DeTomaso Mailing List: October 99, Message #73

Roger wrote:

>A.  The rear ball joints  feel smooth and firm when moved,
but the boots are in tatters.  How do I remove the joint
from the control arm...

>>>They are pressed in from the top.  Apparently there's nothing magic about 
it, but some vendors have special (home-made) press tools specifically for 
the job.

>Do the replacement boots
from Hall work?  or is it better to spend $250 each for
these jewels?  

>>>If your ball joints are in good shape, then this is a non-question!  Just 
buy the boots!

>Is it practical to provide a grease fitting
to keep these items lubed?  Any other info would be
appreciated.

>>>Jack wrote a great tech article detailing exactly how to install grease 
fittings.  It's in a back issue of the POCA newsletter--Jack, which one 
please?

>B.  The A-arm bushings look old,  any advice on their
removal?  

>>>Several different techniques.  Some have heated the a-arm with a torch 
until it glows red, then popped the bushing out.  I don't like that 
technique--am afraid what it does to the strength of the metal.

Another technique is to use a saw to cut off one end, or a small hacksaw to 
saw it longtitudinally, then pry it out.

Most recently Cal and I removed Rick Moseley's using an air chisel.  With the 
right technique this is amazingly easy.  Unfortunately we used the wrong 
technique most of the time and had quite a bit of frustration.

Easiest thing to do is take 'em down to a machine shop and have them pressed 
out.  Badda bing, badda boom...

>Pantera East advertisies a an "insert" bushing
that uses part of the original bushing...anyone tried this?

>>>Dunno but don't like the sound of it.  It's a poly bushing that requires 
you to remove part of the stock bushing but leave the rest behind.  I say 
just punch the entire stock bushing out, then replace with factory or poly 
depending on your preference.

>C.  What special tools are required to disassemvle the hub
carrier?

>>>Only REQUIRED tool is the special socket that fits around the nut.  Jack 
wrote an interesting article in PI about a nice-to-have home-made tool that 
supports the brake disc.  He has seen (or perhaps has DONE) several broken 
rotors as a result of the press-apart process.  FWIW Ford built a special 
press tool specifically for this purpose; PCNC is scheduled to acquire one in 
the next few weeks (they are so rare as to be virtually non-existant!)

>D.  Maybe there is somewhere I could just send ny pile of
stuff and let them fix it!

>>>Sure, that's a common technique.  Rick Moseley discovered that there is a 
specific orientation to the upper rear ball joint.  There's an indentation 
cast into the top that is supposed to point in a specific direction.  A 
helpful vendor pointed that out to him as he purchased the $250 ball joints; 
said vendor then refused to tell him what that orientation was, and instead 
insisted he ship his a-arms to the guys's shop, whereupon he charged him 
labor costs to R&R them!!!!

Perhaps Rick will be more kind-hearted and will be willing to share what he 
learned when the a-arms came back?  

FWIW if you ship your a-arms/suspension bits to an established vendor, you 
will pay additional shipping fees but probably won't pay any more labor fees 
than if you took it all down to your local machine shop.  If you don't have 
access to the $100 axle nut tool, you can either buy a tool for $100 or pay 
the same amount to ship your uprights to a vendor and have him do the work 
for you.

>Anyway, you comments are appreciated...I never have done any
suspension work before...

>>>It's somewhat physically demanding and requires some special tools (that 
axle nut requires 400 ft/lbs of torque, which means not only do you need that 
$100 socket but also a LONG torque wrench!!!!), but not especially 
complicated.  

Actually, here's a thought.  You could spend $$$ shipping your stuff to a 
vendor, or you could spend $$$ having a local machie shop do all this 
pressing in and out, OR you could spend about the same $$$ jumping on an 
airplane and coming to the next PCNC tech session on 23 Oct with your parts 
in your suitcatse!  We have all the right tools (and are about to get the 
factory Ford stuff too!) and we'll fix your stuff for free!  All the 
necessary parts will be available right there too!  Plus it's a fun day!

Mike (hey, I'm a pilot--gotta promote the notion of flying somewhere on a 
whim!)

P.S.  Do not forget that the axle nuts are ONE TIME USE ONLY!!!!  They are a 
split nut design that loses its ability to maintain the proper torque once 
it's been tightened, then loosened, even if it's only been done once.  They 
are surprisingly inexpensive considering how specialized they are (less than 
$30 apiece) and since you do NOT want to screw this job up, don't take 
shortcuts--just buy new nuts, period.