Help Needed with Upper Control Arm Ball Joints

[braydun]

Hi, Members.

I hit a snag earlier today and am looking for help/guidance.

After removing the original upper control arms from my 69 GTX, I had them cleaned, powder coated, and new bushings pressed in. Went to install the new ball joints after bolting the control arms to the shock tower and wasn't able to tighten the ball joint, it just spun in the socket. After removing and inspecting more closely, it appears that the threads on the original control arm are stripped.

Has anybody experienced this and is there any way to easily repair? Or am I purchasing a new set of upper control arms?

Thanks,

Brent

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Install the ball joint and tighten it until right before it strips and put four GOOD spot welds on it. People have done it for decades.

Or

Take some steel stock like in a feeler guage. .005 is what is typically used. Put it in place slowly tighten the ball joint in it will shape the shim stock into the threads and almost be like new.

 

[R413]

The threads in those arms don't look like normal threads when fresh.

 

[pnora]

If they are stripped so a ball joint wont tighten they are junk. Just make sure the ball joints are not cheap and made undersize.

 

[Dutchrebuild]

We've put a couple of good blobs of weld from the old tombstone Lincoln on many of daily drivers over the years so guys could make it to work tomorrow. Never had one fail

 

[braydun]

Install the ball joint and tighten it until right before it strips and put four GOOD spot welds on it. People have done it for decades.

Or

Take some steel stock like in a feeler guage. .005 is what is typically used. Put it in place slowly tighten the ball joint in it will shape the shim stock into the threads and almost be like new.

Great advice. Thanks

 

[braydun]

Mystery solved on this one. PSA for those who don't know. The threads on the upper control arms were not stripped, it had to do with the Moog ball joints. I ordered new Moog K772 ball joints from Summit to replace the originals. Turns out these Moog ball joints are about 1/16 inch too small. So they don't tightly seat in the upper control arm. I've heard people mention that Moog parts are junk nowadays, this is further proof. I ordered Proforged 101-10126 ball joints, they fit perfectly. Thanks

 

[pnora]

Mystery solved on this one. PSA for those who don't know. The threads on the upper control arms were not stripped, it had to do with the Moog ball joints. I ordered new Moog K772 ball joints from Summit to replace the originals. Turns out these Moog ball joints are about 1/16 inch too small. So they don't tightly seat in the upper control arm. I've heard people mention that Moog parts are junk nowadays, this is further proof. I ordered Proforged 101-10126 ball joints, they fit perfectly. Thanks

#4 above mentioned that fact.

 

[RJ Squirrel]

Did mine yesterday-

 

[Tim Carlig]

Where did you get the 1 15/16 socket needed for this job? I accidentally ordered a 1 59/64 size which is readily available but 1/64 too small for the job.

 

[wahya]

Saw this on Napa site.
Not cheap.

 

[khryslerkid]

Saw this on Napa site.View attachment 2075738
Not cheap.

Where did you get the 1 15/16 socket needed for this job? I accidentally ordered a 1 59/64 size which is readily available but 1/64 too small for the job.

That type of socket won't work. You need the
1-59/64" Socket. Sometimes you might have to tap them on. An oversized nut might not be uncommon also these days.

 

[Tim Carlig]

I tried the 1 59/64, goes on half cocked and then a bitch to get off.

 

[khryslerkid]

I tried the 1 59/64, goes on half cocked and then a bitch to get off.

Is this on the old joint or new one? Might need to grind a little off the joint.

 

[Tim Carlig]

I ordered the correct Miller tool so I don’t have to do any grinding.

 

[Tim Carlig]

Mystery solved on this one. PSA for those who don't know. The threads on the upper control arms were not stripped, it had to do with the Moog ball joints. I ordered new Moog K772 ball joints from Summit to replace the originals. Turns out these Moog ball joints are about 1/16 inch too small. So they don't tightly seat in the upper control arm. I've heard people mention that Moog parts are junk nowadays, this is further proof. I ordered Proforged 101-10126 ball joints, they fit perfectly. Thanks

The Proforged DO NOT fit perfectly. They are straight and will not even start to go in. They need to be tapered. Old ball joint on the right, Proforged on the left. The photo on their website shows the correct joint with the taper however.

 

[Tim Carlig]

The S9365A socket which is supposed to be for earlier A bodies fits perfectly. I paid $19.65 delivered instead of $78 for the C3560 socket.

 

[jimbosride]

 

[Rocky05]

I just bought a pair of UCAs with bushings and ball joints for $95 on amazon. Kinda kicking myself for bothering with just the ball joints now. The ball joint went in fine for the passenger side but I stripped the driver side.

 

[Tim Carlig]

You got the 1 59/64 socket to fit?? It won’t on the two ball joints I bought from different manufacturers.