Upper ball joint

[Jdonoghue]

After making my turn onto the short road into the parking lot at work, there was a loud 'clunk'. I felt it in the floor, too. The truck was steering funny. I went out and looked at it, and the upper ball joint on the driver's side has come 'unscrewed' out of the control arm. Yes, it's all oily from the steering box leaking. But why would it come out? The ball joint itself was not bad. (it's definately bad now, the boot is ruined)

 

[CDegner]

Was it replaced recently? I had a shop once press the upper ball joint out. Got it out and realized something was not right. Went back and got the owner. They had to put a new control arm on. The threads left were just not enought to hold it.



Carl

 

[Jdonoghue]

The threads are stripped out. Bummer. Where am I going to get an upper control arm from? As for now, I have to figure out how to rig it up so it can be driven home.

 

[Jdonoghue]

Well, it's rigged up now. Time to take the slow roads through farm country to get home. Questions:
Is the upper control arm (is that what it's called?) available from anywhere?
Is there some kind of 'oversize' ball joint that can be screwed into the now-oversize hole?
Can I just put a new ball joint in there and weld it in place?

 

[Jdonoghue]

Well, I made it home OK. I had spent my lunch hour fabricating something to retain the ball joint. I made a plate out of 3/8" flat stock (only scrap we had), drilled three holes in it: one in the center for the grease fitting to poke through, and one on each side to match up to the holes I drilled in the control arm on each side of the ball joint. Toss in a couple of good bolts, and there was much rejoicing!
Now to find someone to mig weld the ball joint in permanently until I can obtain a new upper control arm...