Don't get ball joints pressed....

616 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by shannonlujan, Oct 7, 2003

shannonlujan

Discussion Starter · Oct 6, 2003

Yep, it's true, if you get new ones "pressed" in at a machine shop, they more than likely will fall out. Had one fall out on me today. Hopefully it will make it till I can get it tack welded. Major pain inthe ass. Apology to the guys that are gonna say "told you so". Yes you were right.

Now whats the c-clips crap I hear about all the time? I'm not buyin a whole new friggin arm.

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anomaly

· #2 · Oct 6, 2003

TOLD YA SO!!

Just kidding!

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. The same thing happened to me:

Originally posted by anomaly
Plus, there is another concern (besides bad CA bushings) when just replacing the ball joints which was already touched on in this thread: The possibility that the CA fitting for the ball joint might be too loose to hold.

Example:
I got my car back and drove home. Felt good, drove straight, no cluncks. Drove to work the next morning, hit a bump on the highway. Driving home from work I noticed that the car was pulling noticeably hard to the right. I went straight to my mechanics shop where we discovered that the pass. side BJ slipped out of the CA despite having been tack welded in 4 spots. So, instead of paying for more parts, I had them press it back into place and run a full 1/4" bead around the entire circumference of the BJ. Now, that bitch isn't moving at all but if it goes bad, I will have to replace the entire control arm (which I am already planning on doing now so I can install new poly bushings!)

So as you can probably tell from that quote, I am going to strongly recommend that you not just get the BJs tack welded into place, but to have a full 1/8 in to 1/4 in bead around the entire circumference of the BJ. Trust me, you'll thank me later!

Good luck and hope your car holds out until you're able to get it taken care of.

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el norm

· #3 · Oct 6, 2003

Moog offers nice balljoints that have a C-clip on one side and the other side is a little bigger, so they won't move after you press them in and put the clip on. Got mine at all parts and i beleive NAPA also carries them from what i hear on the forum.

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SleepCounter

· #4 · Oct 7, 2003

el norm said:
Moog offers nice balljoints that have a C-clip on one side and the other side is a little bigger, so they won't move after you press them in and put the clip on. Got mine at all parts and i beleive NAPA also carries them from what i hear on the forum.

Moog K9615

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1FIERCEGT

· #5 · Oct 7, 2003

Man please, NOT this again. See the last time you brought this up(er I think it was you if not sorry) I said it clearly, it can be done BUT(in giant a$$ letters) you should tack weld it!!!! I'm not gonna bother looking up the post but I said it. I've done this on this car and on my 86 626GT coupe and NEVER had a BJ fall out not even one that moved even a CM so??!!!!

Anyway I did say I had the experience and I did say do it and get it tack welded and YES the C-clip is a must!!! ANd no the people who said it can't be done are NOT right!!!!!

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shannonlujan

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 7, 2003

Damn this sucks now my CV axle is goin and I smell burning clutch after highway trips to work.

Halfshaft - $80

New ball joints with clips pressed - $80

New clutch - $200

Getting raped by stuff I should've done along with my tranny swap - Priceless.

College blows ack. Wanna be a bum.

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shannonlujan

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 7, 2003

Yay good news. Autozone is gonna take their sh*t joints back ($30 a piece) and the Moog's are only $37 a piece. I'll have that fixed for 14 bucks. Also found a halfshaft for $60! not bad! Maybe I should find a cv axle with c clips :E

Now all I have to do is make that sh*tterforce clutch last and I'll be alright.

Thanks for the numbers SleepCounter.

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