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replacing ball joints d30 spinning help

E

elephantrider1

NAXJA Forum User
Location
FARMINGTON MO
Ok iI broke my axle and upper and lower ball joints in my 96 xj i got the new ones in finaly but the castle nut wont tighten cuz the whole bolt is spinning somebody please help me i know this aint supposed to happen does it mean the new ball joints r bad or wht
 
yes, it sounds like you have bad ball joints again, as you should be able to tighten them without the stud turning. You didn't try to use an impact on them did you?
 
no, no ,no. you just need to put a load on the ball side to keep them from spinning. They are tapered so you need the load to help w/friction.
 
1st, make sure you have them in right.

Top one goes in from the top and points down.
Bottom one goes in from the bottom and points down.
The flanges should be flush with the inner knuckle.

Put the boots on, align the outer knuckle, and hold it up with some pressure from a floor jack. The tapered pins of the ball joints, fit into the tapered holed in the knuckle.
Install the nuts. These should spin on easily. If the bolt side spins, add more upward pressure to get the tapers to seat.

If you get a case where you absolutely can not get the tapers to seat, you likely have a wallowed out knuckle. On some XJs, there is a tapered insert you can replace and it comes with the ball joint. But IIRC, it is only for the lower.

Ron
 
binderbart said:
try applying a little upward pressure from the underside with a jack and then tighten them.
Click to expand...

X2, they are tapered and you need to put some pressure on them to get them to bite before you can tighten them
 
xjtrailrider said:
X2, they are tapered and you need to put some pressure on them to get them to bite before you can tighten them
Click to expand...

just did them in my xj about 3 weeks ago, I had a hell of a time getting them pressed in, especially the top ones, but they tightened right up with the air gun for me, but I have done them where a little upward pressure and then they tighten.
 
Zuki-Ron said:
1st, make sure you have them in right.

Top one goes in from the top and points down.
Bottom one goes in from the bottom and points down.
The flanges should be flush with the inner knuckle.

Put the boots on, align the outer knuckle, and hold it up with some pressure from a floor jack. The tapered pins of the ball joints, fit into the tapered holed in the knuckle.
Install the nuts. These should spin on easily. If the bolt side spins, add more upward pressure to get the tapers to seat.

If you get a case where you absolutely can not get the tapers to seat, you likely have a wallowed out knuckle. On some XJs, there is a tapered insert you can replace and it comes with the ball joint. But IIRC, it is only for the lower.

Ron
Click to expand...

this
 
Did you use a press to get them in/out with?

axleprojecteg4.jpg


Don't be a hater on my little red wagon either, I'm too old to carry these things on my shoulder any more!
 
well i pressed thm out with the ball joint seperator but i beat thm in with a 4# sledge thn put the nuckle up thr and tried to tighten the castle nuts witch i had to hold the bolt with a vicegrip so i could only tighten so much then had to release the vicegrip thy nvr quit spinning
 
xjtrailrider said:
Did you use a press to get them in/out with?

axleprojecteg4.jpg


Don't be a hater on my little red wagon either, I'm too old to carry these things on my shoulder any more!
Click to expand...

actually...when I saw the wagon....a big light bulb went on above my head. I even got the wagon laying around, good way to keep it from rolling around on you on the floor:idea:
 
elephantrider1 said:
well i pressed thm out with the ball joint seperator but i beat thm in with a 4# sledge thn put the nuckle up thr and tried to tighten the castle nuts witch i had to hold the bolt with a vicegrip so i could only tighten so much then had to release the vicegrip thy nvr quit spinning
Click to expand...

Sounds like they are not in all the way or something! Give us a pic if you can.
 
Did you paint the axle before installing the ball joints?

This sounds like the problem I had when I rebuilt the front axle in my last project. I put a goot coat of POR15 paint on the axle first. I thought I had masked the ball joint bores real good before painting. But when the nuts would not pull up tight, I took the ball joints back out and discovered there was a spot of paint inside two of the bores. This kept the taperd shafts from pulling up tight and they continured to spin. I got out my pocket knife and chipped the spots out of the. Then all was well.
 
bcmaxx said:
you beat them in?
Click to expand...

No not me, I have a ball joint press! The OP says he beat his in with a 4# hammer, I'm just trying to help.

I do not like beatting on the "C's" any more than I have to but getting that outer off can be some gun on some. The press just makes it too easy, 2 hour job on most axles.
 
try putting the jack on the bottom of your wheel spacer and jacking it up a bit to put some upward pressure on the knuckle, this will put some force on the ball joint shaft and should stop it from spinning. If only one is spinning tighten the one that isn't and the force from that one should stop the one that is spinning. One of the many explenations that have been given should work for you. Good luck
 
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