Upper ball joint really really tight

[PaulRSchmidt]

I'm starting on the front upper control arm assembly, and doing a quick test fitting of the ball joint before adding the thread locker. It seems extremely tight- even with only a few threads in, it's trying to twist my clamp-on vise off the table as I turn the assembly per directions. I'm as sure as I can be I didn't cross-thread it. Do I just need a bigger boat, er, vise? Thoughts?

[Jeff Kleiner]

Using a wire wheel clean the black coating from the ball joint threads and it will go on much easier.

Jeff

[egchewy79]

yup. I did the same thing as you, but got it on so tight that I had a hell of a time getting it back off. Wire wheel the black coating off and it'll thread right in.

[Dan Marcantonio]

Watch this at about 2 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0E5IbmYEuU

[facultyofmusic]

I remember reading someone's build thread that said they just about yank'ed their vise off of the workbench trying to get the ball-joint in. I full-heartedly agree.

[egchewy79]

I remember reading someone's build thread that said they just about yank'ed their vise off of the workbench trying to get the ball-joint in. I full-heartedly agree.

that might have been me...

[J R Jones]

I used QA1 ball joints, the housings are plated and I have had no thread issues.
jim

[PaulRSchmidt]

Thanks, all. I’ll attack these with a wire wheel tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

[PaulRSchmidt]

The wire wheel (it was chucked in a drill) was taking forever. I hit the threads with a good dose of WD-40, and worked the ball joint in a fraction at a time, backing it out often. A little tedious, but worked like a champ.