Pontiac balljoint installation

This Ball Joint Rivet Installation and Removal Tool is helpful in the removal and installation of ball joint assemblies because the original upper ball joints were riveted into upper control arm the from the factory. It is the essential tool to use for ball joint replacement projects. The Ball Joint Rivet Installation and Removal Tool can be mounted in a vise, making the ball joint rivets removal and installation easy, by making the rivets accessible for drilling, grinding, cutting, or milling of the OEM rivets.

The ball joint connects the control arm to the steering knuckle. As the wheels — and therefore the steering knuckles — move, the ball joints help the suspension — and therefore the control arm — stay steady.

And as the suspension moves, the ball joints help the wheels steer. When the ball joints fail, the suspension and wheels have a hard time working independent of each other. This puts unnecessary strain on each component, which can alter wheel alignment and severely damage the suspension.

Estimate price near me. Service Location. Customer Ratings. Included for free with this service Online Booking. Mechanic comes to you. Free 50 point safety inspection. See availability. What is the Ball Joint Front all about? Keep in mind: Depending on the suspension design, ball joints can be found either in the front or the rear.

How it's done: Remove the wheels. Remove the control arm s. Remove and replace ball joints. Check the entire suspension system for any problems. Our recommendation: When applicable, make sure the ball joints are lubricated during a major service. What common symptoms indicate you may need to replace the Ball Joint Front? Clunking noise from front tires.

Steering wheel shakes. Car moves to the right or left, especially going over the bumps. Vehicle tires have abnormal wear. How important is this service? Number of Pontiac G6 services completed. When the factory specified the front coil springs, it was to a particular engine, transmission, and optional equipment. The — Firebirds have many different part numbers for springs. However, the aftermarket sources only list a few replacement springs.

An incorrect coil spring can affect ride height it may sit too high or too low , handling, ride softness or stiffness, and create other issues such as bottoming out when hitting everyday bumps.

Before you start disassembling the suspension, you need a game plan. After the hood has been removed, you can pull the engine and transmission out through the top of the car. Then, you can remove the front subframe from the bottom. You can keep the wheels on the front spindles, and, with a floor jack supporting the front subframe, you can wheel it around on your garage floor very easily. You need to remove all fuel lines, brakes lines, and the emergency brake cable.

Six bolts hold the front subframe to the car, and once those are removed, you can simply roll the subframe out from underneath the car. The front suspension is the most difficult part of overhauling your suspension.

It is important to pay attention to where everything goes. Count the tie rod threads at the adjusters on both the inner and outer tie-rods. This gets your suspension close to the pre-disassembly settings.

This allows the car to be movable and easier to steer before you take it to the alignment shop. Contact alignment shops in your area and make sure they have the original specifications for your car. Some do and some do not want to be bothered with older cars. It is necessary to remove the cotter pin and nut to the upper ball joint.

Support the lower control arm with a floor jack. Install a coil spring compressor onto the spring and tighten it so that the compressor holds the tension. Take the removed nut, turn it upside down, and re-install it onto the ball joint stem.

Thread it several turns so that the nut is just covering the stem end. Hit the nut with a hammer to break the ball joint loose from the steering knuckle.

This is a complete front suspension deluxe kit with tie rods. Over time, bushings, ball joints, and chassis isolators absorb energy, crack, and wear out. Tie-rod ends and bolts are designed for only so much use. A kit such as this not only improves handling and comfort, but these fresh parts help the front suspension to function as designed and enhance safety. This secondgeneration Firebird has experienced years of road grime that has accumulated on its upper control arm.

This upper control arm has had the steering knuckle removed. The upper nut holding the steering knuckle to the upper control arm was removed with a wrench until it was a few threads from the end. A pickle fork and a hammer were used to separate the control arm from the steering knuckle. The nut was then removed. The shaft seen here is part of the upper ball joint.

Hammer the pickle fork between the upper control arm and the upper part of the steering knuckle over the stem of the ball joint. Leave the castle nut installed so the nut prevents the upper arm from flying up when the tension is released. Once the tension is released, remove the nut slowly, and separate the upper arm and the knuckle. Remove the cotter pin and castle nut on the outer tie rod. Turn the nut upside down and thread it back onto the stem until flush.

Hit the nut with a hammer until the tie rod pops loose. Remove the nut and pull the tie rod out of the steering knuckle end. Remove the brake caliper, and using a wire, hang it from the frame. Do not allow the flex hose to hold the weight of the caliper. The nuts and bolts hold the lower control arm assembly to the subframe and can be removed using wrenches or a wrench and socket and ratchet. It may be necessary to soak the threads with PB Blaster if removal is difficult.

This shows the upper ball joint has been previously replaced you can tell that because it is held in by nuts. It still retains the factory rivets.

Two nuts hold the upper control arm that bolts to the arm shaft and subframe. If you find shims between the shaft and frame, remove them. You can reinstall them later. Remove the lower ball joint cotter pin and castle nut. Reinstall the nut upside down until flush with the stem.

The steering knuckle sometimes requires a hammer to break it away from the arm. If using a hammer is not successful, try a pickle fork. It has tapered ends that allow the leading edge to get between the control arm and the steering knuckle. Hit the fork with a hammer; eventually the two components separate. Here are the components all apart.

The old bushings generally do not remove easily. Drilling out the rubber parts helps release the bushing tension.