Ball Joint Installation

I removed "lower arm" from the steering knuckle using a pickle fork in order to pull the driver's side axle from the differential. Now I'm wondering how to get it back in. Do I just need a standard ball joint press or is there some other way to do it?

I also need to replace the rubber dust boot that covers the ball joint, if you have any tips on how to do that, I'd love to hear them. The service manual lists an SST for getting the new dust boot back in but I suspect a piece of hardwood with a hole through it will be sufficient...
 
You should just have to fanaggle the stud until it slides into the steering knuckle hole. A cold chisel in the steering knuckle slot will help as well.

Did you ruin the dust boot with a pickle fork? If so, don't ever use a pickle fork to remove a ball joint or tie rod end that isn't bad. They have other non-destructive tools for the job, and to be honest, I don't know too many people who have replaced just the dust boot.

If you can't figure it out, you'll have to buy the entire replacement control arm - the ball joint is physically impossible to replace separately.
 
yeah it's critical on removal to actually remove the clamp bolt that secures the knuckle to the control arm stud, and probably spread the clamp a bit with a chisle etc.
 
You should just have to fanaggle the stud until it slides into the steering knuckle hole. A cold chisel in the steering knuckle slot will help as well.

Good to know, I assumed it would be hard to fit in.

Did you ruin the dust boot with a pickle fork? If so, don't ever use a pickle fork to remove a ball joint or tie rod end that isn't bad. They have other non-destructive tools for the job, and to be honest, I don't know too many people who have replaced just the dust boot.

Yep, I wasn't aware of those other tools. Once again, I learn the hard way :(

The service manual makes replacing the dust boot look easy, I sure hope it is.

yeah it's critical on removal to actually remove the clamp bolt that secures the knuckle to the control arm stud, and probably spread the clamp a bit with a chisle etc.

I did that, the bolt came out easily, the damn stud was stuck pretty hard.
 
yeah it's critical on removal to actually remove the clamp bolt that secures the knuckle to the control arm stud, and probably spread the clamp a bit with a chisle etc.

He wouldn't have been able to remove the stud without this bolt removed, so I assume that he didn't replace the bolt before reinstalling the stud.
 
I think I managed to get it repaired, it wasn't too hard.

First I removed the remainder of the old dust cover and then cleaned it:
j7wwh.jpg


Then I greased the hell out of the dust cover and the ball joint stud:
1C6PN.jpg


Finally I put the new dust cover on:
1esmz.jpg


I used a chisel to remove the old dust boot (as described by the service manual), then used a bunch of paper towels to clean off the old nasty grease. I used some high pressure moly grease to replace the old stuff. Getting the new dust boot on was a bit tricky, I had to build a tool out of hardwood to push it on evenly. A plastic pipe of the right size would have worked just as well, I just didn't have one.
 
Is there an elastic band or something on the bottom of that boot to keep it on?

It's a metal band that you have to stretch over the little lip which you can sorta see in the first pic. The dust cover has a built-in metal band that runs around the bottom and one that runs around the top, it's not just a piece of rubber.

I got it on using a home-made tool (a few 3" squares of hardwood with a 1.5" circle in the middle) and a hammer.
 
tip 'o the hat for a job well done. Where'd you pick up the grease boot? Mazda spec part or universal for that size joint?
 
Where'd you pick up the grease boot? Mazda spec part or universal for that size joint?

It's a Mazda part, I found it in the parts catalog (page 2-E 7). The part number is: G030-34-565

I was surprised when the dealer near my house said he had two in stock, so I went over and got both of them. I think they were $8 each.
 
It's a Mazda part, I found it in the parts catalog (page 2-E 7). The part number is: G030-34-565

I was surprised when the dealer near my house said he had two in stock, so I went over and got both of them. I think they were $8 each.

That is weird. Usually it's not recommended to just replace the boot, because by the time people discover the broken boot, the joint has been exposed for some time, and it becomes compromised.
 
That is weird. Usually it's not recommended to just replace the boot, because by the time people discover the broken boot, the joint has been exposed for some time, and it becomes compromised.

That makes sense, but in this case, I broke the boot so I know everything inside is still kosher. If anything it's better than it used to be because I replaced all the old grease.
 
a 36mm axle nut and a hammer worked for me to push the metal ring into the groove. I rented it from O'Reilly so it's free, the only other thing is grease. Saved $50 by getting a boot instead of the whole control arm. :)
 
has anybody tried the energy suspension/prothane polyurethane dust boots? they are universal fit so I am wondering if anybody has taken measurements of the existing boot or ball joint base and pin dimensions.

edit:
found boot dimensions are as follows: 18mm pin hole X 34mm base X 23mm height. neither energy suspension or prothane make a compatible part.
 
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