I have never messed with suspension before, so replacing the ball joints on my 78 Sedan should be quite a learning experience!
My question is, do I need to remove the entire upper/lower control arm(s) to replace the joints? I can't remember if it has the original joints on it or replacements, I will have to double check. If original, I might be removing them to cut off the factory ball joint slugs. If they are bolted on, can I replace them with the arms still on the car?
Yes you should be able to replace the ball joints leaving the control arms on the car. However if they have never been replaced before you are going to have to drill out the factory rivits. You should be fine, just make sure you are careful with the spring.
Yeah, the spring is what I'm worried about. I don't want that damn thing flying out and decapitating me or something!
What type of advice can you guys give me?
Counter pressure under the spring, You can use a jack or you can loosen the nut on the ball joint before you even take the tire off the car. (this is via one of the Shows that i watch alot.) I have ot had to do this yet on my car. thought i think that it might be time to do them.
When I do suspension work, I typically support the car from the frame, using jackstands. A floor jack is what I use to compress and release the spring pressure. The stock springs will not come out unless you unhook the swaybar endlinks. Even then they will require a little help from a crow bar if the lower control arms are left in. You just need to make sure when you loosen the spindle from the ball joint, the spring pressure is controlled.
I'm having trouble getting the original ball joints out. I ground off the heads on the top of the rivets but I can't find any way to get htem out or pop the joint away from them. Any ideas?
Well ,
Here's how I did it.. grind off rivet heads, Select drill bit size half the diameter of the rivet shank, Punch the rivet dead center with center punch to start drill, Drill through the thickness of the rivet and control arm. Take a 5 lb sledge and drift punch , whack severely, repeat, DO NOT pean the rivet over the edge of the hole. I did this on the car, with the car and control arm supported with stands and floor jack under the control arm (lower) to control the spring tension.
Then the rest is easy..
Pintosopher
I have been up since I got off of work this morning (7 AM). I started working on it around 8 AM and I am just finishing the driver's side. All that is left to do on the drivers side is to secure the lower control arm, install the shock and mount the brakes. Tomorrow I will do the passenger side, should be fairly easy.
Dad gave me a good idea for cutting out the old rivets though! Cut a cross through the rivet with the Dremel, so the head of the rivet is in four pieces, then chop the head off with a chisel. Should be much easier than trying to cut through a solid metal slug, and the Dremel cuts through steel like butter!
This has GOT to be the worst thing to DIY.....ugh. Well worth the savings in the end though. Les Schwab wants $650 to do all my ball joints. I got the parts for $120 shipped, and a few days of down time!
I did find one bad thing during disassembly though... I purchased new Classic (brand) shocks last February for the car, from Autozone. They were cheap, and a lifetime warrenty, can't beat that...Actually you can. The shocks are dead. They compress but don't retract. Passenger side one does, but VERY slowly. I went to Autozone today with my receipt and they ordered a new set for me, should be in on Saturday, we shall see though. When I bought them last year they came from two different places and one showed up on time while the other was two days late.
Ball joints, not for the impatient, or those who cut corners. Do it right the first time and save yourself a headache, time, life, and possibly even your LIFE.
I insist that I do not send my car to a shop for anything but an alignment or body work, which will remain true as long as I have the will power to learn something new about working on the car, or until I become to old to really care. lol