Trouble with upper ball joints - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

One69one70bachevy · 03-05-2018, 03:58 PM

I have a 69 c10 I am changing the ball joints. And after cutting the tops off the rivots with an air chisel. Nothing. Ground the spots down flush. A little hammer. Still nothing. What is the best move now? Torch? Drill them out?
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B. W. · 03-05-2018, 04:51 PM

You can drill the rivets out or you can take your air chisel & drive it between the ball joint & control arm. Both will work, drilling leaves fewer scars on the control arm.

weq92f · 03-05-2018, 06:00 PM

Use a punch to bang them down and out?

-klb

One69one70bachevy · 03-05-2018, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B. W.

You can drill the rivets out or you can take your air chisel & drive it between the ball joint & control arm. Both will work, drilling leaves fewer scars on the control arm.

I will run a drill first. Thanks for the input.
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One69one70bachevy · 03-05-2018, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weq92f

Use a punch to bang them down and out?

-klb

That was my first attempt. Loosened the fillings in my teeth but nothing else moved.
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Keystone_Hate · 03-05-2018, 09:04 PM

I ground the heads flush then use a chisel and hammer to pop the individual plates off that make up the original ball joint. Theyre kinda sandwiched together. Once I popped them all off the rivets hammered out easier.

One69one70bachevy · 03-05-2018, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keystone_Hate

I ground the heads flush then use a chisel and hammer to pop the individual plates off that make up the original ball joint. Theyre kinda sandwiched together. Once I popped them all off the rivets hammered out easier.

I will take another look and try this.
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CaptRMW · 03-05-2018, 09:12 PM

Just a little FYI, be sure to put the bolts in the new ball joints from the bottom with the nuts and lock washers on the top. If you are changing the upper ball joints with the a arms in the truck make sure you have a solid support "directly under the LOWER ball joint". I prefer to remove the upper a arms to do this but it is just my preference.

weq92f · 03-05-2018, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptRMW

Just a little FYI, be sure to put the bolts in the new ball joints from the bottom with the nuts and lock washers on the top. If you are changing the upper ball joints with the a arms in the truck make sure you have a solid support "directly under the LOWER ball joint". I prefer to remove the upper a arms to do this but it is just my preference.

And the torque on those nuts is minimal as I recall. Easy to over tighten!

-klb

One69one70bachevy · 03-06-2018, 10:00 AM

Thanks to all for the replies. Back to it this morning.

03-05-2018, 03:58 PM	#1
One69one70bachevy Registered User Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Perris California Posts: 6	Trouble with upper ball joints I have a 69 c10 I am changing the ball joints. And after cutting the tops off the rivots with an air chisel. Nothing. Ground the spots down flush. A little hammer. Still nothing. What is the best move now? Torch? Drill them out? Posted via Mobile Device

03-05-2018, 04:51 PM	#2
B. W. Registered User Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Bigfork, Montana Posts: 1,137	Re: Trouble with upper ball joints You can drill the rivets out or you can take your air chisel & drive it between the ball joint & control arm. Both will work, drilling leaves fewer scars on the control arm.

03-05-2018, 06:00 PM	#3
weq92f Registered User Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Dallas Texas Posts: 2,964	Re: Trouble with upper ball joints Use a punch to bang them down and out? -klb __________________ 67 C10 fleet fuel injected '70 402, 700r4, 3.73 posi 07 335 sport turbo 6sp 94 Trans Am GT LT1 6sp posi -- sold after 22yrs 99 540 sport V8 6sp -- sold 73 240z L24 4sp -- given to friend 68 C10 step 350/350 3.73 open -- sold

03-05-2018, 09:04 PM	#6
Keystone_Hate Registered User Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 129	Re: Trouble with upper ball joints I ground the heads flush then use a chisel and hammer to pop the individual plates off that make up the original ball joint. Theyre kinda sandwiched together. Once I popped them all off the rivets hammered out easier.

03-05-2018, 09:12 PM	#8
CaptRMW Custom Sport W/T Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Tarpon Springs,Fl & Annapolis,Md. ....................Quaint drinking villages with a fishing problem Posts: 898	Re: Trouble with upper ball joints Just a little FYI, be sure to put the bolts in the new ball joints from the bottom with the nuts and lock washers on the top. If you are changing the upper ball joints with the a arms in the truck make sure you have a solid support "directly under the LOWER ball joint". I prefer to remove the upper a arms to do this but it is just my preference.

03-06-2018, 10:00 AM	#10
One69one70bachevy Registered User Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Perris California Posts: 6	Re: Trouble with upper ball joints Thanks to all for the replies. Back to it this morning.



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