Every time I try to replace a ball joint, I get greatly frustrated because the ball spins with the nut, making tightening or removing the nut very difficult. Lots of aftermarket ball joints have wrench flats at the bottom of the stud. However it seems ones straight from the manufacturer come with a circular area instead that is not flat, so you can’t get a wrench around it.
So when removing a ball joint I often back the nut off as much as I can until I can’t because the ball joint spins with the nut, then either cut the shaft off or grind two flat spots in it to hold it with pliers.
I haven’t had the issue with new ball joints and tightening the nut down, I get ones with wrench flats at the base of the stud.
I’ve seen people use a pry bar to push the ball joint into the flange (not sure what you would call it) and apply pressure underneath it so the ball is forced into the flange and doesn’t spin.
But anyways I was wondering if there was a specific tool to keep the ball joint from spinning? Maybe some sort of screw press?
Sometimes the ball joint seizes up in the flange (like in outer tie rods). I know screw presses exist to force the stud out of the flange. Some people flip the castle nut over and bang it with a hammer.
Instead of above to get the ball joint out, can I use the screw press in reverse, to force the ball joint against the flange? Meaning the screw is on the back of the ball joint enclosure instead of the stud and is forced into the flange. Would this apply enough pressure to keep the ball from spinning?
There might be clearance issues. So I’m wondering if some sort of tool, or screw press, exists for this exact purpose.
Wondering if a jam-nut technique would help? Put two identical nuts on the threaded section, tightened against each other. then it should be possibly to put some serious torque on the threaded section.
I clean the taper and the hole with brake clean, tap the taper in with a lead shot hammer to seat it and zip the nut on with an impact driver to snug it so I can use a torque wrench.
I’m unfortunately dealing with the same thing on a stabilizer end link stuck to a strut. The end link has an Allen hole recessed into the end of the bolt but 6 mm was inadequate to break the nut free without rounding out the Allen hole. Locking plier won’t hold the back side so the whole nice OEM end link’s gotta get thrown out with the strut. There is even what must be a T27 recession below the Allen hole but there is no way that can handle enough torque either. I wonder if Toyota has some weird special service tool that has both 6 mm allen and T27 bit mated together to hold extra tight…
I also prefer when there are wrench flats available :-/
Most shops have these “special tools” they are called.
Dremel with a cutoff wheel
Die grinder with a cutoff wheel
Angle grinder with a cutoff wheel
Oxy-acetylene Torch for when nothing but the best will do.
After all the shop really is not going to try and save the link.
Cutting and removing/replacing w/new everything what’s necessary to get the job done is probably the common sense solution. If eschewing common sense just to see if it can be done, welding a nut on the end where the rounded Allen fitting is located might work. I’d filed flats on worn fasteners that I want to put a wrench on, like worn Allen fasteners.
If the problem can be solved by just removing & replacing a nut, a nut-splitter tool comes in handy for that. Avoid the cheapo versions tho, the steel used on those often isn’t hardened enough for the job.
