Raise and support the vehicle on jack stands. Using the ½-inch air gun, remove the wheels. Use the wire cutters to remove the cotter pin in the lower ball joint. Unscrew and remove the two bolts holding the caliper to the mounting bracket. The bolts run through the caliper from the engine side. Remove the caliper, but do not let it hang by its hose. Use a wrench to take the nut off of the lower ball joint. Insert the ball joint removal tool in between the spindle and the lower control arm. Hit the tool with the hammer until the ball joint comes loose. Use the ½-inch air gun and the proper socket to remove the large nut on the end of the CV axle. This is the one in the center of the rotor. Push the axle in toward the engine slightly, just to make sure it is loose. If it is not loose, tap it with a hammer. Use the ½ inch air gun and an 18mm socket to remove the two large bolts in the base of the strut where it is attached to the spindle. Pull the spindle from the strut to separate the two. Grab the rotor and lift the lower ball joint out of the spindle. Pull the CV joint out of the spindle and then place the lower ball joint on the spindle back into the lower control arm to hold it there. Insert the pry bar between the inner CV joint and the transmission. Use a fast yank on the pry bar to pry the CV joint from the transmission. Insert the new CV joint into the transmission as far as it will go by hand. The CV joint has a snap ring on the end that is going in the transmission. It gives a little resistance to going in. Use both hands and pull the outer end out about 1 inch and then slam it in toward the engine. This quick movement will get the CV joint to seat in the transmission. Check to make sure that the CV joint is all the way in before proceeding--look at the distance between the CV joint and the transmission. Insert the outer end of the CV shaft into the spindle and rotate the rotor slightly to get the splines to line up. Push it in until the tip of the axle begins to come out the outside of the spindle enough to get the large nut on. Put the large nut on a couple of turns. Put the nut back on the lower ball joint but do not tighten it yet. Push the spindle back into the lower mounting point on the strut and insert the two large bolts and nuts. Use the ½-inch air gun to tighten securely. Use a wrench to tighten the nut on the lower ball joint. Insert the cotter pin below the nut for safety. Tighten down the large axle nut securely with the ½-inch air gun. Put the brake caliper back on and insert the two bolts through the caliper and tighten. Replace the wheels and the lug n
A ball joint taper. Courtesy of Moog Automotive, Inc.
To remove a ball joint requires the use of a ball joint remover.
Three common ball joint retaining methods. Courtesy of Moog Automotive, Inc.
Some ball joints are held in with rivets from the factory. The rivets are drilled and punched to remove them. Bolts and nuts are used to hold the replacement joint in place.
Original equipment rivets are replaced with nuts and bolts. Courtesy of Moog Automotive, Inc.
The most common method is press fit. Some manufacturers require you to replace the entire control arm assembly if a ball joint is to be replaced. In these cases, the ball joint and control arm are made as a single assembly and individual parts are not available.446 views
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