Ball Joint socket size?

[idrivemopar]

Is the size of a ball joint socket measured from the rounded or flat edges? If its flat, then does a 1 59/64th inch socket sound correct for 73 b-body?

I only found one place that sells this size socket. any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[YY1]

If I can dig out the one I found a couple of years ago, I can give you a Matco part number.

 

[MoparMitch]

Moog ,Snap On, K-D Tool , Matco, and some others make this socket. It is a special purpose tool.

 

[WileERobby]

Is the size of a ball joint socket measured from the rounded or flat edges? If its flat, then does a 1 59/64th inch socket sound correct for 73 b-body?

I only found one place that sells this size socket. any suggestions?

Thanks

Have a BIG breaker bar & muscles.

 

[Jim Bob The Dancing Bear]

And a vise on a big sturdy bench to hold the a-arm. They don't come out easy.

 

[idrivemopar]

Thanks for the information. Sturdy vise, check, breaker bar check, i will order a socket, found one from Sunex tools online for 15 bucks.

 

[Jim Bob The Dancing Bear]

Don't forget the cheater bar or one heck of an impact.

 

[YY1]

I believe there are three different sizes.
Make sure you get the correct one- medium for B body, I think.

I used a 500 ft/lb 1/2 inch IR impact gun wijt a 3/4 to 1/2 adaptor for removal- light work!

Used same gun for install (adter hand starting) until almost seated, then torqued.
Carefull not to cross thread. Threads are fine, shallow and rounded.

 

[tpodwdog]

i just replaced the upper ball joints on my 70 runner....heres a bit more GOOD advise for ya.. get a good hot burning gas...( acetylene and oxygen is what i used,,,,or you can use MAP gas in a yellow bottle if you can find it).

DONT HEAT THE BALL JOINT....heat the metal that surrounds the ball joint....itll make your life ALOT eadier,,,,trust me!

be careful threading in the new one( use the same heating technique). they are EEEEEEEEEEEASILY cross threaded !

 

[idrivemopar]

I guess i will have to take mine to a shop that can heat the arms with a torch and then extract them as i broke my work bench yesterday with the big cheater bar made too much torque and i nearly tore my vise off the bench!!!! I guess it was not a sturdy as i thought!

 

[RustyRatRod]

There are actually SIX different sizes Chrysler used through the years, so make dang sure you get the right sizes. I used to have them all, but when I got out of line work, I sold everything except the sizes for the older stuff.

 

[68sportsatelliteragtop]

I guess i will have to take mine to a shop that can heat the arms with a torch and then extract them as i broke my work bench yesterday with the big cheater bar made too much torque and i nearly tore my vise off the bench!!!! I guess it was not a sturdy as i thought!

Next time try breaking them loose with the upper arms still in the car. Just be carefull not to pull the car off the jackstands

 

[Jim Bob The Dancing Bear]

Also make sure they are not welded in. I can not phathom why one would weld in ball joints, but they do.

 

[Dako]

Once the control arm itself gets stripped, it's either spot weld a new ball joint or get a new control arm. Spot-welded in is not a big deal if they are done neatly and only in a couple of (4) places. The upper ball joint does not support any weight, the weight of the car is supported via the lower control arm. The upper control arm keeps the top of the spindle in the right place (caster/ camber). If the welds are done well, they wont even be noticed. And unless you are putting some serious miles on the car, they will likely never be changed again. ...And if they did, grind off the welds and pop new ones in.

 

[ArtH]

I've been reading this thread in anticipation of having to change ball joints on my 77 Cordoba. They felt a bit loose to me while I was putting new tie rod ends on it. I took my car into our service department and the tech confirmed my suspicions. Need new ball joints. What he didn't know was the removal "fun" that's in store for him. At that point he had not removed the front wheels because he wanted to show me the play in them. I explained about the upper ball joint. You should have seen the look on his face. About 1/2 hour later the service manager came up to my office to tell me the same thing, that I needed new ones. I showed him this tread.

Can anyone tell me the size of the socket I need for this job? We will have to buy one. I'm leaning towards the impact wrench solution. I did advise soaking the area with penetrating oil in preparation and of course the need to possibly heat the control arm area around the ball. The tech said he might just buy a kit, but I would hate to see him spend money on a set of sockets he may never use again. TIA

 

[Kernel Sanders]

Is the size of a ball joint socket measured from the rounded or flat edges? If its flat, then does a 1 59/64th inch socket sound correct for 73 b-body?

I only found one place that sells this size socket. any suggestions?

Thanks

From the flat edges

All Upper ball joints for A, B, F, M, J & R can use the same standard Moog K772, which yes uses the 1 59/64" socket (I cant confirm if the HP version K720A ball joint uses the same socket however)

If your car uses the threaded lower ball joints K719, I have no idea what size socket that one is.

I got mine through Amazon.com for a good price... the set of two (this one and 2 9/64") made by Powerbuilt and come in a case. Kit #32 if you do a search. Oh and yes they are made in Tiawan unfortunately.

EDIT: They are 3/4" drive. I did go pick up a 50" or so 3/4" breaker bar which did make 'relatively' easy work of removing them while still in the car

 

[idrivemopar]

Actually took them over to a shop where i know some guys and they heated them up and were able to get them free with the 1 59/64 socket i provided.

Now, since someone mentioned the control arm threads, here are what mine look like. Uppers look good, but lower looks a bit suspect, not really well defined. Not sure if the ball joints were original to the car, but who knows.

So here is what they look like, one is just a bit better than the other, now the question, can these be re-threaded or chased?

 

[Kernel Sanders]

ADDITIONAL: Sorry, after rereading my post, I should have not made it sound like all A's used the same upper ball joints... the earlier than 73 used different ones

UPPER BALL JOINT
HP Std
65-79 B body K720A K772
73-76 A body " "
76-80 F body " "
79-81 R body " "
77-89 M body " "
80-83 J body " "

LOWER BALL JOINT
Right Left
73-76 A body K781 K783
73 B body (Threaded Fit) K719 K719
73-79 B body (Press Fit) K7069 K7069
76-80 F body " "
79-81 R body " "
77-89 M body " "
80-83 J body " "

editing did not come out right but you get the picture lol