First Time For A Subaru Ball Joint R&R

[The Dude]

It's great the way people share knowledge on this board. I just finished my first Subaru ball joint remove and replace, and I thought that I would write a few notes on my experience.

 

Replacing the ball joints on my 99 Forester would have taken about twenty minutes a side IF the ball joint studs were not so difficult to remove from the control arms. I live in South Carolina, hardly any snow or road salt here. I can just imagine this job on a car that had gone through six salty New England winters!!!

 

I tried a ball joint "lifter", which is a kind of puller. FORGET about buying a ball joint lifter, it is a complete waste of time and money. No way can this tool generate the force required to remove the ball joint stud from the control arm. I ended up with a can of PB Blaster, a big pickle fork, a "baby" sledge hammer, and a real tired right arm. Anyway, the job is done and except for the stud problem it was pretty easy.

 

Another thing, I waited way too long to replace the ball joints, they are completely shot. A Subaru has nice tight steering. When you notice the car getting blown around by the wind at highway speeds, it's time to replace the ball joints. The car will still steer perfectly at lower speeds, imprecise and sloppy steering at highway speeds is the tip off for ball joint replacement.

[Patriot Guard 1]

Here's the easiest way I've learned. Loosen the castle nut to the end and using a floor jack put much pressure on it and then just tap the control arm.

[cj7135]

Here's the easiest way I've learned. Loosen the castle nut to the end and using a floor jack put much pressure on it and then just tap the control arm.

 

Yes i've used the same technique on my OBW. Use the car's weight to push up (using the jack) and then hammer down the control arm.

 

My biggest problem was snapping the head off the BJ bolt. Took a lot of heat, a sledge hammer, and a very trusting friend with a punch to get that **** sucker out. My EJ22 swap was MUCH easier on the nerves than that ball joint job!

[Fairtax4me]

I leave the joint on the arm and get it out of the knuckle first. They tend to seize in there and you can get better leverage with a big prybar between the knuckle and control arm. Once that's loose a pickle fork and 3lb mini sledge gets the stud out of the control arm with little trouble.

Getting the bolt out of the knuckle is the only part I really worry about.

[Suba9792]

be careful of the pinch joint. I screwed up that on mine, wasn't funny, but I improvised:lol:

[Legback]

My Maine coast winter briney/salted ball joint replacement amended procedure. 98 legacy Outback.

 

1. Go to Ace and buy 3/8- 2.5 inch stainless bolt(s) and locknut(s).

2. Go home. Put up etc......wheel off...

3. Take your breaker bar and 14mm socket and what the hell, might as well make it easy on yourself and add your pipe extension to make as easy as possible to twist the head off the pinch bolt. F penetrants here. Waste of time and Aero Kroil.

4. Mark the center of the other end of the pinch bolt and center punch it. Hard.

5. Take 1/4 inch drill bit and drill on center and as straight as you possibly can.

6. Won't hurt to try the 3/8 bit before drilling all the way through. I got lucky on the first one and it grabbed the 1/4 inch hole and spun the nub through.

7. With old bolt cleared out to 3/8, hammer your pickle fork in it's pickle fork place.

8. Use only one half of another pickle fork (air hammer if you can)to drive between the top of pickle fork number one and the knuckle.

9. What a *************** mine was.

10. Remove castle nut and free ball joint.----install new 30$ Subaru ball joint. Not a 67$ NAPA one.