Can't get proper torque on upper ball joint

[CopperRanger]

I'm in the middle of replacing my ball joints. I have them pressed into the knuckle. The knuckle is back in the axle and the lower ball joint torqued to 70lbs. Here's where I am having a problem. When I try to torque the sleeve, the ball joint just spins. How do you keep the ball joint from spinning so I can get it torqued properly. Thanks

 

[galen1970b]

Did you test fit them before pressing into the knuckle?, I've heard that some joints might be taller/not fit right....but...sometimes I've had to put a jack under it and get some pressure on it and use an air impact to drive it on..

 

[CopperRanger]

I had to put a jack under it to be able to torque the bottom ball joint to specs. The problem now is the upper sleeve threads in well below the underside of the knuckle and I'm still not at 40 lbs.

 

[bigcountry]

I had to put a jack under it to be able to torque the bottom ball joint to specs. The problem now is the upper sleeve threads in well below the underside of the knuckle and I'm still not at 40 lbs.

I had to use the old upper sleeve as the new one went to far down.

 

[CopperRanger]

How far is to far? I just came in and got it back together. I used the new sleeve and have 3 to 4 threads showing at the bottom side of the knuckle. I ended up with about 8 pounds of pull, hope this will work.

 

[CopperRanger]

I thought about using the old sleeve but it got buggered up from the pickle fork, it came out but didn't want to go back in.

 

[chuzie]

Putting the weight back on the wheels will fix that issue.

 

[bronconut73]

Putting the weight back on the wheels will fix that issue.

This/\/\/\

 

[CopperRanger]

Read post 4 and 5, does this sound OK

 

[bigcountry]

How far is to far? I just came in and got it back together. I used the new sleeve and have 3 to 4 threads showing at the bottom side of the knuckle. I ended up with about 8 pounds of pull, hope this will work.

do you mean 8 pounds on the sleeve or 8 pounds on the bottom ball joint? 8 pounds on the bottom joint is not enough.

Try tightening the bottom without the sleeve in the top.

 

[CopperRanger]

do you mean 8 pounds on the sleeve or 8 pounds on the bottom ball joint? 8 pounds on the bottom joint is not enough.

Try tightening the bottom without the sleeve in the top.

I tightened the bottom without the sleeve in to 70. 8 lbs. pull after all assembled, pulling from the draglink arm of the knuckle with a fish scale.

 

[savage]

Chilton says, attach a pull scale to the knuckle and check the turning effort. Pull should not exceed 26 lb. But the factory oem shop manual says not to exceed 40 lb. I know you want a little preload on new ball joints.

 

[CopperRanger]

Chilton says, attach a pull scale to the knuckle and check the turning effort. Pull should not exceed 26 lb.

I read that also, but what is the minimum?

 

[savage]

I think 8 lb is not enough. I used the chilton manual and got it more in the high side around 15 lb. I posted the ford manual above and chiltons.

 

[CopperRanger]

I think 8 lb is not enough. I used the ford oem manual and got it more in more closer to the high side. I posted the ford manual above.

If 8 lbs. is not enough, what should I do to get it higher?

 

[savage]

Hey CopperRanger, I found this in the archives, Paul ( DirtDonk) talks about preload. He says it should not be below 10lb. http://classicbroncos.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-243714.html

 

[CopperRanger]

Hey CopperRanger, I found this in the archives, Paul ( DirtDonk) talks about preload. He says it should not be below 10lb. http://classicbroncos.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-243714.html

Thanks Savage,
So if the final pull needs to be increased, I would have to torque the sleeve higher, screw it into the knuckle more. This seems to be what I am finding. But the sleeve is already showing 3 or 4 threads below the bottom of the knuckle, this can't be right. The ball joints are seated all the way.

 

[savage]

Here's another archive thread that talks about the sleeve, I did have some thread showing on mine, don't remember how many.http://classicbroncos.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-228890.html

 

[suthernboy]

I'm sure there's a lot to all this pre-load torque business, but I ain't no scientist. I recently installed new Moog joints, and as with the OPer, mine spun and I couldn't get the "click". In the top of the stud there are slots, so I inserted a large flat square-shank screwdriver, put my big 'justy wrench on the shank and held it firm while I torqued with a crow's foot on my T-wrench. I think that's what that slot is for, ain't it?

 

[CopperRanger]

Yesterday was a good day, I was able to get the drivers side finished up. On the first couple tries at torqueing the ball joints down I had the floor jack under the knuckle keeping pressure on it, worked good for the lower. Here is where I f**ked up. I removed the jack thinking all was good. It finally hit me, leave the jack under it for the whole torqueing process, that is the key. After all was torqued I ended up with 18 to 20 lbs. of pull at the knuckle arm. And the sleeve only has 2 threads showing below the bottom of the knuckle the same as it was when I took it apart. Thanks to every one for there responses and there help. Now on to the passenger side.