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Help with lower ball joint removal?install?
#1
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Help with lower ball joint removal?install?
Im having a hell of a time getting these out. I have a 98 camaro. I rented the ball joint tool from autzone and it is too small to go over the a-arm to press out the old joint. Is their a better way to do this? I want to do it on the car. I will up load some pics if needed thanks for any info.
#2
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just sayin........have fun doing them on the car. I took mine off because i did the bushings at the same time, and i sanded/painted my arms Black. The easiest way for me to to them was a Arbor press and use a bunch of different sockets/ blocks of metal to hold the arm level to push them out. The was the Arm is angled you have to shim it up in the press to get it straight to press it out. After trial and error i got them out and in no problem. Was a pain in the *** thou, but not too bad.
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just sayin........have fun doing them on the car. I took mine off because i did the bushings at the same time, and i sanded/painted my arms Black. The easiest way for me to to them was a Arbor press and use a bunch of different sockets/ blocks of metal to hold the arm level to push them out. The was the Arm is angled you have to shim it up in the press to get it straight to press it out. After trial and error i got them out and in no problem. Was a pain in the *** thou, but not too bad.
#4
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+1 on the arbor press. Jegs is running a special on their 12 ton press, I picked it up and with the combination of receiver cups from the autozone ball joint tool, it was a breeze. Just bite the bullet and take them off, then treat your car to an alignment.
I'll be doing my bushings and painting the arms today, should be a nice feel when I get them installed.
I'll be doing my bushings and painting the arms today, should be a nice feel when I get them installed.
#5
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Yea, i got some new UMI lower A-arms when i bought my new K-member.....still have to install them...So on a funny note, i am going to have a set of freshly painted Stock lower A-arms with brand new ball joints and Bushings for sale. Looks like i did all the work to save someone else the time of doing them haha.
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Yeah I'm taking them off and going to try to press them out at work. Does the steering rack need to come off? I'm having a clearance issue when tryin to knock the bolt out. (the horizontal one in the front) the bolt in the bushing towards the door ( the vertical bolt) do I just knock it up thru from the bottom?
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#8
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no the rack does not have to come off, but you do have to pull the boot back, my advise is just buy new rack boots while your at it. and just a word of wisdom the aftermarket rack boots are wayyyy to tight to get the small end back on. I had to make a slit in it to slide it over and then clamp it back down.
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Well im trying to get the front lower control arm (a-arm) off. Im really having a tuff time getting the one bushing bolt to come out? The one if your looking at where the tire would be to the right.( the vertical one? Any tips advice? Thanks
#14
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I know it sounds crazy, but I dropped the k-member about three inches and cut the top and bottom of the bolts off with a plasma cutter then slid the arm out. I had already gotten new bolts from GM and had bushings waiting because I anticipated this problem.
I had tried hammering, heating, an air chisel and nearly everything else I could think of without removing the sub frame except a block of C4 explosives (I figure if the sub frame is coming out, the engine and trans are coming apart for wholesale upgrades and I wasn't ready for that).
One guy on this forum took his entire k-member out and hammered the snot out of it on the ground to get his out.
Needless to say I greased the crap out of all the new bolts when I reassembled everything.
I had tried hammering, heating, an air chisel and nearly everything else I could think of without removing the sub frame except a block of C4 explosives (I figure if the sub frame is coming out, the engine and trans are coming apart for wholesale upgrades and I wasn't ready for that).
One guy on this forum took his entire k-member out and hammered the snot out of it on the ground to get his out.
Needless to say I greased the crap out of all the new bolts when I reassembled everything.
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Well still stuck... Burned and beat on it all day. Burned all the rubber out. I can get the bolt and inner bushing sleeve to move but it's still fused together. Idk if I'm ready to lower the k member yet? I tried the saws all and it won't cut thru bushing sleeve?
#19
I'm going through the same thing right now. Keep me posted on how it turns out. I'm considering taking the K-member out myself. I've tried everything.. even lifted the car from that bolt with a jack, just lifted it up off the jack stands.
http://camaroforums.com/forum/4th-ge...bushing-66242/
http://camaroforums.com/forum/4th-ge...bushing-66242/
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W GW makes some quality parts, my sub connectors are theirs.
What do you guys think of these? I might just try them out...http://www.globalwest.net/1082.html