73 Roadrunner lower ball joints.

[Trench]

I am giving my 73 Roadrunner a much needed front end rebuild. The lower ball joints were press in type but I noticed that there looks like there was threads there before. So, I am wondering, are the ball joints supposed to be screw in type? I looked in a manual and it says that they are screw in type. Also, if they should be screw in type and someone has press in a set the last time they were replaced should I go back to screw in type and do I have to replace the control arm? I tried a screw in ball joint and I can screw it in a few threads by hand but I wouldn't want it to come loose.
Thanks for your help.

 

[YY1]

AFAIK, mid year 73 changed from screw to press.

Screw threads are really odd- super shallow and rounded.

You pressed the old ones out? Did they have hex collars?

 

[Trench]

Yes I pressed the old ones out, they are not the threaded type and have a round collar. I didn't know that they changed mid year, thanks for the info. I will take and post some pictures of the control arm showing the threads.
Thanks again!

 

[Trench]

Here are pictures of the ball joint and the threads on the control arm, when they changed to press in did they just grind down the threads on the control arm?

 

[UKPlymouth]

I just replaced my early '73 screw in ball joints. May not apply for you, but when screwing the new ones in I could do about one hand turn and then it required the correct socket and a very long socket extension to wind them in.

 

[YY1]

Are those threads or just parallel circles?

If they're threads, someone pressed in the BJ and ruined them.

Yep, about 1 full turn by hand. Any looser and control arm crack is suspect, and tighter and cross thread possible.

 

[Trench]

They are threads, I was able to run around a few times and they do thread down the hole.
So where do I get new control arms?
Thanks again for all the help.