http://homepage.mac.com/jafro/.Pictu...2civswap11.jpg

On this picture it shows the guy using 2 brake clamps to fasten the joint in place. How would you go about doing this without brake clamps?

http://homepage.mac.com/jafro/.Pictu...2civswap08.jpg

In this pic.. the tool that he is using.. is it just some regular set of plyers or something and exactly what is he doing? Is he pulling the stud out?

http://homepage.mac.com/jafro/.Pictu...2civswap09.jpg

When taking out this ring do you need to relub it or just keep it bare when you put it back in?

 

Cool! People actually use my DIY's. Thanks, glad to see it.

Ideally, you'd use a bearing press with the whole hub assembly and brake line removed from the car, but I used the 2 welding clamps to press it in so I wouldn't have to do all that. That's way too much work. I was just being creative.

Without them... 2 pairs of big channel locks and brute force? A block of wood (to keep from damaging the new ball joint) and a hammer (this really doesn't work well if you're impatient)? Maybe a LARGE deep socket and a 10" C-clamp? It's a tight fit, and leverage is key. You need equal pressure across the back face of the ball joint or it will bind and get stuck.

Those are snap-ring pliers. There's a ring that goes around the bottom of the ball joint that fits inside a groove to hold it in place. You have to remove it to get the ball joint out, and install it after the new one goes in. These pliers have pins on the end that fit in holes on the snap ring. Once in place, squeezing these pliers spreads the ring open enough to remove it from the groove. These pliers are really cheap.

Nah. Not necessary. Your hubs have sealed bearings. If you see grease on it, it's probably from a previous axle failure. That's why I ripped that hub apart to begin with.

If you visit www.harborfreight.com, you can find all of these tools REALLY CHEAP!!!!. Advance, Pep Boys, AutoZone and Nappa will all sell them, too. Probably not the welding clamps, but those should be easy to find elsewhere.

 

Thanks.

How much did you pay for the clamps?

 

Nothing. I borrowed them.

Here...
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=1167

One pair costs $1 more than my lower ball joint did. Do you know anyone that welds? If so, they may have them.

I've never even checked what the service manual reccommends to use, so don't go spending $40 on two of these until you do that first.

 

thanks for the info

 

you should be able to get a ball joint press from auto zone, you pay for the press and thay give you your money back when you return it, check more than one autozone in case the nearest one dosent have it

 

Screw the press. I did it all on my own.

Since i was going to throw out the old joint and all I just manslaughtered it by ripping whats left of the boot and tearing apart that damn ring. After that was done I simply hammered the joint out of the socket which wasnt hard at all. I then took the new joint and greesed the sides of it. Placed it in the correct position. The easiest way I pressed it in was used a hammer! I didnt hammer it dead on. What I did was lightly tap the left side of the top then the right and continued in that order for for a good amount of time till it went in all the way which it did. Afterwards I took a pair of needly nose pliers and put the points in the holes of the ring then spreaded it out. I finnaly inserted the ring around the join and Presto!

Easy as pie!

 

Now that's using your melon. You just discovered the same kind of inginuity that I found when using the welding clamps. Those weren't the reccommended tools for the job. Tehy just werkeded.

Dont be afraid to use a Big Farkin' Hammer if'n when you get bent. Sometimes that's what it takes.

 

I wouldnt sudjest using the hammer freely on the top of the joint when installing it cause I really dont know what impact it will exactly do to the insides since its sealed which is why I lightly tapped it from side to side so it will eventually fit into place.

 

I use the same method with the hammer, I just use a socket and pound on that. Starting it staright in the bore is key, you don't want to have to pound it back it out. Tap (pound) around the edge of the socket and it will go in. Some of the ball joints don't have the groove for the snap ring, so you will be pounding on it waiting till the groove shows up, which it never will. I currently have this type installed (no snap ring), probably 75,000 miles still good.