2 ?’s, pressing ball joints, compressing strut springs

[greymouser7]

if I press out a ball joint with the (abused & maybe slightly crooked) auto parts tool out of an aluminum control arm and press the new one back in-does it matter that for most of the pressing in new effort the steel ball joint was slightly offset/crooked going in until I finished compressing it in completely?

It looked like it straightened up, but at this point I can’t see straight very well and nothing is on a level plane except momma’s 2005 Ford Explorer on jack stands. It could be the on there ever so slightly angled.

Not all the ball joints came with a snap ring and a the snap ring pliers at the parts store are crappy.

Two.
Do you guys just use just one kit ( 2 clamps) when compressing strut springs or Chevy coil springs?

The last time I compressed coil springs was 25 years ago and they had skinny hooks-I rented two kits without initially noticing that THIS time the clamps were MUCH wider.

Personally I felt very safe with four clamps on there but I wonder if you guys just use the two clamps in one kit.

In 1999 I asked the most senior ranking mechanic on the submarine about the coil spring bulging and (because he cared and his training ‘guided’ him to certain behaviors, he yelled at me about being careful or that springs could kill me.

Luckily, I had been yelled at sooo much prior to that, that I understood his message and the intense concern he had vice getting butt hurt for getting yelled at.-That experience pretty much determined me using two kits.

I simply noticed this time the clamps were two thumbs wide vice a skinny metal hook.

 

[Tooljunkie]

I have seen them go in crooked many times. Wire brush to clean bore and a little lubricant to aid in installation. Also if its going in crooked,
It may be for a couple reasons.
Casting is tapered, requires an angled adapter on the ball joint press.

Ball joint press is wonky,c-clamp has been stretched.
To check, run screw all the way down. Pin should be centred in clamp ring.

If they are going in crooked, i usually whack clamp with a hammer,they usually square up.


As far as coil spring compressors go,depending on application i only use 2 But mine has 2 hooks on each end of the compressor.

I have taken struts apart without compressor, laying it flat on the floor and running nut off with impact. Not much of an event.
Im more nervous about getting hit in the face if something lets go when setting loaded coil on strut.
I like my blue point compressor kit. And it was cheap.

 

[greymouser7]