Contents: Examination ↧ Replacement ↧
Examination
1. Raise the front of the vehicle and support it securely on jack stands. Set the vehicle's parking brake and block the rear wheels to prevent the vehicle from rolling off the jack stands.
2. Perform a visual inspection of the rubber seals. Check for damage or signs of grease leakage. If damaged, the ball joint should be replaced.
3. Insert a large pry bar under the ball joint and try to push the ball joint up. Next, place the pry bar between the steering knuckle and the suspension arm and push down (see illustrations). If any movement is felt when performing these checks, this indicates that the ball joint is worn.
8.3a. Check for any relative movement between the ball joint and the steering knuckle (indicated by the arrow) when trying to squeeze them out |
8.3b. Place the crowbar between the steering knuckle and the ball joint, press down and check for play in the ball joint (if play is noticeable, replace the ball joint) |
4. Have your assistant rock the wheel in a vertical plane.
5. Separate the lower control arm from the knuckle (see section 5). With fingers (don't use pliers here) try to tilt your finger in the socket. If the pin turns, replace the ball joint.
Replacement
6. Loosen the wheel nuts. Raise the front of the vehicle and support it securely on jack stands. Set the vehicle's parking brake and block the rear wheels to prevent the vehicle from rolling off the jack stands. Remove the wheel.
7. Separate the suspension arm from the steering knuckle (see section 5). Temporarily insert the ball joint pin back into the knuckle (in a free state). This will make it easier to remove the ball joint after step 9, and will also hold the assembly in place while drilling out the rivets.
8. Using a 1/8-inch drill bit, drill a hole in the center of each rivet connecting the ball joint and suspension arm. Be careful not to damage the CV joint boot during drilling.
9. Using a 1/2-inch drill bit, drill out the head of each rivet. Work slowly and carefully to avoid deforming the holes in the control arm.
10. Loosen the nuts on the bushing clamps that secure the anti-roll bar to the suspension arm (do not unscrew the nuts all the way). Pull the control arm and ball joint downward to remove the ball joint pin from the steering knuckle, then slide the ball joint out of the control arm.
11. Place the new ball joint on the control arm and insert the bolts (included in the new ball joint kit) at the top of the suspension arm. Tighten the bolts to the torque specified in the instructions for the new ball joint.
12. Insert the ball joint into the steering knuckle, tighten the nut, tighten it to the torque specified in the specifications of this chapter, and insert a new cotter pin. It may be necessary to tighten the nut slightly to align the hole in the pin with the hole in the nut. Do not allow the nut to loosen to allow the cotter pin to be inserted.
13. Tighten the nuts securing the stabilizer bar bushing clamps to the suspension arm to the torque specified in the specifications of this chapter.
14. Install the wheel, lower the vehicle and tighten the wheel nuts to the torque specified in the technical data chapters 1. After this, it is necessary to check and, if necessary, adjust the installation of the front wheels.
(The article was borrowed from the website «ChevyMan.ru»)