So I put new poly bushings on my front sway bar and put new end links on with minimal problems. I went to do the brakes and wheel bearings and the wheel bearings would not come out so I went to take the knuckle out and the lower ball joints are seized into the lower arm, so I had to cut the ball joints in half to get the knuckle off. I ended up ordering a new knuckle with a ball joint already pressed in so I should be able to put my new wheel bearings on those and put it back together. Question is I still have half a ball joint stuck in my lower arms so I took them off hoping to find someone that can press out whats left so I dont have to get new ones. The holes are slotted so when I put them back together do I need to make sure they are exactly where they were? And do I need to snug the bolts and put it all back together and jack it up to ride height before I tighten them down? Same way with the upper arms too?
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front suspension questions
- Thread starter 005speed
- Start date
milehighmikey
Dedicated LVC Member
If you are that good with a saw, or high speed grinder, etc, just cut off a side of the nut, leave the control arms in place. Once you have the nut with a side missing, you should be able to pry it apart or maybe use a cold chisel to finish the nut off. Once that happens, the old ball joint will fall out.
i had the ball joint and nut cut off. the cone part of the ball joint is seized in. I had to have what was rest of the ball joint pressed out of the lower arm. Now I just need to put them back on so I was curious what the proper way was of installing them.
milehighmikey
Dedicated LVC Member
That's a strange situation, as there is nothing that should seize in place if the nut is completely gone.
Yes, you will have to set the suspension to ride height before tightening all bushing bolts. You'll also need to get an alignment, because you will have altered all 3 geometry settings for any front corner that had its lower control or upper control arms removed. You may want to get 2 pair of cam bolts for the LCA bolts, as these help to hold the settings much more robustly. Have the nuts tightened to less than spec for non cam bolts, or they will be stripped and need replacement.
Yes, you will have to set the suspension to ride height before tightening all bushing bolts. You'll also need to get an alignment, because you will have altered all 3 geometry settings for any front corner that had its lower control or upper control arms removed. You may want to get 2 pair of cam bolts for the LCA bolts, as these help to hold the settings much more robustly. Have the nuts tightened to less than spec for non cam bolts, or they will be stripped and need replacement.
the tapered part of the ball joint looks like it some how rusted and got stuck to the lower control arm. there is all kinds of corrosion in the lower arm where the ball joint goes that I had to clean up with scotch brite and sand paper. I am getting an alignment anyway because I am changing inner and outer tie rods as well.
are these cam bolts you talk about needed to get an alignment? I went to the ford dealer to get it aligned and they said they could not do it because I did not have eccentric bolts for the lower control arms. The body is slotted for the bolts though so I'm not sure why they would need different bolts.