UBJ Press In - 96 Tacoma - HELP

So I've spent a day and half trying to press in a new ubj. Tried kit from pep boys. That worked to press out. But no luck with new one. Tried both and they just go in cockeyed and get stuck. Now she's hangin by the castle nut. Spindle seems to always be in way. Or wheel well or knuckle.....about out of ideas and time.

See photos.

This is a Prime Choice ubj.

Any ideas folks?

 

I've never pressed new ball joints in since I replaced my upper arms with uniball aftermarket arms. However, first thing I would try is a 2 jaw short arm puller borrowed from a auto parts store. If that didn't work I'm pretty sure you can use a pitman arm puller from harbor freight and trim the claws with a grinder so that the claws fit on the spindle lip and you can press the ball joint in. If that doesn't make sense let me know and I can try to take a picture for you.

 

Are you having the wheel off the ground trying to tighten it? Or have you let it off the jack to put pressure on it? with my lift I have to lower it so the ball joint goes in and then I have to tighten it from there. The lower ones anyways as I have uniballs up top, but should work just the same. A couple quick zips on an impact should get it to go as well. Just don't crank it down. Couple zips then tighten it by torque wrench rest of way. Or take a bfh and hit the uca a few times.. looks like you have some good rust goin on too. Is the inside hole gunked up? Might try reaming that out a little.

 

You'll probly hav take the knuckle off & find some body with a hydraulc press, I had to do mine that way, they'are a pretty snug fit, took abt
2500# to fully seat them

 

Thank you for replies guys.

How do I take off knuckle with manual hubs?

Pretty much manual hub bolts or nuts for hub assembly. Then deal with 32mm nut. Take off caliper and unseat lbj?

Home free?

 

There should be a combination of sleeves or cups or whatever in the ball joint press kit that would work. But you are right about the process of pulling the spindle, also pull the brake caliper and rotor.

 

The uppers can be a large pain in the ass. I tried a combination of things including the kit with the big c clamp looking thing from O'Reillys but there wasn't enough clearance. What worked was their medium size 3 jaw puller with a piece of 1/2" flat bar metal a guy at work cut off for me. One of the jaws will want to keep slipping off so you have to tighten and hold the puller simultaneously. I damn near needed Tomey John surgery afterwards.

 

Dude, don't start disassembling your truck, you've got it part way in looks like, get the weight of truck on it, get an impact like suggested, it'll rattle that POS down/straight/tight...throw a torque wrench on it if the mood strikes,season to taste, enjoy...

 

use a vise. you really just need couple sockets to do this. one long and big enough to go around the threads/boot to butt against the pulling side of the knuckle opening. and the other one just needs to be big enough to push on the back rim of the ball joint. i have a nugier h20 20 ton press and a nugier h100 100 ton press at my machine shop. we just use a vise to pop in ball joints like this since its easier to manage.

 

It doesn't matter how tight he tightens the bolt it won't ever press the ball joint into the spindle... he has to pull it all apart and put a tool on the joint to get it pressed in...


Op we. You take it apart and press it in hot the metal that the joint is going g I to with a hammer slightly just tap on it and crank it down. Then tap again and crank etc till its fully seated it will make it go faster doing that

 

I agree & differ at the same time ,it's a tapered hole, it HAS to align, & once it does it will follow the taper & easily suck into the seat,don't forget the C-clip,etc; done a few in my drive like this & a few more 20+ miles from pavement BUT, I do agree that to press into spindle is text book way to do it just not always available..

 

Thanks guys. Had my guy press it in after he took off spindle. Btw he has a 50 ton hydro press. Went right in. No problems. All in the tools.