HELP: Pressing In New Upper Ball Joints....Unsuccessful Thus Far

[yonkerss]

Well today was ball joint / stabilizer end links.

I went with new control arms to make the installation easier.

The issue we are having is the upper ball joints. We got one side pressed out after much fighting with it. I am using the 23 piece set from Advance Auto Parts like recommended in the threads. We can not get the new one pressed in. We have the spindle (part the ball joint presses into incase it is called something else) still installed on the vehicle, with the ball joint press and using the various pieces the threaded rod of the press is so long it seems to get in the way and not allow us to get a breaker bar or impact wrench on it.

Does anyone have advice on what pieces you used to press in the new joint, want about pressing out the old....we were successful on one but did not go easy to say the least.

I am using Mevotech ball joints, seem to be a match to the old ones.

Any advice / suggestions would be great.

Thanks!

 

[rmsg0040]

I used the 23 pc kit with success. I cant remember what pieces I used but I figured it out. Remember to remove the clip. When I did mine I sprayed them with liquid wrench and them took a propane torch to it. Pressed out easy and pressed in easy. Mind you I was using a air impact wrench ( I am weak).

Try to use the cup adapter on the bottom. On top of that use a larger than the ball joint tube with another cup adapter. Make the screw face the top. As you tighten it will pull the ball joint in.

Pressing out the old. Make the c-clamp face upward with the screw on top. Two receiver tubes and two cup adapters. make sure the tubes are larger than the diameter of the ball joint.

You might end up blowing up the ball joint, kinda like this:

Hope this works

 

[ghenny440]

To press the top ones out i left the bottom of the spindle still on the truck and left a few of the threads of the axle nut on to help support he whole setup i used the wide donut piece with the large hole on the top of the joint and one of the large re ieving cups for the bottom and an air impact wrench popped right out, the botton i used this setup(1st pick) and it popped out with an air impact till it bogged down then a 1/2 inch wratchet with a 3 foot cheater bar, to reinstall i used the same small piece and a large recieving cup i believe the middle one on the left side of the kit, that lil piece is in the upper right corner

 

[rmsg0040]

heres another tip, when things are not going your way, take a break and come back to it

 

[stormsurge]

I heated up the arm and they poped right out. Put the new one in wile it was still hot.

 

[yonkerss]

Thanks for the info guys. I ended up taking the spindle off and using a stand up press to push the old ones out and the new ones in. I did not use heat, sounds like that would have done the trick.