ShouldBFishin

Any tips on pressing in ball joints “straight” and straitening one that started crooked?

I rented a ball joint press with some 4WD adapters, got an upper and a lower out. After prepping the hole with emery cloth and greasing the new ball joint I started pressing the new upper back in and it’s a little crooked . It’s not in very far, but I’m concerned that if I try to push it back out I might trash it and if I keep going it might be really difficult to press in all the way.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Purplezr2

Press if back out and straighten it when it goes in the next time is what I would do, if its alittle off it should self straighten.

vp dually

Mine started to tip also. Dont let it push down to far when it starts to tip. Tap it with a hammer. DONT beat on it. Take your time. Make sure the tool is centered . Also what he said ^ if it a little off it will shore up.

ShouldBFishin

Thanks guys...

I did get it to straighten out - it wasn't in very far so I took out the zerk, holding a pry bar on the high edge and tapped on it with a 4 lb hammer until it was straight.

I noticed that the cup was sitting at a little angle, so I shimmed it a little with an 1/8" strip of metal. Looking pretty good now.