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Dammit I got a new ball joint pressed onto my A arm. Everything is in place but when tightening the nut onto the ball joint the ball joint turns with the nut. I can't keep this from turning because there's nothing I can find to secure the ball.

I know there's a way and I would have thunk that a allen wrench from the bottom of the ball joint(where the zirk fitting will attach) would have been servicable, but it's not.

Dammit

what i did was, i took a floor jack put it under the ball joint, jack it up so there is pressure on the ball joint and then secure the nut down. it should work if not you've done some thing wrong.

jim

Jim, The problem is, there is nothing to hold or, nothing turns from the outside. The "ball" spins with the bolt and is internal, therefore nothing to keep the bolt from turning. No doubt there's a hole in my theory, but at this time I can't get past how to holt the screw while tightening the bolt.

So, if the threads are clean the nut should fit on as far as getting to the point of contact whereby the ball joint socket just spins. If you can get the axle out of the way, use a small air ratchet or similarily sized small impact gun to whizz that nut on there. Once the nut is tight enough, the socket portion shouldn't spin. They can be tricky, as I've had similar experiences.

[quote="desalvo55"][quote="redneck4g15"]what i did was, i took a floor jack put it under the ball joint, jack it up so there is pressure on the ball joint and then secure the nut down. it should work if not you've done some thing wrong.

jim[/quote]

Jim, The problem is, there is nothing to hold or, nothing turns from the outside. The "ball" spins with the bolt and is internal, therefore nothing to keep the bolt from turning. No doubt there's a hole in my theory, but at this time I can't get past how to holt the screw while tightening the bolt. [/quote]


do as jim says with the jack.. take a socket larger than the nut so it slides ove it and hit it with a hammer... this will push it farther into the tapered part and then u should be able to turn the nut


Steve

Sounds like you need to run a die over the ball joint threads, or brake cleaner and wire brush. I have always been able to spin them on by hand all the way to the knuckle, then tighten with a 19mm.

The floor jack under the ball joint helps also. Otherwise put it all back together and spin the nut on a little bit. With the car on the ground, wheel on, etc, you can fit a 19mm wrench on there and tighten it down

I think the bolt fits snugly on purpose. This is a new ball joint with a new nut with perfect threads. I tried using the jack but that didn't work. I tried beating the hub with a sledgehammer to seat the rod in the ball joint but that didn't work.
Lastly I used the sledge with a piece of wood from the bottom of the ball joint and that seemed to seat the rod into the hub enough to where I could again start turning the nut until - bingo - she's tight.

I've had ten years of cursing at this old ball joint.

1999 I decided to replace the ball joint due to a torn boot. I proceeded to beat the living crap out of this joint with a pickle fork and sledge hammer. I beat it to death. I beat it till I was dead. I tried pullers, extractors, oils, you name it. I could not get this ball joint out, no way. I sat there and reasoned this exact thought. "It's not like this ball joint will ever see sand". So I called it a day. I'll live with it.

The next day, bored, I decided to drive to Lake Mead (I lived in Vegas). It was a nice day and upon getting to the lake I happened upon a huge dirt parking area which led almost to the lake. I drove up as far as I could but it got dicey. There were areas of sand and my Mirage had trouble with this. In fact it got stuck. I was stuck in the sand.. The harder I tried to extract myself, the deeper I got buried. In the end, my entire front end sat deep into the sand to the engine and body. I was in such disbelief I took a picture!

That ball joint with the torn boot I'd said would never see sand not 12 hours before? You couldn't see it because it was BURIED in sand. I couldn't have written this script. I eventually got pulled out by a tow truck. I never did replace that ball joint until just now. When I removed the A Arm guess what filtered out from the body support? You guessed it, Lake Mead sand, a whole pile of it on my garage floor.

True story.