66 Sat
Well-Known Member
My Upper Ball Joints both have split rubber seals on both sides of the car. About 5 years ago I'd bought the PST replacement UCAs that had the ball joints already installed and also the super front end kit so I had 2 spare upper ball joints. My plan was just to swap the rubber seals as the ball joints themselves seemed fine.
Starting on the driver's side I loosened the nut attaching the ball joint to the knuckle and the joint started to separate on its own - I thought it would be tight on the taper and need a whack with a hammer?
Q1. Is this normal for them to come apart so easily on recently installed ball joints (5 years) only driven in the dry?
While I was cleaning up the joint I noticed it was loose in the UCA! So much for being torqued to 100 lbs/ft - I could nearly undo it by hand! I haven't got the right socket, but I easily unscrewed it with my pipe wrench. I've ordered the 1 7/8" socket from Summit so will have to wait to re-install. I assumed they would have come fully torqued and I didn't check them at the time as I didn't have the right tool.
Q2. Should I try to get a new rubber seal for the ball joint that came mounted on the UCA or put the whole new ball joint in? I can't swap the seal only as I'd intended as they are a different shape and it won't fit properly but I reckon I can get a new rubber seal from a local supplier. The uninstalled ball joint looks to have even shallower threads that the one I took off and the seal is very tight and doesn't really fit over the ball joint although it might with a bit of grease/coaxing.
Starting on the driver's side I loosened the nut attaching the ball joint to the knuckle and the joint started to separate on its own - I thought it would be tight on the taper and need a whack with a hammer?
Q1. Is this normal for them to come apart so easily on recently installed ball joints (5 years) only driven in the dry?
While I was cleaning up the joint I noticed it was loose in the UCA! So much for being torqued to 100 lbs/ft - I could nearly undo it by hand! I haven't got the right socket, but I easily unscrewed it with my pipe wrench. I've ordered the 1 7/8" socket from Summit so will have to wait to re-install. I assumed they would have come fully torqued and I didn't check them at the time as I didn't have the right tool.
Q2. Should I try to get a new rubber seal for the ball joint that came mounted on the UCA or put the whole new ball joint in? I can't swap the seal only as I'd intended as they are a different shape and it won't fit properly but I reckon I can get a new rubber seal from a local supplier. The uninstalled ball joint looks to have even shallower threads that the one I took off and the seal is very tight and doesn't really fit over the ball joint although it might with a bit of grease/coaxing.