Do these upper a-arm ball joint threads look OK?

[Cranky]

NEW, upper control arms never have threads in them.
They are manufactured bare, smooth.
The ball joint, to be inserted in the UCA, cuts the threads.
Then forever, and ever, that control arm will have the "threads" that a replacement ball joint should follow, in tightening down.
If not, just tack weld the ball joint, to the arm, in 3 or 4 spots, and your done.
Easy, peasy.

View attachment 1463457

I guess the one I thought was new wasn't.....

 

[AR67GTX]

New! I almost never get to work with new parts.

 

[AR67GTX]

Got the bushings in fine but trying to get the Moog ball joints to thread in straight into the a-arm has been a real chore. They do not want to start straight. I finally had to hand seat them, keeping the distance from the ball joint nut to the a-arm equal on 4 sides, but every time I try to start it with a ratchet or electric impact it wants to shift or cock in this direction or that. The threads in the a-arms are just plain fubar‘d - not sure what was done to them. I managed to get one started by tightening it slightly with an electric impact about 1/8 turn, straighten it with a brass punch and hammer, turn it another 1/8 turn, straighten it by punch, tighten another 1/8 turn, straighten, etc. I finally have it about half in and looking straight but to go any further I’m going to have to switch to my pneumatic impact or just wait until they can be mounted in the car.

Is it a bad idea to run these down with a big impact? Is that just asking for a stripped a-arm? What my vice is mounted to is too small to use for this. It’s going to take every bit of that 125 ft-lbs to tighten these down.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

All I ever use on upper ball joints is my big impact... I don't mount the arm in a vise or on the car. I hold it in one hand & the impact in the other & I've done hundreds without ever having an issue...

I start the ball joint by hand turning it backwards till I feel it drop into the thread, then I turn it forward till it stops, visually confirm it's straight and run it home with big gun....

 

[AR67GTX]

What I wanted to hear. It’s in enough now it shouldn’t twist around any more so the impact it is.

thanks

 

[AR67GTX]

I guess the threads on the first one were just messed up. The second one screwed right down, square on the first attempt.

 

[Moparfiend]

I guess the threads on the first one were just messed up. The second one screwed right down, square on the first attempt.

Sorry to dig up an old thread @AR67GTX but did you use an impact to drive in both upper ball joints? Did you do this in the car or in a vice? Just curious as I thought an impact would make for a loose fit?

 

[AR67GTX]

Man, I’ve slept since this. It looks like I used an impact to seat them working on my bench. I told the owner that we would need to re-tighten them with a big break over bar when he mounted them on the car. Unfortunately his car has been in paint jail for 5 years now and last week he was talking about a jailbreak. Hope we can remember to do that if he ever gets it back.

 

[Cranky]

Sorry to dig up an old thread @AR67GTX but did you use an impact to drive in both upper ball joints? Did you do this in the car or in a vice? Just curious as I thought an impact would make for a loose fit?

The impact I have doesn't make for a loose fit....but if you buy crap made in China, you might find ball joints that won't tighten up no matter what and can nearly be screwed on by hand. Ended up tack welding them after talking it over with the owner. I found out that was a somewhat common thing to do. Also sometimes the stem is too long and the castle nut ends up past the cotter pin hole.

 

[Moparfiend]

The impact I have doesn't make for a loose fit....but if you buy crap made in China, you might find ball joints that won't tighten up no matter what and can nearly be screwed on by hand. Ended up tack welding them after talking it over with the owner. I found out that was a somewhat common thing to do. Also sometimes the stem is too long and the castle nut ends up past the cotter pin hole.

Eccentricity of the impact?

 

[Cranky]

Eccentricity of the impact?

It's pretty stout but don't remember how much torque it puts up.....it's pneumatic and not an EV model and run it at around 110 psi instead of 90

 

[eldubb440]

post 24

 

[Moparfiend]

It's pretty stout but don't remember how much torque it puts up.....it's pneumatic and not an EV model and run it at around 110 psi instead of 90

So are you @Cranky saying using a weak impact gun wont drive them in or using a shitty impact gun will strip or destroy the threads?

 

[Moparfiend]

post 24

Yes I read that wildrt uses impact exclusively. Just trying to understand Cranky’s comment @Cranky

 

[AR67GTX]

The reason I’ve used an impact is that I had one that was so tight on my 67 GTX that with a 30” break over bar, I almost pulled the entire car over, off the Jack stands and didn’t budge it. It rattled me when I released pressure on the bar and saw the car rack over on the jackstands. So my impact came out and made short work of that. And if working on a bench you are probably not going to be able to tighten a ball joint fully in an a-arm in a vice unless you have a really heavy and stable bench. If you mount the a-arm in the car first, then you can get away with a break over bar to seat them fully.

 

[dvw]

A little antisieze helps. I've always installed them by hand with the arm mounted on the car. Upper ball joints are seldom bad anyway.
Doug