Removing the old.
Upper ball joints:
The old upper ball joints will be riveted in place by 4 rivets holding the top plate of the ball joint to the upper control arm. Just chisel off the rivet heads or drill the rivets out and the ball joint will simply pull out of the topside of the upper control arm.
Just clean everything up and you’re ready to install new ball joints. See here how to do this.
Lower ball joints:
Support the lower control arm so that it doesn’t bounce about in the following steps. Well-placed blocks of wood on a hard floor is suitable. Here the control arm is separated from the rest of the subframe, but it doesn’t need to be, the next few steps will work just as well with the control arm still on the car.
Put the old castle nut upside down on the ball joint to be removed, flush with the top of the ball joint stud. This increases the likelihood of hitting and the effectiveness of your hammer blows. So now, hit hard with a big hammer on top of the ball joint. After enough hits the ball joint stud should knock a backing plate off and fall out the backside.
There is still the housing for the old ball joint to remove:
Hit it with a hammer, it will eventually break free and then fall out.
Just clean everything up and you’re ready to install new ball joints. See here how to do this.
Installing the new.
Will be updated as soon as I install mine.
thanks for the help
how much should I charge for these repairs of the ball joints .
i’m doing a 67 firebird 400 and am down to the subframe, should I keep the control arms that came with the car or get tubular arms? what is your opinion?
I just want better handling
what are the advantages of tubular verses the original a arms?
the only thing I’ve found on the internet is that tubular arms provide better handling but are stiffer and they usually lower the vehicle with a semi deep to a deep spring pocket.
I don’t want to lower my car and the only advantage I found of coil overs is that they are adjustable.
thanks
Tom Diamond
USN-Retired