In all the videos I watched, not one of them mentions keeping the threads clear when pressing. Seriously, those threads will mess with you! Keep them out of the way, or you’ll regret it! After that, it’s an all-out battle—fighting gravity, keeping your balance, lining up the holes, and finally threading on the nuts. This whole process has been a crazy struggle, but it’s been satisfying. Hopefully, she’s back on all four tires today so I can start tearing into the work under the hood!
Hate to say it, but it looks like the top ball joint isn’t seated all the way down in the knuckle.
West said:
Hate to say it, but it looks like the top ball joint isn’t seated all the way down in the knuckle.
They’re just hand-tightened for now. Once I torque them down and put the snap rings in, it should pull everything snug.
@Ira
It doesn’t look fully pushed into the recess, but maybe it’s just the angle of the photo. I’ve made that same mistake before, only to have to take everything apart again. Just trying to save you the headache.
@West
I really appreciate you pointing it out. Safety first! But won’t it pull down fully when I torque the castle nut?
Ira said:
@West
I really appreciate you pointing it out. Safety first! But won’t it pull down fully when I torque the castle nut?
Unfortunately, no. The upper ball joint won’t pull down into place by torquing it. The alignment bushings move and can shift things out of position. You’ve got to make sure it’s seated properly before tightening everything.
Follow this sequence: tighten the lower ball joint to 44 lb-ft, then the upper to 70 lb-ft, and then go back to the lower and torque it to 150 lb-ft. Don’t forget to grease the joints and rotate the knuckles side to side. You should feel some resistance. A little tap with a hammer on the axle C while re-torquing helps as well.
@West
Do I need to take the lower one out to fix this?
Ira said:
@West
Do I need to take the lower one out to fix this?
Nope. Just put the press adapter over the ball joint and give it a good smack with a hammer. It should seat properly.
@West
Got it! So basically, take it apart and fix it. Thanks, genius. 
Ira said:
@West
Got it! So basically, take it apart and fix it. Thanks, genius.
Pretty much! But knowing how and why mistakes happen keeps you from making them again. Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way too. 
@West
That’s a good point. Two ears and one mouth, right? Gotta listen twice as much as I talk.
I’ll take it apart and get back to work. Thanks for the help!