Upper and Lower Ball Joint Replacement
I also agree with 273's suggestion that if you're gonna replace the ball joints, might as well replace the bushings, too. At least look at them. Especially the lower control arm bushings.
Replacing the lower bushings will require, first, removing the torsion bars. Take the tension all the way off them, then (preferably) use a torsion bar removal tool, which is just a special clamp to clamp onto the bar, then smack the part hanging down with a sledge hammer to knock them back. Don't forget to remove the clips at the back of the bar before you do this. Then you unbolt the lower control arm shaft and (once the lower ball joint is disconnected) slide the lower control arm out.
Next you get to experience the super fun job of removing lower control arm bushings. You'll need a shop press for this, or else farm that part of the job out. Pushing the shaft out is pretty easy (with a press), but getting the bushing out can be a bugger. There's an inner and an outer shell, with rubber in between. Press out the inner shell, the bushing comes out easy, then attack the outer shell. Hammer and chisel time, or you can (very carefully) use an air cutoff wheel, making sure you only cut the bushing shell, and not the lower control arm. Or, the early sixties shop manual suggestion: a large tap screwed into the shell then pressed out. No fun, but if your lower bushings are worn out, everything else you do to the front won't make it handle right. (If you switch to urethane bushings, you used to re-use the outer shell. If that's still true, it does save you the time and effort to get the old bushing shell out.)
Then there's a potential problem with today's Moog lower control arm bushings. The ones I bought 3-4 years ago didn't fit. Well, they sort of did, but they wouldn't go all the way in. Turns out the lip had a rolled edge which prevented the bushing from fully seating. No amount of pressing or hammering would fully seat them. Yanked them out and bought Delcos. They fit. Have no idea if the mis-fitting Moogs are a continuing problem.
Below: Moog left, Delco right. The Delco bushing looks like the old Moog bushings did. The new Moogs are different. (By the way, thinking maybe the Moog bushings were simply mis-boxed, I ordered another set from a different vendor. Got the same weird-looking bushings.)
Again, Moog left, Delco right. Note the rolled lip on the Moog vs the much flatter lip on the Delco.
Next, Moog installed. Note that the lip does not sit flush.
Finally, Delco installed. Note how well it fits
.
I also agree with 273's suggestion that if you're gonna replace the ball joints, might as well replace the bushings, too. At least look at them. Especially the lower control arm bushings.
Replacing the lower bushings will require, first, removing the torsion bars. Take the tension all the way off them, then (preferably) use a torsion bar removal tool, which is just a special clamp to clamp onto the bar, then smack the part hanging down with a sledge hammer to knock them back. Don't forget to remove the clips at the back of the bar before you do this. Then you unbolt the lower control arm shaft and (once the lower ball joint is disconnected) slide the lower control arm out.
Next you get to experience the super fun job of removing lower control arm bushings. You'll need a shop press for this, or else farm that part of the job out. Pushing the shaft out is pretty easy (with a press), but getting the bushing out can be a bugger. There's an inner and an outer shell, with rubber in between. Press out the inner shell, the bushing comes out easy, then attack the outer shell. Hammer and chisel time, or you can (very carefully) use an air cutoff wheel, making sure you only cut the bushing shell, and not the lower control arm. Or, the early sixties shop manual suggestion: a large tap screwed into the shell then pressed out. No fun, but if your lower bushings are worn out, everything else you do to the front won't make it handle right. (If you switch to urethane bushings, you used to re-use the outer shell. If that's still true, it does save you the time and effort to get the old bushing shell out.)
Then there's a potential problem with today's Moog lower control arm bushings. The ones I bought 3-4 years ago didn't fit. Well, they sort of did, but they wouldn't go all the way in. Turns out the lip had a rolled edge which prevented the bushing from fully seating. No amount of pressing or hammering would fully seat them. Yanked them out and bought Delcos. They fit. Have no idea if the mis-fitting Moogs are a continuing problem.
Below: Moog left, Delco right. The Delco bushing looks like the old Moog bushings did. The new Moogs are different. (By the way, thinking maybe the Moog bushings were simply mis-boxed, I ordered another set from a different vendor. Got the same weird-looking bushings.)
Again, Moog left, Delco right. Note the rolled lip on the Moog vs the much flatter lip on the Delco.
Next, Moog installed. Note that the lip does not sit flush.
Finally, Delco installed. Note how well it fits
