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Press in ball joint replacement on GW UCAs

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Old Dec 8, 2018 | 08:27 PM
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Default Press in ball joint replacement on GW UCAs

Hey guys, I have an email into Global West and would've called but cust support isnt open on weekends. Anyway, on my Cutlass I have the GW neg roll upper control arms and am curious if anyone has replaced the press in ball joints they have. There doesnt seem to be a lot of meat to get leverage in order to press them out. There isnt anything wrong with the ball joint I was curious if swapping to a tall ball joint would be feasible. Thanks!
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Old Dec 8, 2018 | 09:06 PM
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Your best bet is to wait until Monday and call Global West to get the gospel on upper ball joints, as you DO want to put tall uppers in there to get that geometry right...
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Old Dec 8, 2018 | 10:02 PM
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Oh yeah, going to call on Monday, I'm just impatient lol I actually have an old tall spindle setup now but will be going back to a stock spindle soon so yep, need to get that height back.
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Old Dec 9, 2018 | 01:39 AM
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I’m not sure what you mean by not enough leverage. The GW ball joints are definitely replaceable. You’re either going to use one of those giant C clamps or a shop press to remove/replace them.

If you like tinkering with suspension dial-in, this would be a good time to look at Howe BJs. They’re rebuildable and once the housing is pressed in you can swap between stock/+0.5/+0.9 ball studs without having to press the housing off.
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Old Dec 9, 2018 | 09:05 AM
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They are a press-in lower ballpoint from another GM application, They press-in and out like any normal application, using a press. I have had the CNR-88 arms since around 99.

Are you going with 1/2" longer upper, 1/2" longer lower? Have you already found longer ones for the uppers?
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Old Dec 9, 2018 | 09:29 AM
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Originally Posted by jmd
Are you going with 1/2" longer upper, 1/2" longer lower? Have you already found longer ones for the uppers?
That brings up a good point, I have no idea. According to Howe's website the only upper balljoints they have are either bolt or screw in. Seems to be the same across manufactures from all the searching I've done. If that's the case then I may just end up selling them and getting UCAs with bolt in balljoints.


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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 01:14 PM
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Welp, just got off the phone with GW and the ball joint has a weld in retaining ring and if it needs to be replaced for any reason they recommend sending it back to them and having them do it. Plus, even if I could get the ball joint out GW doesnt have a tall ball joint they can recommend for this UCA. Here is the ball joint they use, which is actually a lower ball joint, if anyone is curious:
Moog k6157
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 02:51 PM
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I am confused as to what exactly you are trying to accomplish...

Andrew
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 02:53 PM
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I need a UCA with a tall ball joint, was hoping I could use my current UCAs and have new ball joints pressed in but I guess not.
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 03:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Chocolate Apocalypse
I need a UCA with a tall ball joint, was hoping I could use my current UCAs and have new ball joints pressed in but I guess not.
Are you using the stock A-body spindles? SPC has a low cost UCA with tall ball joints, as do many other vendors. The better solution is the Speedtech arms and their AFX spindles.

Andrew
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 03:13 PM
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Yep, I'm going back to stock spindles. The Speedtech setup is nice and I got a quote from MCB, I just can't bring myself to drop that kinda money on them.
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 03:16 PM
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From: Little Austin
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Originally Posted by Chocolate Apocalypse
Yep, I'm going back to stock spindles. The Speedtech setup is nice and I got a quote from MCB, I just can't bring myself to drop that kinda money on them.
So what spindles are on there now?

Andrew
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 03:18 PM
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B-body spindles that came with my Baer brakes, will be swapping those to C6 brakes at the same time.
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 03:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Chocolate Apocalypse
B-body spindles that came with my Baer brakes, will be swapping those to C6 brakes at the same time.
I am pretty sure that the upper ball joint that you have now, that goes into the b-body spindle, is not going to work with the stock spindle. I did all this stuff years ago when I first built my 70 GTO. So you'll need new ball joints anyway...I would reconsider the AFX spindles, especially since you are planning on C6 brakes, which will bolt right up to the AFX spindles.

Andrew
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 04:02 PM
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Right, but KORE has C6 brake kits that bolt right up to the stock spindle (as well as the Speedtech spindle), I don't want dropped front spindles (even if it's just an inch) and I should come out about $800 ahead not going with the Speedtech parts. And since it's gonna cost about that much to get my HPI chassis brace kit installed it works out great. lol Now, if someone were to put a used pair of Speedtech spindles and steering arms up for sale on protouring or lateral-g I'd have to take a close look at them
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 04:25 PM
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From: Little Austin
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Originally Posted by Chocolate Apocalypse
Right, but KORE has C6 brake kits that bolt right up to the stock spindle (as well as the Speedtech spindle), I don't want dropped front spindles (even if it's just an inch) and I should come out about $800 ahead not going with the Speedtech parts. And since it's gonna cost about that much to get my HPI chassis brace kit installed it works out great. lol Now, if someone were to put a used pair of Speedtech spindles and steering arms up for sale on protouring or lateral-g I'd have to take a close look at them
Fair enough, but you still have a problem with the upper ball joint. It may even be worse, because I recall difference in KPA between the stock and Bbody spindle that require different control arms.

I think you need new control arms to use the stock spindles.

Andrew
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 04:36 PM
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Oh yeah, different control arms will be needed and I was planning on using these steering arms: GW steering arms
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 08:53 PM
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Well it’s too bad GW makes these arms out to be impossible to service (except by them, what are the odds right?).

Anyhow, you would probably be ahead of the game with new arms as you’re planning now. I’m running SPC UCA+LCA with Howe tall BJs and a Kore3 C5 setup on stock spindles on my 67 A body and its an awesome, somewhat budget friendly setup.
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 09:47 PM
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Yeah, it sucks cause the arms only have 500 miles on them, they may be old but they're in perfect shape. Oh well, when I got them they were the hot ticket but time marches on. I also have their LCAs so may be in the same boat if I ever need to replace those ball joints lol
Glad to hear you like the KORE/SPC combo, if the Speedtech spindles and arms were closer to $1000 it would be an easier pill to swallow. When I reached out to MCB to get a quote for black Friday the spindles and arms were $1580. They look like great pieces but I'm trying to be somewhat budget conscious.
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Old Dec 10, 2018 | 09:56 PM
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From: Little Austin
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Originally Posted by Chocolate Apocalypse
Yeah, it sucks cause the arms only have 500 miles on them, they may be old but they're in perfect shape. Oh well, when I got them they were the hot ticket but time marches on. I also have their LCAs so may be in the same boat if I ever need to replace those ball joints lol
Glad to hear you like the KORE/SPC combo, if the Speedtech spindles and arms were closer to $1000 it would be an easier pill to swallow. When I reached out to MCB to get a quote for black Friday the spindles and arms were $1580. They look like great pieces but I'm trying to be somewhat budget conscious.
I did the B-body to AFX spindle swap back in 2008 and have never been sorry. It's better to spend a little more now than to go back to stock spindles with C6 brakes. Just my 2 cents.

Andrew
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