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problem installing lower ball joint

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Old Jun 3, 2020 | 02:04 PM
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problem installing lower ball joint

I'm installing new ball joints on my 77 F150 RWD - the passenger side went ok but on the driver's side, my 1st mistake was I forgot to put the boot on. My 2nd mistake was trying to take the spindle off. The ball joint studs ended up turning with the nuts so I couldn't tighten up the ball joints. I tried to hold the stud from underneath with some plyers, but that didn't work. I did manage to get the top one tight after hitting the spindle from underneath with a hammer, but the bottom 1-1/8 nut won't tighten up or come off. I will try to fill it with grease to see if that makes a difference, then, I'll try to weld on a piece of rebar or something on the top of the stud to hold it long enough to tighten up on the nut.

P.S. I cut the boot and slid it around, thinking I could glue it together just enough to keep most of the grease from coming out or dust coming in.
 
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Old Jun 3, 2020 | 02:52 PM
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is there room the get a c-clamp on there to put some pressure on until you get the nut off to replace the boot? if not, how about a pair of large water pump pliers to put pressure on there...
 
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Old Jun 3, 2020 | 03:35 PM
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I put a jack under it and jacked it up so there is a lot of weight on it.
 
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Old Jun 3, 2020 | 03:38 PM
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I've got maybe 3/16" space to get in there. I'm going to try a large c-clamp to go from the top of the stud to the bottom of ball joint where it mates to the bottom of the spindle.
 
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Old Jun 3, 2020 | 04:09 PM
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What carravaggio said. Always works for me.
 
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Old Jun 3, 2020 | 04:17 PM
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you mentioned you were working on a RWD?
 
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Old Jun 3, 2020 | 04:48 PM
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It's a 77 with 4WD. I managed to get it to tighten up by putting a c-clamp around it.
 
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Old Jun 3, 2020 | 05:05 PM
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that's good...you won't have much luck trying to fix that dust boot though without replacing it :-)
 
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