Miata balljoint has me stumped.

Purple car had a bad driver's upper balljoint.

Bought a "new" (used in good shape) arm from Treasure Coast, was told it had a good ball jointn i'm inclined to believe them.

Can't get any torque on the castle nut. Stud/joint just spins. Can't feel any play in the joint. I see that it's a taper fit, but don't see a way to jam it in there hard enough to reach the specified torque.

In the meantime, it just spins and mocks me. What a terrible day.

Part 2 coming in the next post.

Had to sawzall off the oem original endlinks for similar reasons.

Now, i can't get the remnants out of the lower control arms. One nut rounded off with a 6pt socket and a cheater bar. Other one is spinning, but spinning the remnant of stud with it. Looks like another taper fit that can only go the way that the stuck nut is keeping it from going.

Tips?

I hate cars. This berkeleying thing doesn't have a spot of rust and still torments me with 6 hour wrench sessions with no progress.

For the ball joint, you can usually get enough friction by just pushing down on the top of the joint by hand to ram it into the upright. Make sure you've got clean threads, too - a tap and die will make life a lot easier. If the ball joint moves really easily when you twist it around, it's worn.

End links don't have tapers, they're just a stud on a ball. You should be able to cut the stud and nut without any real difficulty if you've destroyed everything else.

For the upper balljoint, I'd clean up the castlenut threads and the threads on the balljoint with a tap and die, lube them up real well and you should be OK. Once you start getting the balljoint stud into the knuckle, the taper will tighten things up and should keep the joint from spinning. Only times I've had the issue you're describing are when the threads were iffy.

For the endlinks, I assume you sawzalled the endlink on the shaft between the two joints? I would just use the sawzall to cut the stud of the balljoint. As such: (third one from the left, lower joint)
You'll need new endlinks, of course. But, sounds like you're already past the point of reusing them.

Lol, what Keith said...

Thanks Keith.

I'll have to run up to the shop and get my tap/die set tomorrow or monday i guess. I can't spin the balljoint by hand, so i'm guessing it's ok.

As for the endlink... On the side i cut (not the nut side) there's almost something that looks like a washer/spacer that i'm not sure if it's part of the endlink or part of the bracket. I hit the remnant pretty good with a hammer and punch to try to push it out the nut side.

Is that keeping me from success?

I guess i can cut some more if i have to. Awkward angles, trying to not mess up the arm before installing some heim joint thingies.

In reply to JohnyHachi6:

I cut the stud. I have a set of 949 endlinks going on. Already removed the swaybar with the bulk of the endlinks still attached. Stud remnant and nut is stuck on the arms on both sides.

Swank Force One wrote: On the side i cut (not the nut side) there's almost something that looks like a washer/spacer that i'm not sure if it's part of the endlink or part of the bracket. Is that keeping me from success?

Yes. There's a shoulder on the stud, where it increases to a larger diameter. That's what stops you from squishing the boot/joint when you tighten it down. That needs to be ground/cut off.

Looks like this, but without the hex flats, IIRC.

Ah ok yep. Ugh this sucks. Not easy on either side to cut off without messing uo the bracket haha.

Oh well. At least now i know what i'm up against. Big thanks to both of you.

Using a pry bar, press down on the control arm to force the tapered stud into the upright. Cleaning the taper and hole in the upright of solvent/grease/oil will also provide more friction when you press the stud into the upright. Taught students to do this for over 30 years. Have fun

Make sure the tapers are clean and dry, then give it a good smack with a deadblow hammer.

When replacing end links and nuts, just use an impact to tighten the crap out of it until it sheers the stud in half and boom it's out! I imagine a breaker bar would work too.

Edit: if you've already spun it trying to remove you may be SOL, but if it tightens up again give it a shot.

For the ball joint grab some tooth paste (cause I doubt you have valve lapping compound around..) rub it on the taper then install it tap it in to the hole if it bites keep tightening if not keep going a few full turns and disassemble and clean (brake cleaner) it should polish the two parts some then refit dry and try again.

On lowers I have been known to use a jack under the control arm to ram the two together. Tie rods as well.

For an upper... hmm. If a prybar gives you enough umph, then awesome. If not, I wonder if a jack under the lower and a cut to fit 2x4 between the upper and the shock tower would work.

Another trick is to use a hacksaw or Dremel w/disk to cut a slot in the end of the stud.
Screwdriver or similar in the slot prevents rotation.

I can provide no help, but I also hate ball joints.

After 202k miles, one was stuck in so badly on my new E36 that I have to send it out to the shop for them to work their magic. I couldn't even do a simple control arm replacement on my car.

Also, a "good" ball joint will be stiff enough you wont be able to spin the stud with your bare hands, there's a spec in the FSM for this. Just a lack of perceptable play is more along the lines of passable.

Nut splitter:

I had end link issues on my car too. The whole thing would just spin. I used a nut splitter to break off the nut and hammered out the link. The replacements have a hex section on the backside of the stud so I shouldn't have the same problem later on.

.....dammit. I think i have a few nut splitters. Don't know why i didn't think of that. Thanks Woody!

Be careful if you buy aftermarket, service grade end links. I think mine were Moogs. Some come with grease fittings, some do not. There wasn't room for the fittings to clear the springs. I had to fill them with grease, remove the fittings and plug the holes. PITA.

They looks like this, i think i'll be ok.

They look nice, but they will be noisy.

Probably. Also unlikely i'll hear them over the other nosies of the car.