Since I'm lazy, I'll copy here an answer I gave to the question of ball
joint removal on a '61 Imperial. One other recommendation, though: if you
can rent a big 3/4" drive, or even 1" drive, impact wrench from a local
rental store, or borrow one from a buddy with lots of tools, it makes
removing the ball joints VERY EASY, and probably safer. You'll need a good
one with lots of torque, though...probably MINIMUM of 700 lb-ft. I've got
an Ingersoll-Rand "ultra duty" with 1200 lb-ft., and it makes removing ball
joints child's play :-)
Good Luck!
Mike Trettin
1956 Imperial Sedan
1960 Chrysler New Yorker
__________________________________________________________
Question from Tony:
Does anyone have any tips for removing lower control arm ball joints on a
'61 with the average tool kit? In theory, it looks simple, but I have a
feeling these babies are not going to come loose without a struggle.
Reply from Mike:
Yes, as Bob Merritt mentioned, you should be able to get both sizes of ball
joint socket (need the larger one for your '61) at NAPA. BTW these look like
a square drive with large radiused corners. Here's what I recommend with the
average tool kit: Follow the FSM procedure: 1. Place a jack under the lower
control arm and raise the vehicle. 2. Remove the wheel and tire. 3. Here the
FSM calls for a spreader tool to separate the ball joint from the steering
knuckle (after removing the nut), but instead you'll probably use a pickle
fork to wedge this apart. Your auto parts store should have two sizes of
these forks, the larger one for ball joints, and the smaller one for tie-rod
ends. 4. Remove the ball joint dust cover and seal. 5. Here the FSM says to
simply "unscrew the ball joint from the lower control arm and remove". In
reality, these babies can require 1000 lb-ft of torque to unscrew. This
translates into 250 lbs. of force on the end of a 4-ft. long cheater, so use
a 1/2" breaker bar or a 3/4" drive ratchet if you have it, and a long pipe,
and have faith that it WILL actually turn at some point. These things cut
their own threads into the lower control arm, so they can be tight for
several turns coming out, and going in. I recommend having a friend help
turn the end of the cheater while you make sure the socket is securely
engaged on the ball joint. {On my '60 Chrysler, my 6'-7" brother-in-law, Don
Stratton ('62 Crowns, hardtop and convertible) helped supply CONSIDERABLE
force on the end of a floor jack handle.} 6. FSM says to "screw the ball
joint into control arm as far as possible by hand." Unless you're Arnold
Swarzeneggar, that won't be very far, so it's critical to have the ball
joint started squarely before applying torque from the wrench/cheater. Even
if it's straight, you're likely to think you've got it cross-threaded.
That's just the nature of these things: they have fine threads that will cut
their own way back in to some degree. 7. Tighten the ball joint until it is
seated against the control arm (I guarantee this will be more than the 125
lb-ft minimum suggested by the FSM!). You really want to have the front end
solidly supported with jack stands during this whole procedure, because you
will once again be pulling pretty hard on the wrench. 8. Slide the seal into
position, over the stud, (carefully use channel locks to stretch the seal
flange over the ball joint until seated against the bottom of the lower
control arm), then position the stud in the steering knuckle. Install the
washer and nut. Tighten to 135 lb-ft and install the cotter pin. 9.
Lubricate the ball joint. 10. Reinstall the wheel and tire. I'm just an
occasional hobbyist mechanic, but I've successfully rebuilt several of these
suspensions, so you'll be able to do it, too. While you're at it, do you
need/want to replace the control arm bushings, etc.?
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