Lower Ball Joint Help

[andy-stevenson]

Just looking for some advice on how to get my lower ball joints to stay seated? They're moog lowers and I use my ball joint press to push them down so they're sitting right tight and then tighten them to the knuckle while everything's in the air. Set the truck down and make sure they're still torqued. And then pin the nut in place but they always seem to work their way up.

Here's a picture

 

[OregonDMAX]

Unless im crazy you have it in wrong. The part sticking out the top is what gets pressed in

 

[Noreaster]

Unless im crazy you have it in wrong. The part sticking out the top is what gets pressed in

Your not crazy, the balljoint gets pressed up into the LCA

 

[andy-stevenson]

What prevents it from just pulling down and back out? It's just that tight of a pressure fit in the lca?

 

[Chevy1925]

Yup. Not to metion there is no pressure pulling it out unless the tire is off the ground.

 

[andy-stevenson]

Wow. Stupid me. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Noreaster]

the small splines cut into the LCA while its getting pressed in

 

[andy-stevenson]

Ok. Sounds good. Guess I need a couple new lower ball joints.

 

[TheBac]

Unless im crazy you have it in wrong. The part sticking out the top is what gets pressed in

Oh my god. I cannot believe I am seeing that, too.

 

[andy-stevenson]

I guess what's even worse than me installing them wrong is the fact that I had 3 different shops look at it and nobody said anything about the incorrect install...

 

[clrussell]

I'm honestly not sure how you even got the nut on the ball joint..

 

[andy-stevenson]

I'm honestly not sure how you even got the nut on the ball joint..

It went on fine? I was able to thread the nut all the way up, there's even threads below the nut...

 

[PureHybrid]

What. The. Phuck.

Was it grinding on the CV shaft too?

 

[clrussell]

It went on fine? I was able to thread the nut all the way up, there's even threads below the nut...

That's crazy.. Yea they press in from the bottom..

 

[Hot COCOAL]

Andy, I'm glad you got this straightened out!

But you were the one working on it, right?
I guess I don't understand how you thought the splined part of the ball joint went on top of the UCA when/if you pulled the old one!

And didn't it clunk around when the suspension articulated?
Everyone makes mistakes buddy, I'm glad nothing terrible happened

The funniest part to me is, you said 3 shops looked at it and didn't see anything wrong! 3 More reasons why I work on my my own cars
:roflmao:

 

[andy-stevenson]

If I remember correctly the ones I pushed out didn't have that ring on it and I figured it went on top so it couldn't pull down and through. Like I said earlier the nut threaded on easily enough, if it barely threaded on I would have thought something was up. It threaded on far enough for me to slide the pin through.

Nope, no clunking or anything.

 

[andy-stevenson]

What could have happened running them this way?

 

[OregonDMAX]

The stud could have broke and you would have crashed

 

[Hot COCOAL]

The stud could have broke and you would have crashed

That, and I imagine with the joint not seated properly and moving around it was affecting your alignment at every turn and bump in the road...ie caster, toe and camber

 

[lifteddirty]

I'm not even sure how you were able to get the nut on. That takes skill!