North American Turbocoupe Organization



Writeup: Changing ball joints and front springs.
bang4thebuck Offline
Senior Member
#1
This is a short writeup for the do-it-yourselfers who want to change either the front springs or ball joints on their cars.
- Rent ball joint tool if your gona do the ball joints and put the new ball joints in the freezer.
- Pop off center cap and slightly loosen lugs (not all the way)
- Jack up one side of the car so there is about 5-6 inches of clearance under the tire and support with jackstand.
- Take off wheel.
- Remove Caliper (2 bolts) and ziptie up outta the way.
- Take nut off sway bar end (need deep 9/16 socket and 9/16 wrench)
- Remove rotor / hub bearing assembly (cotter pin, retainer, and 1 hand tight bolt)
- Remove 3 10mm bolts on dust shield behind rotor but dont remove shield just pull it out a little bit.
- Position jack under A arm until it just touches it.
- Remove cotter pin from castle nut on Ball joint. (you might have to turn the steering wheel to make it easier.
- Remove castle nut. (use correct socket and long extension.
- Put castle nut back on upside down about 3 threads. (this is so you can bang on it to pop the ball joint loose from from the rest of the strut / knuckle assembly. and so the A arm cant shoot straight down and let the spring come flying out if the jack is let down too quickly)
- slowly let the jack down. (when I did mine the ball joint popped out itself from the knuckle.
- pump the jack back up until it touches and take the upside down castle nut off.
- Slowly lower the jack the rest of the way.
- use a pry bar with a flat end to pry the spring loose from the top and bottom.
- Have a friend push the A arm down with his foot and pull the spring out. if you want to change the springs or cut them.
- Use the ball joint tool to remove the ball joint. Use long breaker bar for leverage or piece of pipe on preferably a 1/2 drive ratchet.
- Use a thick piece of Flat steel against the bottom of the ball joint to press back in along with the tool. (the ball joint clamp is a little bit too small usually to use the supplied adapters for the bottom and the piece of steel is thinner)


- Putting it back together is reverse of removal. but heres some tips:
- have friend push down A arm with foot again to put spring in. Use grease on rubber isolators.
- Make sure bottom of springs are lined up with the deeper part of the A arm. (once in you may have to rotate them a little)
- Have a partner slowly jack the A arm up while you line up the ball joint and the long bolt for the sway bar.
- Put some fresh grease on the hub bearings.
- You can use the hardest skateboard bushings you can find for the sway bar bushings if yours are toast. They fit nice! and are under $5 per side.
- when tightening the hub bearing bolt. use a wrench to snug it up, then back it off, then tighten by hand, then install retainer and cotter pin.
- Use neverseize everywhere especially on the caliper bolts!
1987 TC 5 speed. To date: AGP 50 trim T3/T4 .63 stage 2 turbo, Ebay bov, 28psi, 255hp pump, Kirban FPR, Ebay Front mount, Full 3 inch Exhaust, Ported Bob's Log, Megasquirt, 55lb. injectors, boport 1.5 cam, boxed lower control arms, Methanol Kit, Ram HD Clutch, front lowered 1/2 inch and E.T. Streets for the track. Best so far 12.5 at 110.8. still tuning.
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#2
Nice write up. I copied it over to the Technical
Questions forum also.

http://natomessageboard.com/ultimatebb.p...2;t=000019
Pete Dunham


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