upper ball joints

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three counties
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upper ball joints

Post by three counties »

hi all,going to change the lower and upper ball joints,as soon as the parts get here,but I am not sure what size of socket I will need,to remove the upper joints,?the nearest one I have is a 2 inch,3/4 drive.but it only sits over the flat part of the joint,at the top.its for a 68 charger.does any one know what size I will need,or if I could get one in the uk.or failing that,could anyone lend me a socket please,willing to pay,ect.thanks
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Pete
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Re: upper ball joints

Post by Pete »

Upper Control Arm Ball Joints - There are only 2 sizes - "A" Body up to 1972 (Cross over year) and "B" / "E" / "C" Body.

You want the larger one - it is a bespoke too with 3/4" Drive.
Pete Wiseman; Cambridge.

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three counties
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Joined: Mon Oct 11, 04 9:17 pm
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Re: upper ball joints

Post by three counties »

thanks pete,have done a search on here,but I couldn't find out what size I need,will look on google
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Pete
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Re: upper ball joints

Post by Pete »

Pete Wiseman; Cambridge.

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Dave999
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Re: upper ball joints

Post by Dave999 »

replacing an upper ball joint is a PIG and each arm should have it done only once or twice.

if you can avoid taking them out, I would they are rarely worn out.......

the pressed arms have no thread in them. ball joints cut a new thread, the more replacements that you do the more the arms ware out.
getting them in properly straight is hard work... if they go in twisted they splay the hole and ruin the arm....


its the lowers that take the hammering anyway....
and they are not worn out until the play is massive by modern standards they are a metal on metal none pull through design. replacing a decent metal/metal one with a plastic cupped none serviceable item is potentially a false economy especially if you ruin an perfectly good A arm in the process....


best bet is new moog or old stock mopar lowers

at the top clean fully, and get new balljoint seals (NOT boots/balloons with metal key ring style retainers) you want the press on plastic rimmed original style seals for the uppers

these look ok https://www.rosevillemoparts.com/produc ... 72-b-body/

and a tube of Mopar Multi Mileage Lubricant long stand barium grease.... part number 04897841AA

and a decent grease gun.... top joints will be good as new and need reapplication in 5000 miles
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three counties
Posts: 153
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 04 9:17 pm
Location: linton,cambridge

Re: upper ball joints

Post by three counties »

thanks dave,for the information,i have been greasing the ball joints up for years,but one of the upper joints has got a bit of play in it,so it needs to be changed,probably best to do them all,had a look on summit racing,and they list the ball joint socket as a ,1-59/64 in.sxt,10213.sunex ball joint socket.have sent them a email,to make sure this is the right one.the upper joints I have are,moog k,772,dont no if they will get back to me?probaly best if I can find out before I order one,as I am going to get a few other parts as well,will see if I can make contact with anton,or if I can think of any one else
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Pete
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Re: upper ball joints

Post by Pete »

It's a job we do quite regularly.

Do the UCA Ball Joint with the UCA Still on the car, NOT in a vice....you will struggle to hold it other wise - they a a B'tard to remove and are 125 Ft/Lb to tighten...

Worth checking the UCA Bushes and more importantly the LCA bushes, if the latter are worn the car will wander.... not expensive but again a bugger to do if you have not done them before...
Pete Wiseman; Cambridge.

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Dave999
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Re: upper ball joints

Post by Dave999 »

yes decent square socket

a good long breaker bar and a length of scaffold with the car very well supported....

i found putting new ones in to be easier with the square head of the joint in a drill press vice, In the vice i have bolted to my bench. grease it get it started in, straight, by tapping and wiggling the arm down to the thread adjusting for straightness . pressure down using the big tube out of the kit and then winding the arm around it till the thread bites.......hard work

then mount on car and wind it in.

i found any action on the car for the first thread usually ended up with it wonky..... hence the 2 part process

kinda job that makes you sweat not due to the effort.....

needless to say i had armed :) myself with a spare set of A arms before hand.... turns out they were not needed.

i have an A body front end rebuild tool kit..... its well useful

you are probably a bit far to borrow its heavy.... and you'd need the big socket i think

or make one its a square hole with a long thick metal stick welded to it..... my welding is bird poop and my supply of scrap is low so i purchased or acquired a kit off VIP steve when he was a member.

upper bushes i used the kit puller

lower bushes i burnt out and drilled out the rubber and then got and engineering shop to pull out the sleeves, then mount the new ones on the pins first and press the lot in paying particular attention to what needed to be pressed and what needed to be supported to avoid haste causing bent arm or busted bush.

when you put it all together do not do anything up tight

you want the nuts on the lower bush studs to keep them in position but you do not want the studs pulled into their friction based mounting ino the K frame yet. they stay still by wedging into a slight taper under the torque of the nut. and you want them to be able to rotate at the moment.
you want the uppers on the bolts but not clamped, use this opportunity to bend the upper mounts back to their original width. its going to be a fight to get the new bushes in between

you want the struts mounted up but the front nuts not done up just yet

set the suspension ride height to about 3-4 mm above what you want either at bump stop or the method in the book based on the bottom of the ball joint housing (it will settle)

jump up and down on the front bumper regularly then roll the car back and forth it will raise or lower itself if the tracking is miles out...be aware of this, and if it does it bounce it back to rest.

then do the lowers up tight
then do the struts up tight
then set the castor and camber
then do tracking
then set caster and camber again

that way the rubbers are in their natural unstressed position at ride height.
if you do all up tight with the wheels in the air you can ruin a new set of bushes by the time you get to the end of the street.

for the strut rubbers ignore the factory manual and follow the instructions in the kit.... Chrysler changed its mind across numerous editions of manuals across all models and years....
rubbers with metal sleeve/tube work on strut rods with no split pin, bottom the nut onto the sleeve and do up to torque (nylocks usually)
rubbers with no crush tube work in strut rods with split pin (do castle nut up to the point where you can get the split pin through.
follow the kit instructions for the cup washers....

moog improved comes with sleeves and split pins you can use both if facilities allow

do not lose your brand new strut bush rubbers or washers into the hole in the k-frame , you do not want to have to take k frame off to get it out.


Dave
The Greater Knapweed near the Mugwort by the Buckthorn tree is dying
three counties
Posts: 153
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 04 9:17 pm
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Re: upper ball joints

Post by three counties »

thanks dave,good bit of information,
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