left front ball joint

[WmWatt]

The left front ball joint on my '89 popped out yesterday. The wheel dragged the axle out of the transmission. The tow truck driver said the axle was not damaged and slipped it back into the transmission. The car is up on jack stands in the driveway. I have a spare wheel I can get a ball off. I've been reading the Haynes manual and looking at the wheel.

1. Must I replace the socket which is harder to do as it's part the stabilizer bar/ control arm? If the ball is softer it would be sacrificial?

2. The coil spring is pressing the wheel down. I can't push it back up to drop the replaced ball into the socket. Is there a trick? Can I lower the car down to press it into the socket?

3. The Haynes manual doesn't say anything about lubricating the joint. Should I grease it? Should I have been greasing it? It isn't listed in the recommended maintenance.

4. Before refilling the transmission do I need to replace a seal?

5. Mr. Haynes recommends having the wheels aligned. Do people here do that?

If there is anything else I should know before getting dirty, other than what is in the Haynes manual, I'd appreciate knowing about it. Thanks.

[zoe60]

You should replace the lower control arm. Plus they come with a new bolt which you will need. I always just get a stiff pipe about 4 to 5 feet long and pry the lower control arm and sway bar down to re-install. I'll bet it scared the poop out of you when it popped out.

[FestYboy]

yeah, you have to replace the unit as a whole. once you have the car up (both sides so you don't load the sway bar), just loosen the sway bar nut, remove the inner LCA bolt (attached to the chassis) and then take the sway bar nut off and twist the LCA off the bushings. remove the ball from the knuckle (14mm), this may take effort. once everything is out, take your new LCA and attach it to the sway bar (with bushings, nut and all) loosly, then like up the outer joint and then inner bushing in that order. VOILA!

[WmWatt]

Thanks. I'll get started on it tomorrow.

[jglutz]

Coil spring in causing a problem...place a scissor or bottle jack under the knucke to put in place.

[FestYboy]

not if the whole front is unloaded, i've done this several times on a lift (front completely unloaded).

[WmWatt]

I have the old parts off and learned a couple of things which may be useful.

Ball joint. I read in a couple of threads that these are difficult to remove but I didn't find it so. I loosened off the pinch bolt nut until it was flush with the end of the bolt, then tapped on it with a hammer. It moved until the bolt touched metal, then I used a 3" concrete nail as a punch to gently tap the bolt until it fell out. Next I drove a cold chisel into the slot, twisted the ball a bit with a pipe (monkey) wrench, and pulled it out by hand. Not a problem. I think it's just a matter of opening the slot wide enough. I work a lot on bicycles so am used to getting things out of rusty frame tubes.

Nut on end of stabilizer bar. I had difficulty with this one. Finally used a home made impact wrench to get it off. I got the cotter pin out by putting a nail in the loop and hitting it with a hammer. I made an impact wrench by lashing an open end wrench onto the nut with a piece of string and whacking it full strength with the blunt end of an axe. Saved me going down to the rental place to borrow a proper impact wrench. If I had to do this again it would be the first nut I took off because it would have been easier with the control arm still solidly fixed to the chassis.

This morning I was out there in the rain in sandals and a pair of coveralls pulled over my pajamas. How shadetree is that?

Now I have to read up on axles to see if there is anything I have to do there before installing the new control arm.

Thanks again for the invaluable help.

[Seth]

you shouldnt have to do anything with the axles, other than filling the transmission back up with fluid. just make sure your ball joint on the otherside isnt going to pop out as well.

[Seth]

T
5. Mr. Haynes recommends having the wheels aligned. Do people here do that?

a wheel allignment is a good ideah, but id do both sides and tie rod ends as well, then get the allignment. save some money and time, and fustration.

[WmWatt]

I wrote up what I did and added ii to the list at www.ag384bn.bravehost.com/cars.htm
Hope that helps somebody

[worfdog]

Good write-up.

[Ogrestiva]

I had to cut off the bolts that held on my control arm. They were striped and the nut on the inside of the support column thing was broken and the bolt would just spin and not come loose, so I used a sawzall and without damaging the metal surrounding the bolt I cut through it, it too a few blades, but they were cheap to get at ACE I think they were 6" 23tooth/inch blades. after I cut through it on both sides I took a hammer and a metal punch and punched out the locking nut on the other side and inserted a new control arm and bolt with a lockwasher. The second hardest part is getting the ball joint back in place without cracking the rubber dust cover thing.