LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
Any easy way to pop the ball joints out? And whawhat is the plug described in th FSM made out of? Metal or rubber? I took the snap ring out and there only looks to be the end of the torsion bar.
Front end kits
- Thread starter LocuMob
- Start date
saylor
Senior Member
glad this post popped back up. ive rebuilt the front suspension with P-S-T gear, + reman steering box from autozone.
it drives great - like a different car. totally different than before the work. there is NO slop anymore, and the front end is so solid now I have some rattles in the dash that were not there before.
so - the ball joints - PST has a remover tool if you want to D I Y.
what I did was take my arms with ball joints and spindle and all still attached and let the local shop break them loose. $40 bucks an hour shop labor rate to pull the old ones apart, put new bushings and joints in, paint it, and give em back to me.
- saylor
it drives great - like a different car. totally different than before the work. there is NO slop anymore, and the front end is so solid now I have some rattles in the dash that were not there before.
so - the ball joints - PST has a remover tool if you want to D I Y.
what I did was take my arms with ball joints and spindle and all still attached and let the local shop break them loose. $40 bucks an hour shop labor rate to pull the old ones apart, put new bushings and joints in, paint it, and give em back to me.
- saylor
saylor
Senior Member
I didn't see the 2nd bit -
I only had those clip ring things in the rear of the torsion bars also - no plugs there for me. remove those rings, apply your torsion bar tool to the bar and bolt it well. then get a BFH and get after it.
I only had those clip ring things in the rear of the torsion bars also - no plugs there for me. remove those rings, apply your torsion bar tool to the bar and bolt it well. then get a BFH and get after it.
LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
I'm on the right path then. Lots of swinging in my future. I'll be getting back to it in the morning.
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
Forty bucks and they pulled and reinstalled the new parts you supplied and painted it up? That's awfully cheap...
mgm1986
Active Member
Have not done this on my C body yet. On my S10 when I did upper and lower ball joints I used a pickle fork. I was replacing them so I didn't worry about the boots. One important note to be made, loosen the nut but leave it at the end of the BJ stud just in case it pops free it won't go flying out. If the pickle fork doesn't do the trick, use a BFH and whack the control arm where the BJ sits and it should pop out.
As far as torsion bar goes, I would just say be safe, lots of potential energy stored in there. I haven't done these so I can't really help you here.
Safety takes no holiday. Good luck!
LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
He did say $40/hr. Still a cheap rate.
LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
I think I need a bigger pickle fork, I'll see what's at the part store. It's kind of hard to hit the ball joint studs as they are pointing to the inside of the spindle, and I don't have a punch or drift. I have a set of chassis tools for B/E bodies, but that only helps with ball joints, torsion bars and control arm bushings.
As for the torsion bars, backing off the adjusters releases the stored energy.
Safety first! What good are my cars if I can't drive them? None!
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
Missed the hr part.....
mgm1986
Active Member
Touche! Hope you get it straightened out so you can get it back on the road.
ccasion14:
LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
I'll get it sorted out. The fun of doing something the first time and learning what not to do. And a bum knee and it's nice and warm out. It might be later than I want it to be done, but I've missed bringing the Polara to car shows before and I'm still here.
Just thought I would add that I ordered a rebuilt steering box from Firm Feel and was never able to get one that worked worth a damn. I gave up after the third exchange in an effort to get it right. Either it had too much slop/wander or it leaked. But that was 10 years ago. Maybe things have changed. I went to Steer and Gear and got one that was very nice the first time. Not really a choice to me for steering gears at least.
PST has always been good to me.
PST has always been good to me.
LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
Well, after dealing with too small of tools (a friend lent me the tool set for A/B/E bodies) and not ever having done it and some horrible weather, I got all the bushings pressed back in and got most of the drivers side done. Put in New wheel cylinders and hoses while it was all apart. Waiting on torsion bar seals, hope they work (p-s-t called me back to inform me that they are for A/B/E cars and didn't want to lead me into thinking they were for C bodies. If not I have a Dart they will work in). Back at it in the morning when I get off work and hopefully have everything bolted up in a day or two.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
It's not the most exciting thing I've ever done. It needed to be done and I can use what I learned this time around when I do my Dart. I'm glad the hard part is behind me.
Thanks to James from P-S-T! He was very helpful answering my questions.
Scott
Thanks to James from P-S-T! He was very helpful answering my questions.
Scott
LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
Ran into a some corroded brake fittings on the pass side today so I only got the upper and lower control arms installed. Should be able to get the rest installed tomorrow. Got torsion bar seals today, I'll see if they fit correctly.
I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
Kick *** and took names on the pass side, and then I saw the adjuster I forgot to put in the LCA. Ugh. Guess I know what I'm doing in the morning after work...
LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
It was a free car wash day yesterday when I got home from work, and by the time it was nice, it was date night with the girlfriend. Drizzle today won't slow me down. Fix the adjuster bolt it back together and get er done. Then off to the alignment shop!
I should have done it in the rain yesterday, the mosquito's are terrible!
I should have done it in the rain yesterday, the mosquito's are terrible!
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MrMoparCHP
Old Man with a Hat
On the topic of front end kits I have a silly question.
You buy a tie rod end it comes with a cotter pin.
You buy an idler arm it comes with a cotter pin.
You buy a pitman arm it comes with a cotter pin.
You buy an upper ball joint it comes with a cotter pin.
But when you buy a lower ball joint it only comes with 1 cotter pin, it takes 3.
Not a real question more an observation.
Alan
You buy a tie rod end it comes with a cotter pin.
You buy an idler arm it comes with a cotter pin.
You buy a pitman arm it comes with a cotter pin.
You buy an upper ball joint it comes with a cotter pin.
But when you buy a lower ball joint it only comes with 1 cotter pin, it takes 3.
Not a real question more an observation.
Alan
70 300 vert
New Member
I took my time and put disk brake conversion all on at the same time. Now that was a serious undertaking. Full front end kit was from PST, arrived super fast and complete (minus the cotter pins as mentioned above fit great. Can't get the brakes to feel good though, still must be missing something there.
fit great. Can't get the brakes to feel good though, still must be missing something there.Similar threads
