MoparDan
Well-Known Member
I heard a snap when pulling into the driveway I looked underneath and here's what I found
To answer your question yes I'm sure it was replaced I watched it being replaced (it took forever to get the old off...!!) things are going from bad to worse by the second we have to off the property in two days and I can't just park somewhere I have to drive to several different places a day or the police WILL impound my car no questions no regretsKinda hard to tell by the picture.
The upper ball joints are threaded into the upper control arm. It is possible for those threads to rust away/strip pretty easily on a 30+ year old car and that could cause what you’re seeing.
That ball joint also looks kinda rust and old looking at the picture (but it’s hard to tell), you sure they got replaced?
Chin up, keep the faith, boot straps and what not. I hope the best for you, Dan.
Thank you for the response I'm VERY glad there is a temporary available one of my roommates knows a few people who can weld so this will taken care of hopefully when we have to leave...seriously this takes alot of stress off my mind once again thank you so much. Are control arms available new or do I need to find a good used one? and what about the bushings that go around the control arm are they available?I had that happen a long time ago. As a temporary fix, the ball joint can be popped back in the control arm and then welded. It'll probably wreck the dust boot (if it isn't already) but it'll get you by for a while. I ended up driving my car 5 or 6 years like that, although I did replace the dust boot. What happens is, the "threads" in the control arm get worn so the joint won't stay in properly. IIRC, the minimum torque needed to get the ball joint screwed in all the way is 125 ft lbs. That's not a tightening torque but the torque it takes to screw it in BEFORE it's fully seated. They are a heck of a thing to remove and replace, using the correct socket and a looooooooooooong breaker bar.
If you jack the front end up, the ball joint should be able to be put back in. Since it came out, screwing it in is a moot point now. Find someone willing to put a few tack welds on it. It actually doesn't take all that much to keep the joint in since there's basically no weight on it. The control are and joint will need replaced at some point so don't be worried about ruining good parts. Good luck,,,,,,,,,on everything.
It looks to me, from your picture, that whoever installed the ball joint didn't thread it in all the way. Note how the threads are Rusty on the top, indicating that they were exposed.You may want to get in touch with F body Deconstructor Jim. He may have the control arm/arms you are looking for. he is a board member.