Lateral arm ball joint - make it stop spinning!

[99gst_racer]

So, we're putting Sewey_GSX's 2G back together, and I'm running into a problem that I've never dealt with before.

No matter what we do, we just can't keep the ball joint on the lateral arm from spinning while trying to tighten the nut. I've never even had this piece off my car, so I don't know any tricks for getting it back on.

So, how about it? Any secrets, tricks, or methods that we can try that keep me from pulling my hair out?

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[Diamondrev]

you need to compress it. put your jack under it and lift up the car on the ball joint. its a tappered fit so put the cars load on it and it wont spin. just did mine 3 months ago.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Usually Paul if that is spinning it is because there is too much movement in the ball and socket and that warrants replacement of the arm. You can however apply pressure to it from below with a jack to help if you want to get it on for now.

 

[rlacasse1]

Use the jack. Have to do it everytime to my car.

 

[Diamondrev]

Usually Paul if that is spinning it is because there is too much movement in the ball and socket and that warrants replacement of the arm. You can however apply pressure to it from below with a jack to help if you want to get it on for now.

its going to spin regardless. new or old, otherwise the spindal wont move to make turns.

 

[Calan]

On my front ball joints, I've had luck by pushing it to one side or prying upwards under the hub while tightening the nut.

You just have to find some way to put friction on the ball or shaft from underneath (as others said with the jack), or against the nut.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

its going to spin regardless. new or old, otherwise the spindal wont move to make turns.

There is a difference between spinning for the spindle and freely rotating. Now that is freely moves, it is going to start to move in the socket all the time and start to burr out the socket and eventually it will start to get up and down play in it. I am more preventative than waiting til it REALLY starts to break.

 

[Diamondrev]

There is a difference between spinning for the spindle and freely rotating. Now that is freely moves, it is going to start to move in the socket all the time and start to burr out the socket and eventually it will start to get up and down play in it. I am more preventative than waiting til it REALLY starts to break.

good to know. I remember up and down play on my front control arms. There is a recall on these and I got them replaced at mitsubishi. I replaced my curved ones.

Make sure your car doesnt fall under the recall. if it does get it fixed asap at the dealer or trouble.

 

[99gst_racer]

We already tried the jack method last night. It didn't work at all. It seems that while jacking it up, the only downward force is gravity on the entire knuckle. And that didn't seem to be enough to "lock" the BJ studd in place.

I'm going to pull it all apart tonight and I'll clean everything really really well. I'll try the jack method again and I'm hoping it will be a bit easier if it's cleaner. Maybe some vice grips will help hold the BJ tight to the spindle...?

Thanks for the replies, guys.

 

[Auto RS T]

Chase the threads on the stud while holding it with a pliers/vice grips. Then drop the nut in a vice and tap it. Should fall together for you Paul.

 

[rlacasse1]

When i used the jack on one side i had to jack up the arm until the car came up off the jack stands. That is when it quit spinning. The other side i hardly had to jack on though.

 

[99gst_racer]

Thanks guys. I'll report back some time tomorrow or Friday and let you know how it went.

 

[housegsx]

We already tried the jack method last night. It didn't work at all. It seems that while jacking it up, the only downward force is gravity on the entire knuckle. And that didn't seem to be enough to "lock" the BJ studd in place.

I'm going to pull it all apart tonight and I'll clean everything really really well. I'll try the jack method again and I'm hoping it will be a bit easier if it's cleaner. Maybe some vice grips will help hold the BJ tight to the spindle...?

Thanks for the replies, guys.

First, make sure the threads are clean if it's not a new lateral arm. Then take a small wire wheel or scotch brite and clean up the inside of the knuckle where the taper of the balljoint seat. Then smear a couple drops of lock-tite on the taper and put it in the knuckle. Put the jack under the control arm at the balljoint and jack it up until starts to lift the car. Then wait an hour and tighten the nut while the jack is still supporting the car.

Also, I find that the balljoint is less likely to turn in the joint if you tighten it with hard, fast movement of the wrench each time instead of just trying to push on it slow and easy hoping not to spin it.

 

[Rilla]

Having this same problem right now. The jacking method doesnt work because the weight of the knuckle assembly is the only thing pushing down on the taper fit. I'll try to get a little loctite in there but Ive already started to thread the nut on and the ball just spins trying to back it off also. This is one more reason why I'll say they designed these ball joints upside down. How easy would it be if the weight of the car pushed this fitting into place. And, more importantly, in terms of reliability, the side of the ball that supports the cars weight would be a full half sphere instead of the side with the stud on it. Go figure there have been so many failures.

Edit: Ok, got it to work. The key is to jack up the lateral arm without the strut fork attached yet

 

[Talipse96]

I know this is old but was reading this thread and I don't know why somebody hasn't figured it out. I always used an impact on it, it will spin the nut off faster than the stud can rotate. That way it comes off fast. Works for me everytime.
Once again, I know this is old.

 

[96 420a-t]

Zombie thread!

Place a block of wood on your upper arm so when you jack. It up it will lock thus tranferring the cars weight onto the lower balljoint. That or use a prybar in the spring to push down on the upper am.

At lest some one can find this useful.

 

[Yamahaulin]

Zombie thread!

Place a block of wood on your upper arm so when you jack. It up it will lock thus tranferring the cars weight onto the lower balljoint. That or use a prybar in the spring to push down on the upper am.

At lest some one can find this useful.

That's the trick!

 

[bigbird25]

Jacking up the hub does work. It puts pressure on the ball joint since its a tapered type of joint. Applying pressure eliminates the axial and radial play which causes the joint to move freely. That is why the ball jointbas a cover so that grease is stored inside in between the joints housing and the actual joint. A dial indicator can be used to measure the play of the ball joint (axial and radial). Use these dial type indicators all the time on the Blackhawk I work on.