Can't Put Ball Joint into Lower Control Arm

My dad and I were changing the wheel bearing on my Mom's 1999 Lincoln Continental. Its a FWD with struts. We cut the ball joint shaft to take the thing apart and replaced the ball joint. The ball joint is pressed into the hub, with the shaft of the ball joint sticking out of the bottom. This needs to go through the lower control arm from the top. We cannot make this happen. We've tried the spring compressors that have 2 clamps on a threaded rod that go on each side of the spring, but that will only fit in there enough to grab 3 coils of spring, which does not give us enough clearence to put the ball joint through the control arm.

How would they do this in a shop? It must be possible somehow?

Thanks,
Bill

 

you don't lift up on the strut assy, you lever the lower control arm down, then point the shaft of the ball joint into the hole in the steering knuckle and klet up on the control arm. the joint needs to go straight into the hole so you may have to try a couple times to hit it...generally they take little or no persuasion. sometimes the sway bar puts quite a bit of "up" pressure on the control arm...you can disconnect it on both sides and that may make it even easier to do...altho ALL techs try to do it without doing that step as it takes a little longer. you'll need a long stout pry bar...try to get it anchored under the body somewhere and lever as far out on the control arm as possible to make the most of your fulcrum.

 

Share the duties with dad....With a clean rag on the Fender.....Stand on the bar.....

Rule #1.......Make sure the Jack IS NOT LIFTING THE CAR BY THE CONTROL ARM OR SWAY BAR..........Lift by the body pinch welds......There is no way to pry down an arm if the weight of the car is on it.......

 

Thanks for the replies,
Have tried the crowbar already, without it we wouldn't stand a chance. This does not move the lower control arm down enough. It cannot go any further down because it hits the edge of the frame that it is bolted into.

 

OUCH......And it still doesnt reach?

You could remove the Knuckle from the strut, seat the joint, and then pull the knuckle and strut "OUTWARDS" till they Line up", and lever them back 'Inward" till the strut slides back into the knuckle. Just make sure the "TAB" on the strut lines up with the slot in the knuckle, and the CV joints dont "DISPLACE".