Upper Ball Joint Press tool

shockseals.com · Post by **shockseals.com** » Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:50 am

So in Ford's infinite wisdom they didnt put a square face to hold a bj press install the upper ball joint. They did put a nice square face for the upper to press out though but it also happens to the the land for the upper.

What is everybody using to install the upper ball joint? A custom angled ball joint tool cup adapter? If so, post up angle and mfg'er. I ended up using a big fuckin hammer and one of the ball joint cup tools after giving it hell for 1-2 hours and failing with the press and press cups.

I found it entertaining looking at installs online and youtube when they get to the upper install they skip it and just mention "same as lower" rather then show it. Lower presses in, in under a minute...upper not so much.

If someboyd has a BJ service set with angled cups, let me know the MFG. If somebody has a bettery way to install the upper that I missed the boat on...help me out. I have the other side to do.

Tchajagos · Post by **Tchajagos** » Mon Mar 05, 2018 1:41 pm

You have to press in the top one first and then the lower one. Yes I use a cup with a slight angle to it. Made by snap on but I think you should be able to take a cheaper one and hit it on a burr king to grind a little of an angle into it. I’ve use the harbor freight ball joint press to install these as well. Can’t remember if it had an angled one or not.

shockseals.com · Post by **shockseals.com** » Mon Mar 05, 2018 2:53 pm

Tchajagos wrote:You have to press in the top one first and then the lower one. Yes I use a cup with a slight angle to it. Made by snap on but I think you should be able to take a cheaper one and hit it on a burr king to grind a little of an angle into it. I’ve use the harbor freight ball joint press to install these as well. Can’t remember if it had an angled one or not.

I made an angle one and still no go but I was a bit aggressive on the angle as I was pissed off at fords stupidity. Knuckle was bare...no lower BJ. Standard C frame BJ clamp. I will look into snap ons cup.

shockseals.com · Post by **shockseals.com** » Mon Mar 05, 2018 2:54 pm

all the witness marks on the BJ are from the cup slipping off to one side and cocking since its not loading the assembly square.

VintageIronFab · Post by **VintageIronFab** » Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:42 pm

If I here’s a Matco or Snapon pn please post that.

Needles929 · Post by **Needles929** » Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:50 pm

Something like this??

300 · Post by **300** » Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:48 pm

On the 78/79 knuckles, I do the lower first, then I am able to just set the flat end of the lower knuckle on the frame press and then press the top one in. You have to make sure you don't get carried away when putting the top one in, and stop pumping when it just seats. You could bend or break the knuckle if you really got crazy with it. I use a standard HF 12 ton frame press. Just the opposite when they come out, bottom one first, then the top one.

Tchajagos · Post by **Tchajagos** » Mon Mar 05, 2018 11:27 pm

I believe this is the part
https://store.snapon.com/Ball-Joint-Pre ... 22944.aspx

No need to worry about bending or breaking with the correct tool (ball joint press)

If you have the ball joint stud go through the bottom of the bj press tool with the adapter that seats on the cup of the bj. And have the extra thread of the bj press go through the hole where the lower bj goes in the knuckle then it shouldn’t be able to cock to one side.

Tchajagos · Post by **Tchajagos** » Mon Mar 05, 2018 11:32 pm

Send you a pm

shockseals.com · Post by **shockseals.com** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 11:07 am

Tchajagos wrote:I believe this is the part
https://store.snapon.com/Ball-Joint-Pre ... 22944.aspx

No need to worry about bending or breaking with the correct tool (ball joint press)

If you have the ball joint stud go through the bottom of the bj press tool with the adapter that seats on the cup of the bj. And have the extra thread of the bj press go through the hole where the lower bj goes in the knuckle then it shouldn’t be able to cock to one side.

I made an adapter...made the driver side ball joint swap a 2 hour job, not an all night motherfucking everybody and their mother job.
To anybody looking at doing ball joints...get or make an angled adapter prior to doing ball joints.

PaulW · Post by **PaulW** » Tue Mar 13, 2018 7:42 am

Buy BJ tool then buy the vehicle specific adapter. Change vehicle then buy the new vehicle adapter. I am on my third adapter.
Or buy the $$high end BJ tool$$ that comes with a assortment of adapters.