brown7373

I am reassembling the front end on my 72 Cutlass. I bought NAPA 260-1064 upper ball joints. The instructions with the ball joints clearly shows the boot placed on the stud, then the metal collar over the boot, then the whole ball joint inserted into the top of the upper control arm. But the metal collar won't fit through the hole.


Is the illustration wrong? Does the collar go on the lower side of the control arm? I don't want to assume that is correct and the illustration wrong.

MDchanic

You need to click on your own link and look at that picture you posted.
It's absolutely unreadable.

As far as I recall (and I haven't done one of these in over 20 years), the stamped steel boot retainer does slide through the hole.

Perhaps some photographs would help.



- Eric

brown7373

I blew up the illustration. Any better?

oldcutlass

I think that may be a misprint, the rubber will go through the hole but the metal retainer is attached from under the A arm.

brown7373

I think I just found the answer looking at the "Lady gets a Front End job". The picture I copied shows the sleeve on the underside, not on top like the illustration that comes with the ball joints.

boese1978

I had the same incorrect picture when I recently did my uppers, I put the metal sleeve on from under the control arm- they do not fit through the top. Same as the ones that were already there.

MDchanic

Yes, we can clearly see that they say that the metal shield goes through the hole, but if Rob did it the other way, then I would trust him.
He's very sharp, and very careful.

- Eric

boese1978

Now I am second guessing this too...anyone else care to weigh in?

costpenn

Everyone I've ever done has had the boot go through the top, and the metal "retainer" part come up from the bottom forming a "sandwich" with the a-arm being in the middle.

brown7373

I do ball joints so infrequently, I don't remember. I took disassembly pictures, but not of step by step removal of the ball joint, which would have shown where the retainer went. I hope Rob's picture isn't just a picture showing the sleeve after it was inserted from the top. Is Rob out there?

TK-65

Illustration is wrong. Sleeve will not fit thru from the top.

brown7373

It definitely won't fit. The question was, is the ball joint I got incorrect, or is the illustration incorrect. From the replies I have been getting including yours, the ball joint is correct but the illustration is wrong.

Lady72nRob71

Sorry! I only get emails at home in the evening, and only when i get around to it. I do not have a cell phone either.

Just poked my head under the car...

The retainer is under the A arm. Put the bolts through it, then through the arm, then into the ball joint and nuts are on top.
Looks like your instructions were wrong or was for a different style. I often get instruction sheets that had parts that nowhere near resembled what was on the car.
Not sure if the boot went on from up top or below. I most likely tried from the top first, but did whatever way made it fit...

billmerbach

Yes retainer goes on bottom as a sand which to help keep the grease inside....is it not that obvious lol jk but yes sand which them

Lady72nRob71

One other detail is that I think the boot has a groove at the ball joint side.
When too much grease is pumped in, it will expel through this groove.
Make sure the groove is inboard, AWAY from the brake disc or drum for obvious reasons.

Allan R

I never had this problem or hardware installing upper ball joints on my car and they were from NAPA too. I suspect (and this is only a guess) that the metal ring/sleeve is simply there to reinforce any of the holes that got reamed out a bit too much when the rivets were drilled. I think the ring is meant to act as a large 4 bolts fits all washer.

MDchanic

Good point, Rob.

Here's a picture, so folks know what to look for:



If you look at the bottom edge of the boot, you can see a little notch at the 6:00 position.
This needs to face toward the inside of the arm, away from the wheel.

- Eric

Lady72nRob71

Given how thin the sheet metal is for this ring, I think it is more of a retainer for the boot itself.
If you look in my picture that was posted was above, the boot gets pulled to the side when the car is jacked up due to suspension angles. Without the ring, the boot might just pop out.
Edit - looking at that diagram up top, it is called a boot retainer.

And with all the being said, it would be better to fill it with grease after the car is back down on its wheels. Otherwise the grease will mostly come out around the stem as the rubber is stretched out when the car is raised with wheel hanging.