quick help... Ball joint spinning

[71_307]

So I'm trying to tighten my lower ball joint and I can get the nut 3/4 of the way up then the ball joint just spins.. Ive had this happen befor but I had more room to hold the thread with needle nose pliers..

anyone have any tips for holding it still when there is no room left to stick somthing in there to hold the threads still???


Thanks.

[RacH22]

The best method I found is to use a jack under the bottom of the hub and then use a board to keep the top of the hub from raising, then jack it up until it's got enough pressure on it to not spin.. Hope this helps..

[71_307]

thanks.. I'll give that a shot.

[71_307]

hmm i don't really have anything that I can wedge up in there.. would in essence just lowering the car back on the ground have the same effect?


THanks

[RacH22]

That will work, but you'll need to have something under the lower control arm so it puts pressure on it as you lower the car, whatever you put under it should be extremely strong(cinderblock=big no,no).. You'll need something that can keep it high enough for your hands and tools to get under there and tighten it also, I recommend a second jack but if that's not an option, choose very wisely..

Also keep in mind that you wont be able to have a jackstands under the car doing it this way which makes putting your hands under the hub assembly to tighten it EXTREMELY dangerous. I highly reccomend trying your best to find something to wedge in there before using this method.

[C91BLX7]

Get a hold of a impact.

[71_307]

sorry I should of wrote. with the tire on the car.

[92bently]

take a large pair of channel locks and squeeze the spindle and the control arm...that should give u the pressure u need on the balljoint to tighten it up

[..gzagenius]

leave it alone!


can of worms lol

[lucid]

take a large pair of channel locks and squeeze the spindle and the control arm...that should give u the pressure u need on the balljoint to tighten it up

x2, this is what my repair manuals always recommend too. An impact does help. If your bj stud has stripped threads, you'll have to back up and fix things. Good Luck.

[Chrisisiced]

Or like someone else recommended to me was to have an assistant (preferrably a heavy one) stand on the rotor and also put hands under the fender to apply as much pressure as possible to the rotor while you then try to tighten the ball joint. Worked for me

Also you never want to be putting any type of tools or grips on the ball joint threads because once you strip the threads you're pretty screwed.

Its good practice that whenever you're removing the ball joint to put the nut back on the threads when you have the joint out so that gives you the piece of mind that threads shouldnt get damaged.

[71_307]

Hey guys thanks for the tips again.. they way I ended up doit was ( and seems alot easy then other tips posted) I jacked up the car then placed a jacks stand under the lower control arm right near the lower ball joint and lowered the car down ever so slowly onto the jack stand just till there was enough pressure on the ball joint..

[lucid]

Victorious secrets. Congrats .