Lower Control Arm Ball Joint Spinning- Suggestions?

[nuhale]

I've had this issue on other cars with a spinning ball joint and usually just hit it with an impact wrench. Don't have the room between the upper/lower castle nuts to get in there. I even cut a 15/16 socket to see if i could get in there. Also tried jacking arm up under with socket underneath to give it some pressure. Can't get a pry bar in there anywhere to give it side pressure...

Cant torque down the castle nut or much less get it off the ball joint stem.

Suggestions????

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=134018&d=1598028103

[nuhale]

I pulled the upper control arm and was able to to lower and get it off with impact.. then back on. I'm able to get it down with impact driver but can't torque it. Guess it will have to be good enough. It's on pretty good so with a pin should be fine... still any suggestions would be helpful.

[NAZ]

Glad you got it off, the two techniques you listed are my first go-to also before cutting the nut off and starting over.

If you can't torque the nut but it's tight you'll probably be OK as this is a tapered joint and not as reliant on bolt stretch to maintain a tight grip. But if in doubt, you can pull it apart again and chase the threads and clean the tapers, both ID & OD. On particularly difficult ball joints I've used a rubber mallet to seat the taper but you really don't want to "beat" on it or you could damage it. You could also try some blue Loctite thread-locker applied to the taper only and snug it up then allow it to sit for awhile to add some resistance to the tapered portion from turning before torquing.

[Railroad]

Looks like you need another washer under the nut, or the spacer FF sometimes includes.

[CraigS]

Since you got the nut off just look at the threads on both nut and stud real carefully. Clean up any rough spots. Also look at the cotter pin slots in the nut. The inner edges often have some rough spots on them so the nut goes on by finger power until it's far enough that the slots contact the stud threads and it gets hard to move. A little bearing grease on the threads when assembling will help. I have never worried about torqueing BJ nuts. However tight you can get it by hand will be fine. Those tapers lock together really well. If you have ever had to remove an old BJ, you know what I mean.

[dhuff]

Looks like you need another washer under the nut, or the spacer FF sometimes includes.

Yes, add another washer. it is likely not torquing because it is bottoming out on the treads.

[nuhale]

Thanks for the suggestions. didn't consider it was bottoming out. I put a washer in and was able to torque.