ball joint innstalation

[davemustaine]

Help with ball joint installation.
Anyone have pics installation tips for how too on the topic

[MEZZZ]

http://www.atlanticz.ca/
go to tech tips at the top of the page. Alot of useful info on rebuilding the suspension along with photos. Not sure if there is a section on ball joints but great nonetheless. I replaced mine when I did the front end. I am pretty inept working on cars but figured it out. BTW, I went with Moog brand ball joints

[Blue]

here are some photos:

[davemustaine]

Thanks i really happy whith youre help. Thanks. i got the ball joints from motorsport auto, did only take them a week to ship them overseas, and thats great, also great customer support for us foreign reetards

[Zealous]

Any tips on how to actually get the ball joint into the strut tube and then getting the holes aligned so the bolts can go in, for the front of 1972 240z?

I have looked around but no tips. Is there an easy way? I have struggled with this for awhile and have not been able to get them to mount. Do I need a big burley friend force the shock up while I get the ball joint in? Would a small jack help? I tried compressing the springs (tokico 280z on a 240z with illuminas). Then forcing it up but the shock doesn't want to compress much at all or not enough to get the ball joint in. I also tried using a small jack but the assembly moves around. Any tips?

[Arne]

Big pry bar. Place the bar over the TC rod with the end under the cross member. Pry down on the TC rod.

[Zealous]

Arne are you saying attach the TC rod first? I got them apart. Trying to put them back together. I have them the way that blue has them in his first picture in post 3. But need to get the ball joint into the bottom of the strut.

Is it easier to keep the ball joint on the strut tube bottom and then connect them after to the lower arm? I tried that too but couldn't get them lined up into the lower arm holes.

[Arne]

Bolt the ball joint into the LCA. Loosely attach the LCA to the cross member. Install the TC rod (doesn't have to be all the way tight at the frame rail). Install the steering knuckle to the ball joint stud. Then use the big pry bar to pry the LCA down and under the bottom of the strut housing.

[Zealous]

Thanks Arne, I managed to get the drivers side in last night after struggling for a few hours trying to align the bottom of the strut with ball joint. In case anyone searches in the future the best way I found to do it was put the ball joint on the Lower Control Arm (LCA). Attach it to the steering knuckle. Use a screw driver through the steering arm bolts that will go onto the strut tube bottom. Align the holes so they are pointing towards the car past vertical when you swing the lower control arm up. Then it is a bit of fiddling to get the bolts in. If you have just painted run the bolts through the threads before all this to clear out any excess point. Then tighten them up. Using Arne's method above pry the TC rod into place bolt up and then reconnect the front sway bar if you have one. Then torque everything to the right settings. Having done it now it is much easier to do the other side. The trick is in getting the ball joint and strut tube bottom aligned.

[Blue]

A scissor jack under the control arm sometimes can help depending on the part and geometry.

[Zealous]

I also found that a small jack under the ball joint helped get the LCA in place for the TC rod.