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Youll be able to feel a popping or youll see it move. Install upper castle end nut.
Place a long bar usually a pry par under the tire.
How to change upper ball joints. Upper Ball Joint Replacement. This video will show you how to replace the Upper Control Arm Ball Joint on a Chevy Trailblazer GMC Envoy etc. With the wrench remove the largest nut from the joint replace with the new nut and then drive the pickle fork between.
By putting the castellated nut on before hammering away youll avoid having the ball joint pop completely out and drop. Bolt the Ball joint to the hub first and then to the A arm. Put a small jack under the geared hub and raise it until the new ball joint bolt is through the upper geared hub hole.
Hand tighten the slotted nut. Line up the new ball joint and drop the 4 bolts and washers into the holes. How to Replace the Upper Control Arm Ball Joint Step 1.
Raise the front of the vehicle and support it by the frame with jack stands. Remove the front wheels using the. Place the floor jack under the lower control arm as close to the ball joint as possible.
Raise the jack until it. Replacing ball joints isnt usually too difficult given a few special tools. To break the taper loose theres a tool called a pickle fork.
Then if the ball joint is a press-fit a special ball joint press is used with various adapters to fit various models. After ball joint replacement the alignment does need to be re-done. Knock each ball joint out of the housing and remove the knuckle.
Remove the snap ring from the lower ball joint. Remove the old ball joints with a press or a hammer. Use a ball joint press to install new ball joints.
Reinstall the knuckle into the housing and loosely install the nuts on the ball joints. Tighten each to manufacturer specs. Removing an upper ball joint with a hammer.
How to Replace Ball Joints Step 1 Jack up the vehicle and gain access to the ball joint. Set the parking brake and block the rear wheels. Step 2 Remove the brakes and the rotor optional.
Although you can replace the lower ball joint without removing the. Step 3. Replacing a Lower Control Arm Ball Joint.
Learn how to replace a lower ball joint by pressing it out of the control arm and pressing the new one back in. The easiest way to remove your upper ball joints is with a special socket see picture below. There are three different sizes for A B and C-bodies.
A-body - 1809 1960-72 A bodies. Lift the car at the control arm close to the lower ball joint about two inches off the ground. Place a long bar usually a pry par under the tire.
Lift it up slightly and feel for play in the upper ball joint. Youll be able to feel a popping or youll see it move. Using needle-nose pliers remove the snap ring thats on the upper side of the lower ball joint.
Use the ball joint press with the proper collets to push the old ball joint down through the lower control arm. There may only be a single arm to take off or there may be several. Because the joints are part of a much larger system most of the system will need to be taken off to allow for smooth removal of the joints.
Then the ball joints themselves can be taken off and replaced with new ones. Front ball joints connect the suspension control arms to the steering knuckles. Their ball shape allows the suspension to move up and down and the wheels to pivot when you turn the steering wheel.
Remove upper ball joint nut and use hammer on the stem end or spindle arm until the ball joint pops out. Push the upper control arm down to get new ball joint in place. Install upper castle end nut.
A ball joint replacement cost varies depending on the model and make of your car. If your car has four ball joints then it will definitely cost more. However the average price to replace one ball joint is 200.
This can still go up or down. If you plan on replacing four ball joints then this can amount to 1000 or more. The upper ball joint is held into the A-arm with three rivets from the factory.
These have to be removed by drilling grinding or chiseling the heads off and then using a punch drive the rivet out. The lower ball joint is pressed in. Remove the castle nut and the ball joint should come out.
In general luxury or exotic vehicles will be at the upper end of the price range for this repair. To replace one or two ball joints CostHelper readers report paying 260-1450 for an average of 522. To replace four ball joints CostHelper readers report paying 360-2000 with an average price of 677.