I have replaced the lower ball joints on my 69 and have a question on the press fit of the ball joints> Is there a tool to press these in the lower A frame , or is it a machine shop problem?
Anybody do this themselves?

Thanks
Dave

[This message has been edited by 69454Malibu (edited 01-14-2001).]

There is a tool to press these in with. It is called a Ball joint press (go figure). It looks like a real big "C" clamp. About 100 bucks or so.

JJ

Yikes! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/eek.gif
100 bucks is a lot.
I wonder if AZ has them?
I heard you can get any tool they have for the cost of the tool. Your money is refunded in full when you return it.
Think I'll give that a try.
Thanks JJ

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Dave
"Fire all your guns at once and
Explode into space."
Steppenwolf "Born to be Wild"

Dave the $100 is about what the labor charge would be if you took the car to a front end shop and had them replace the ball joints. The zone or csk both should have them for rent. Best way to go unless your in to having lots of tools. Philip

Dave, I just re did the front end on my 66.
I took the ball joints to a machine shop. They did the lowers ball joints and the bushings in the upper and lower A arms for $40.

I watched him press the lowers and he used every bit of his hydralic press. The guy was swinging on the handle to get them pressed in. I doubt I could have done the job with any portable unit.

Larry

Philip, have you or anyone else used one of these tools to do that?

There is one in Harbor Freight for under $100. It also claims to press in and out control arm bushings.

I had a friend who would take anything I had to his alignment shop with him and he never charged me a thing. As of last year he no longer works there and now I would like to be able to do them myself. Any suggestion on these tools? I gotta get one!



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-Mark TC# 717
ACES #1641
1967 Chevelle SS396/375 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/1BadRat2)(20 year old Polaroid pics. Sorry)
1964 Chevelle 283/195
1975 Corvette 396/375 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/1BadRat1.jpg) Looks are very deceiving!

We sell the "OTC" ball joint press set for 119.95 minus a 10% discount when ordered out of our cataloge. Part # OTC 7249. Page 23, top right. ($107.95 free shipping in the US). You can request a cataloge and we'll send one out to you. www.mobiletools1.com (http://www.mobiletools1.com)

Robert
When you go to the site click on "Specials"
Go to the Ball joint special and It's 91.00 this month.

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69 LeMans Blue Coupe
ZZ-502/502
http://www.geocities.com/mobiletools1/Mvc-440f.jpg www.mobiletools1.com (http://www.mobiletools1.com)

[This message has been edited by mobiletools (edited 01-15-2001).]

I bought a press from Harbour Freight for $100 (12 ton) and don't know how I did without it. Sure, it's cheap, but it gets the job done. Came through the mail in 3 boxes and goes together easy. I used to struggle with a bench vice and a 3" diameter 3"long pipe to put lowers in (control arm removed).

Mark I have a Snap On brand ball joint press and have used it quite a bit. The nice thing is being able to do it on the car. Saves the work of removing the lower arm if only a ball joint is needed.

I did mine ghetto style. My friend and I heated up the ring that the ball joint goes into, frose the ball joint, and used a cupped piece of metal that fit over the backside of the joint, and just sent that biaaatch in with a dead blow hammer

Bee-bro wuz on.He dint trip on no ball joint, he was freekin.He laid down that bone-hone wit a ded blo,shiiit.
Now thats getto style.

Well, BBD is in Utah about now or flying over me right now, so I can't ask him if he
really did that for sure. I was thinking about trying something like that.
If not, I am going to hit autozone sunday and see if I can "rent" something like that
Snap-On deal. THERE IS NO WAY I AM TAKING THE LOWER CONTROL ARM OUT ONE MORE TIME!