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Upper Ball Joint

BlackRabbit

New Member
Joined
July 16, 2006
Messages
5
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City, State
Shreveport, LA
Year, Model & Trim Level
2000 XLT AWD
Sorry, I did a search but never did find the answer I was looking for. I am doing upper and lower ball joints on my 2000 Explorer XLT AWD. I have the lower one end and the upper one out. I can not seem to get the top ball joint to go into the steering knucklet. I took a rat tailed file and smoothed it out in there. Put a little grease to help it slide in better but I cant seem to get it to pop in. I dont want to beat on it too hard in fear of messing up the ball joint/upper control arm. Does anyone have any helpful tips for this? Please my vehicle is down and really need it.

Thanks
 



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I had to drive a flat hea into the pinch bolt slot on the driver side to open it up just a bit. Seemed to work fine, but im not a mechanic
 






Did you back the pinch bolt out all the way (not removed, just sure that the other side isn't grabbing at all)? Once that's done and it's aligned it should drop right in.
 






Yea I spread it out a lot. Drove a flat head all the way in there. Also drive a pry bar in and it seemed to open a bit, but drop right in, haha no. I even put a giant C-Clamp on it and it wouldn't go in. I pressed it in pretty hard but dont want to mess the top of the ball joint up. I'll try and open it up some more but I dont see how. I'll try to drive my pickel fork in there again. Couldn't get it the first time. Any others have any ideas?
 






Wait, I have another question. It does drop all the way in there correct? Right up until it almost touches the boot? Because I know on the ball joint its small...then gets a little bigger. It has to go past that second bigger part right?
 






Ok, well apparently there was still a lip left. Because I took the rat tail file and filed it down in there and made sure it was real smooth. Lined it up and a good smack with the hammer dropped it right in. Thanks anyways guys. Just glad I got it done. What a PITA now I know why the shop wanted 900 dollars for ball joints.
 












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