BornChaos

Did lower ball joints today, but after an arbitrary amount of tightening the lower castle nut, any further tightening just turns the ball joint.... Is this supposed to happen? I'd like to get a little more torque on the castle nut, as the cotter pin doesn't slide through the hole with sufficient clearance. Any suggestions on how to do this? Or how to tighten the castle nut without turning the actual balljoint? I thought about vice gripping the threaded bolt of the balljoint then using an open ended wrench to turn the castle nut (gonna need a huge one, 24mm) but I'm concerned that the vice grip the mess up the threads on the ball joint threaded shaft..

scuba

You need 112 ft lbs on that castle nut. What brand ball joints did you use?

profuse007

it's usually the problem across all cars. I usually try to clamp it.

mt_goat

I never had that problem with any of the ball joints I've replaced, but I used OEM Toyota parts for replacements.

survivorman97

iTrader: (1)

the ball joint should be tapered and get tighter as you tighten it down. Have you already attached it back to the knuckle?

mt_goat

Exactly, you must not have it seated good in the knuckle or something. Did you clean it up first?

BornChaos

I am using OEM stuff. Ordered from 1sttoyotaparts.com. No moog or aftermarket here.

I haven't attached it to the knuckle yet actually, but I didn't see how that would make a difference because the threaded shaft goes into the ball joint which is not attached to the 4 bolts that would hold it to the knuckle...

I did clean it up first, but as I continue to tighten, it just turns. I can tell the balljoint threaded shaft is turning because the cotter pin hole is rotating...

And by the way, when I say the ball joint is rotating, the plate with the 4 bolts is NOT moving. The balljoint threaded shaft itself is moving, along with the castle nut. So trying to tighten the castle nut just turns the threaded shaft... is this balljoint defective? lol its OEM!

mt_goat

The 4 bolts attach to the control arm, the one big stud goes in the knuckle.

Ardent

BornChaos

Right, but the big stud was spinning with the castle nut. I failed to see how not having the 4 bolts connected to the lower control arm affects the big stud. It does. When the 4 bolts are in place and torqued down connecting the balljoint to the lower control arm, the threaded bolt (the balljoint itself) no longer turns. This wasn't obvious to me, because the threaded bolt and the whole balljoint, are machined into the plate that is held by the 4 bolts, but the actual bolting of the balljoint plate to the lower control arm has no visible effect on the balljoint itself because nothing is actually touching the balljoint except the plate its machined into and the knuckle that the threaded shaft goes into. I don't know if this makes sense, its kind of hard to explain with words and to put a picture up would be a big ordeal when my hands are dirty

Thanks for the help guys. For anyone else with this problem, torque the castle nut after you have bolted and torqued the balljoint to the knuckle, otherwise the balljoint will just spin with the castle nut when you try to tighten it.

Thanks for the torque spec. 112 ft-lbs

scuba

The above post somewhat explains the predicament I think you were in.
As you tighten that castle nut down to the lower BJ it "presses" itself in there and should not turn.

BornChaos

scuba I think you are right. But even with it assembled, if you look at your truck, there is a cutout in the knuckle so you can see the end of the balljoint, making it appear as if the lower BJ doesn't press against anything when in reality it obviously does.

profuse007

As far as I know the joints on toyotas and hondas, they turn. THEY ALL TURN!!!!

Clamp it down somehow so you have pressure on it.

scuba

I know what you mean. And I just did my ball joints less then 5 thousand miles ago.
I'm not talking about the outter case of the ball joint pressing against anything. Indeed it is bolted to the steering knuckle..
But, what we are referring to is the big stud at the bottom of the lower ball joint.. It is tappered allowing for the stud to press in to the lower control arm when you tighten that castle nut. Think about it.
What does the outter case of the ball joint bolted up to the steering knuckle change? Nothing really. It does not affect the ability of the ball joint to rotate inside of the ball joint casting.

tunnelmotor99

All you need is the right tool...
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

kurtdaniel

If you apply pressure with a jack, or on the lower ball joint have someone stand on the rotar you can get them to seat properly and tourqe them on.

blake.nemitz

you could use a big jaw vise grip and as soon as it starts to snug up you can take it off

kurtdaniel

right a big jaw vise grip would be a big help of this job..good luck..

raydouble

Just make sure you don't scar the tapered portion of the shaft.

mynameistommy510

just finished this job today. Had me worried at first when the whole joint was turning. Used two methods mentioned, torqued the 4 14mm bolts down then lifted the lower arm up with another jack that applied a good amount of pressure. Worked out in the end.