Upper Ball Joint

[mightymopar]

Hi Guys, On my 67 Coronet 500 I am replacing the pitman arm and am also trying to replace the rubber cup on the upper ball joint, the one that goes in the upper arm assembly. On top there is a big nut that has to come off and I cant seem to get it. I've tried a chisel to try to jar it loose and big channel locks and a pipe wrench. Could it be possibly left hand threads? Or is there something I'm overlooking? Thanks, Dave

 

[Coronet 500]

That nut is the ball joint, it is right hand thread and a proper ball joint socket with a large flex handle is the best way to remove it.If you only want to replace the rubber boot, remove the cotter pin, castle nut and ball joint stud from the steering knuckle and slide it on.The ball joint dosn't need to be removed from the control arm to replace the boot.

 

[jdhreiss]

The socket is available for about 60.00. I took mine to a machine shop and paid 20.00 to have them taken out after I tried the chisel, pipe wrench, and heat methods. The machine shop guys said they had a very hard time with it also.

 

[ga66mopar]

That is not easly to get off even with the correct socket. I used a 3/4 impact and even with 300 lbs of air it came off very slow. Don't want to discourage you but alot of people have problems with this.

 

[rrunner]

That is not easly to get off even with the correct socket. I used a 3/4 impact and even with 300 lbs of air it came off very slow. Don't want to discourage you but alot of people have problems with this.

I use my I.R. 1/2 impact with 125psi at the gun, never had a issue and I've done more than my fair share. But as stated earlier, if you are trying to change the greese boot the balljoint will not need to be removed.

 

[mightymopar]

Thank you one and all, I'm gonna borrow the socket kit from Advance Auto.

 

[rrunner]

Thank you one and all, I'm gonna borrow the socket kit from Advance Auto.

Unless you are changing the balljoint, you don't need to remove it. If you only want to change the greese boot you need to support the lower control arm remove the cotter pin at the top of the spindle, remove the nut, use a splitter fork or hit the side of the spindle where the nut was with a hammer to seperate the balljoint from the spindle. Then just change the boot, if you are changing the B.J. you will still need to do all listed before unsrewing the B.J.