![]() 2 tubes might have worked for me from the kit I bought, but this one was the closest in fit - it fit snugly over the rubber boot and no chance the ball joint could be pushed inside. If your tube is too narrow, you'll damage the rubber boot. If your tube is too wide, you'll end up pressing your ball joint into the tube, instead of into the control arm "cup" (and good luck getting it back out). The size of the tube here is very important (its actually called a receiving tube, but I used for install). Its essentially the reverse, only this time you're pushing on the lip of the ball joint. In the picture, the ball joint is free - it pretty much gives up when the top stud has been pressed out about half way.Īgain, tube dimensions provided in the picture. It will get tight, then suddenly its becomes smoother and the ball joint will have been pushed out - it really is very simple. It takes a little grunt work - I used the handle from my floor jack slipped over the end of my ratchet for extra leverage. The Removal Adapter's hole was too small for the stud to pass through, so I used the Install Adapter instead - simple as that. Given that I wasn't sure how far the ball joint would need to travel, I wanted to make sure the lower stud of the ball joint had some place to go, otherwise I'd risk binding up. You might ask why I used the "Install Adapter" for removal - the reason is that the Install Adapter has a a bigger hole in the middle than the Removal Adapter. The "receiving tube" you need fits over the ball joint, allowing the ball joint to be pushed inside as you press it out - dimensions for the proper receiving tube are provided in the picture. You need to center the rod on the stud and tighten, but once it gets tight, it doesn't shift. ![]() Through trial and error (mostly error and a tiny bit of cursing) I determined that the most effective way to use the press for removal was to not use any of the adapters for the top - I just used the C-Clamp's rod to push down on the ball joint stud (as shown). and then you'd be stuck, now wouldn't you. I also recommend resisting the urge to smack the threaded stud with a hammer - first off, its unlikely to work without significant effort (that's what the press is for) and second, you risk "mushrooming" the stud so badly that it wont fit through the hole in the ball joint "cup". If you expect the ball joint might fall out after you remove the retaining nut, Ive got some Ocean-front property in Nebraska I'd love to sell you. ![]() It will be necessary to remove the Zerk / Grease fitting (7/16ths I think) and then the retaining nut. So here is what you?ll have once the brake / hub assembly and spindle has been removed.Ĭlose up of our patient, the upper ball joint This got me around 20 different tubes and adapters to play around with and find the combo that would work. I bought the ADT tools 8699 Master Ball Joint Service Set. Since I didn?t know what combination of adapters and tubes I?d need, I decided to buy a fairly comprehensive kit. Good news for you is that I provide those details below. Even the manufacturers that provided an online PDF of their application chart rarely went older than ?72. The key thing though, is that you need specific install and removal ?tubes? and nobody I talked to could tell me which I needed. Its also very likely that your local auto parts store can rent you this tool. A quick search on Amazon ? Ball Joint Press? and you?ll see options ranging from small kits to ?Master Kits? and prices ranging from around $40 to $500. The first thing you?ll need is a ball joint press kit. This process may work on other years with a pressed-in ball joint, I can?t see why not, but this was done on a 1963. I didn?t find other posts with any particular details on this, so perhaps this will be of use to others. So to that end, I?ve written up some details and provided pictures of my successful effort to replace the upper ball joints with the control arm in place. ?Death by springing? aside, its not always necessary, convenient, or particularly desirable to disassemble the front end to replace a ball joint, especially if you have a single afternoon and less than four hours before a troop of kids arrives to interrupt your garage-borne serenity. ![]() While doing all that might be worthwhile, it essentially doubles the work ? possibly more, and adds an additional element of ?danger? - the spring removal process isn?t without its challenges from a safety perspective. The most common process seems to be to remove the upper control arm, which requires removal of the spring, etc. A key difference in ?63 versus 61 and 62 bullet birds is that the upper ball joint is pressed in, not riveted like the lower. Last weekend I replaced my upper and lower ball joints, inner and outer tie rod ends, center link and idler arm.
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