Removing the old worn ball joints was a job straight out of hades. I could not cut the heads of the rivets off so I ground them off with an angle grinder. Grinding the heads off the rivets made no difference at all. You could not drive the rivets out. I even ground one off on the bottom and accidentally cut into the control arm; I think it will be OK. I started out working on the one in the car. When that ball joint would not come out, I turned my attention to the one on the sub frame. I decided to drill those out from the back side (bottom). I made a centre point and then using the largest bit that would go in the drill I drilled the head off. Then I attempted to cut the remaining part of the head off with the chisel and hammer. GM used some tough rivets. Then I started smacking as hard as I could with a three pound hammer. No go; it was as if I had done nothing to the rivets. I took the angle grinder to the one I could access and then back to smacking with the hammer. Finally it gave way. I went back to the one on the car. I decided I would just grind away on one corner and I went almost all the way through. Then smacking as hard as I could with the hammer. No go. What is it with these things. I finally got it loose enough to drive out the rivet on that one corner. Then it was still a lot of smacking with the hammer before I got it out. Either these rivets are interference fit in the joints or when they squish the rivet heads it becomes an interference fit. I spent six hours of hard work just removing these ball joints. My arms are killing me.
Exactly. I usually torch or grind the heads off, and then either air chisel or just plain ole punch and hammer them out...either way, yeah they don't exactly fall out do they?!
When I helped Dad do Mum's 65 Mustang (car is long gone) I don't recall it being that hard. I know that Dad took the air chisel and cut the heads off the rivets, then he drove out the rivets and put in the new joints. I can see it clearly in my mind. This job though was a horror story.
Never use a torch on or near ball joints... It sounds crazy but they do explode....not at all criticising just a heads up! Taking off the rivet head then using a press is how it's done. I just did my TrailBlazers ball joints...went through two harbor freight ball joint tools. they are press fit with a c clip. Sticking the new ones in the freezer helps.
I have done much more rivet removal on pickup truck spring hangers than anything else...never heard of a BJ exploding...maybe the boot popping...can't see the joint itself exploding...the boot and the grease inside would/could make a nice smoky fire though...
That is interesting about the ball joint exploding. It is a ball in a socket; could be that the part under the socket where you feed in grease that it could get hot and the grease/burning grease, builds up pressure.
My guess is the only thing I can think of. If that is the case, then just unscrew the grease fitting before heating with the oxy/acetylene torch.
Exactly, a Google search will reveal video and stories. They don't all come with grease fittings... especially oem.....
I bit another bullet and ordered a set of the flexplate bolts. One time use torque to yield bolts are not suppose to be reused. I risk these bolts loosening under the vibration etc of the engine and if they loosen it could cause serious damage to the torque converter housing and that would be the end of the transmission. I was able to get a set a bit cheaper at $32.78. I found them cheaper at several places but by the time I paid the shipping, I was back up at the same price. It is what it is I suppose. I am sick of this project; the time involved and the costs involved have been depressing. I want this project behind me.
There is exactly zero chance I would have put factory bolts back in there at almost $40...a trip to Fastenal (or the hardware) and less than $5 would have me ready to assemble...
I personally know a guy that lost half his hand trying to free a stuck caliper pin with a torch. He heated it till the pin flew out like a rocket. I tell people all the time to be careful. Most times they just look at me funny
True, I could have taken one of the old bolts and got some grade 8 or better replacements. Then there is the question of torque; which I could probably guess at around 50 ft-lbs. However, there would still be questions if the bolt will do the job. The original designed for this application called for TTY bolts; where you do a light torque to set the bolts and then a degree setting to achieve the final pressure on the plate from the bolt head. If the engineers decided this was what was needed for this particular application in the engine, I feel better about going back to the original type of bolt and torque method. Reusing the old bolts with locktite probably would have been OK, but I would have jumped every time I heard a noise. I had a fire to happen on my old Ford Taurus I had; a small leak develop in the plastic fuel line that dripped onto the hot manifold. Luckily I had stopped at my friend's house and someone leaving saw the smoke coming out of the engine compartment and my friend grabbed a fire extinguisher and was able to put the fire out before it destroyed my car. After that, I was scared to drive the car, every time I smelled anything I was sure the car was on fire again. I would stop and raise the bonnet checking for fire.
The engineers spec'd TTY for a reason...wasn't because they are "the best" though... But if you are happy using new TTY bolts...that's all that matters!
I have the bolts; not sure I can return them. I am not exactly happy about spending over $32.00 for a set of bolts. These are GM bolts so I know they are over priced but I could not find them from any other source any cheaper.
Bolts were dropped off this afternoon just as I started garden work. Rains are lurking around and I had not done any grass cutting since the drought started; which ended a couple days back when I got around 1 and a 1/4 inch of rain. Guessing around four to five weeks of no rain here; it was all I could do to keep the veggies and flowers alive. I have just come in; soaking wet with my own sweat, and got a nice cold beverage. I cut grass and then weeded flower beds and mulched with the grass clippings. I can work on the car when the rains start. I lost a few perennials during the drought even with watering
I could tell a difference with the new bolts when I hand installed them over the old. Inspection with a high power lens definitely showed a difference in the threads of the old bolts. I might could have gone with the old if I wanted to use a blue locktite for added security but even then I would worried. Here is a photo of the new bolts installed. I torqued to the base setting but I had to use a foot-pound torque spanner. I have a inch-pound but it takes 1/4 inch sockets so I am going to have to make an adapter for it tomorrow as I did not have the proper socket. I don't trust trying to get a proper toque when you are at the end of the range. I am suppose to do a base torque of 106 inch-pounds then a 50 degree turn. I will have to make a gauge as I don't have one of the degree thingys. I noticed the markings on the new bolts is KXV. What does that mean?
