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Knuckle hard to turn after new ball joints

S

sheffeyva

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Portland, OR
Just got done pressing in the new ball joints but when I torque them to specs they are almost impossible to turn. One side take all my strength and the other I can't turn by hand at all! Is there something I'm doing wrong? I tightened the bottom bolt 1st then the top. Even just doing the bottom nut already makes it really hard to turn. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
 
Also this does not look right to me either!
5677830911_50942817af.jpg
 
without a pic showing more of the knuckle i can't really say what's going on here. at the very least you're missing the grease boot. if both of the nuts tightened down enough to get the cotter pin in you should be fine. It will be pretty stiff without having grease in em, lube em up and see if it gets any better.
 
What year and what part number did the parts house give you on the ball joints? OK dumb question but gotta ask by the look of the pic...You did both sides right? You didn't mix up the knuckles and put the left on the right and the right on the left did you? That would put them upside down to mount them and put the taper for the ball joint going the wrong direction. And would get stuck like that. Like I said dumb question but from the look of the pic have to ask..
 
from the pic the hammer ledge on the knuckle and the caliper mount being to the rear would imply that the knuckle is on the right side and oriented correctly.
 
GrimmJeeper said:
without a pic showing more of the knuckle i can't really say what's going on here. at the very least you're missing the grease boot. if both of the nuts tightened down enough to get the cotter pin in you should be fine. It will be pretty stiff without having grease in em, lube em up and see if it gets any better.
Click to expand...

Yes a better picture of the whole spindle/ball joint area would be good to see. That distance looks to far apart to me. It looks so far apart it might not seat the dust boot on there tight. But yeah as Grimm mentioned they will be stiff. They are new after all but should still be able to move the spindle back and forth on its own axis with out too much trouble when installed.
 
What year XJ? Some have the adjustable bottom bushing.
 
magimerlin said:
Yes a better picture of the whole spindle/ball joint area would be good to see. That distance looks to far apart to me. It looks so far apart it might not seat the dust boot on there tight. But yeah as Grimm mentioned they will be stiff. They are new after all but should still be able to move the spindle back and forth on its own axis with out too much trouble when installed.
Click to expand...

I got ahead of myself and installed the axle already. Do you need the axle out and take a pic or just turn it sideways and snap some shots? Torque specs are 75lbs right?
 
I don't have the book for the 86. but I'm guessing it is the same as the 87. The adjustable bushing is a threaded bushing that's possible to turn (higher/out of adjustment) with the bottom ball joint shaft when you tighten the bottom nut.
Just a shot in the dark.

Splitring.png
 
What brand of ball joint did you Buy i had same issue with the spicer upper on driver side. Whem i tighted bottom up it would pull the shaft of joint out. Got new from autozone in a jamb, solved prob.
 
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