Get my ball joints today and I go out to install them. Read the writeup and sounds easy enough. Go to pull it out and the suspension is there. I was gonna try my luck with pressing them out on the car...now the question I have is this. I noticed everyone has trouble getting the control arm off or getting the ball joint out, but my issue is getting that far. No one else seems to have this problem. Keep in mind I have not worked with suspension before, so how do I get the shock/spring seperated from the ball joint? Did searches and can't find anyone else with that question and the writeup doesn't cover that part of the process. I have the ball joint press but can't figure how to get to the ball joint. Please, help a retarded brother out.

 

There is 2 bolts on the bottom that you have to remove, it is under the strut assembly

Here is a link of a DIY

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-archive-71/suspension-diy-1st-gen-front-suspension-w-lots-pics-555693/

 

So I just undo the 2 bolts above the ball joint and below the strut? Do I need to compress the spring to get everything back together? I need to make sure I have everything needed to finish the job before starting if at all possible(since the fiancee has the SRT for the time and her FC has a bad water pump and leaking gasket)

 

ROCK ON! That link was great help justint5387. Thanks!!!

 

ok, stuck...how do i get this piece loose? I know I can't just bang on the piece or I may bend the control arm. I jerri rigged this up but doesn't seem to be working very well, lol. For now I'm trying to let it sit to see if it loosens it up. I already soaked it in PB Blaster and I'm hoping time will do the trick, but I don't have too much time to spare since I need to do both sides

 

Lightly hitting the arm, even with the ball joint stud, should pop it loose.

 

Put the nut back on the ball joint, support the upper arm on both sides, hammer on the nut. If you have a torch of some sort, add heat to the arm first.

 

Alright, I'll keep persisting. that thing was rusted pretty solid. If anyone else has any ideas I'll rolly be back inside in 10 mins to check if I have no progress. thanks guys.

 

man just hit it w/ a hammer... u won't hurt it (it might hurt youtho)

 

man just hit it w/ a hammer... u won't hurt it (it might hurt you tho)

 

yup, y'all were right, just tapped it firm twice after sitting in my rig for a minute and it popped loose. Now I'm trying to use the press on the joint. Not coming loose. I looked to see if there might have been a tac point but don't see one. Is it common with a vice style ball joint press to have this problem? How hard should I torque on it so I don't twist the control arm?

 

The ball joint should press out thru the bottom of the control arm (I think). I haven't had to do this, so I cannot say how much torque is required to do the job.

 

yeah, guess I'll just have a closer look for a tac. Seems like it should press out without too much force, but it is pretty rusted. his question is for anyone who has done something similar(or the same job) If I just take off the control arm and don't change any settings on the tension bars, should it still be lined up the same as before, or will I hafta go through the steps listed it another thread I saw for how to adjust it at home...or would they automatically adjust that when I get the balancing and alignment done? Sorry for the odd noob questions. As long as I have been tinkering with cars I'm finally getting around to learning things beyong the direct bolt on and easy swap/replacement phase. Suspension and steering has always scared me in the past, I finally want to learn, lol.

 

If the tension rods are not disturbed up front, where the adjustment is, they will still be set the same as before. Unless the control arm pivot bolt area has been modified to allow camber adjustment, it will also still be set as before.

 

You will need to place the control arm in a hydraulic press to remove the ball joint. Unbolt the tension rod from the control arm, remove the arm from the subframe, use the press. The ball joints fit very tightly and you will notice some distortion of the arm when pressing it out. Hopefully it returns to it's origional shape when the new one is pressed in.

Even is the new joints come with the snap rings, a couple of weld tacks is not a bad idea.

If you want to save yourself some headaches, take the arms and new joints down to a machine shop and let them do the pressing. I have a 12 ton press and it struggles sometimes with ball joint removal. You also need some rather large sockets to do it properly.

 

If the ball joint isn't coming out, and you got the ball joint press from Autozone... its because you are following the directions on the ball joint press. The ball joint press from Autozone is completely full of *#$@. If you put that one washer thing where they say to on top of the ball join tiself, it'll never press off. You have to put the screw part directly on top of the ball joint so it presses down and make sure the ball itself is pointing straight as you tighten it... was a total joke for me trying to get it out until I just studied the problem and realized the ball joint press was making this difficult. I talked to the guy at Autozone and he laughed saying a lot of guys come in pissed about the thing so I'm not the only one. After figuring this out... ball joint pressed out easily.

 

Check out my "how to replace ball joints" thread:

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/replacing-ball-joints-502398/

Rich