If this shop has a press, and the arm off the car, it should be a breeze. If I had to do it again, I would drop the arm and use a shop press.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,971
Likes: 243
They’re an interference fit. I cleaned the inside bore of the control arms till they shined. Used a hydraulic press and made damn sure they were going in straight. No problems. If they don’t go in straight and you continue to press I can see that cracking the aluminum.
