Help!!!! I am installing Dynatrac Ball Joints on my truck. Just got the old one out on the left side and getting ready to install the new one's, but...the lower ball joint slides right into place with hand pressure only. That isn't right, right? Shouldn't it have to be pressed into place with a ball joint press?

What would happen if I used some locktite to hold the ball joint housing in place?

Any other suggestions? I need this truck running again by tonight, and it is getting late.

Help, please.

DMH

 

Nope to the loctite. If that ball joint rocks in its bore at all, it will just wear that hole bigger until something breaks. Either the hole is worn/rusted too big, or the ball joint body was machined too small. The best way to determine it is to go buy a jobber ball joint, and see if it fits tight. If you actually press it in, it won't be returnable though. Alternately, you can call Dynatrac's help line, if they have one, and go from there.

 

torquefan

Thank you for your reply. I did make a run to NAPA and bought another lower ball joint, but it does the exact same thing, it just slides into place.

Not sure what I am going to do now.

DMH

 

hi
if your hole is too large by a few thousandths you can run a bead of weld around the OUTSIDE of the boss area without the joint installed , let it cool and you will have shrunk the bore area and can now press in the joint !

 

Another easy solution is if you have a caliper is to measure the other lower if you have not install it yet, or measure the one you get from the parts store

Umm, it is a case knuckle, may not be the easiest to weld.