Mopar92
Well-Known Member
I loaned my set out and now my "buddy" can't find them. Can somebody tell me if my memory is correct? They are moog t411 and t412 sizes? My goodness they are expensive. I think I paid $30 for the set 20 years ago.
Ball joint socket sizes?
- Thread starter Mopar92
- Start date
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Mopar92
Well-Known Member
Can anybody recall the sizes I need for A body ball joints ?
I've never seen a size marked on one of them...
ScampMike
Despicable Damn Yankee
some buddy - how the heck do you lose sockets that big!? there are two - 1.906 in. opening and 2.125 in. opening - not sure which is which
From: http://www.crazysmopar.com/tech_bjsocket.html
The easiest way to remove your upper ball joints is with a special socket (see picture below). There are three different sizes, for A, B and C-bodies.
A-body - 1.809"
1960-72 A bodies
B-body - 1 7/8"
Strangly enough there are also 1 59/64" sockets, which should fit the same ball joint?! My ball joint is a Moog K772 and the 1 7/8" fits like a glove...
73 and up A-body
63-78 B-body
70-74 E-body
C-body - 2 1/8"
Strangly enough there are also 2 9/64" sockets, which should fit the same ball joint?!
Mopar used three different upper ball joints on their RWD Torsion bar equipped cars from 1957-89.
1960-72 A bodies only used the small ball joint
1957-75 Imperials and 1974-78 big cars used the biggest joint (MOOG K778) It was also on light duty Dodge vans from 1971-03, 1972-93 2WD pickups as well as 1987-96 2WD Dakotas and most Vipers.
Everybody else used the middle size (MOOG K772) i.e. 1973+ Darts/Valiants, F-M-J bodies, most C bodies till 1973 and all B-R bodies
Some sites where you can buy these sockets:
Mancini Racing
American Muscle
Summit Racing
Ebay Motors
JEGS
All balljooint sockets i've seen are impact sockets. And that's what you want. The easiest way to use these sockets is with an impact gun (electric or air).
You really want to do this with an impact gun. Because those upper balljoints are incredible hard to remove by hand, i.e. a socket attachted to a breaker bar is a guarantee to injury!
If you don't want to buy one, 'cause you know this is the only time you need one, maybe you can borrow one. I belief you can rent these sockets in the United States. Food for thought, I think...
My sockets are from SK Hand tools. Just type SK and the serialnumber in a search engine and the stores who sell them pop up.
1 7/8" - s/n 84688
2 1/8" - s/n 84689
I've read that SK Tools is out of business. So finding a new SK socket is probably rather difficult.
A PST socket (Performance Suspension Technology), This one is with a 1/2" drive.
The easiest way to remove your upper ball joints is with a special socket (see picture below). There are three different sizes, for A, B and C-bodies.
A-body - 1.809"
1960-72 A bodies
B-body - 1 7/8"
Strangly enough there are also 1 59/64" sockets, which should fit the same ball joint?! My ball joint is a Moog K772 and the 1 7/8" fits like a glove...
73 and up A-body
63-78 B-body
70-74 E-body
C-body - 2 1/8"
Strangly enough there are also 2 9/64" sockets, which should fit the same ball joint?!
Mopar used three different upper ball joints on their RWD Torsion bar equipped cars from 1957-89.
1960-72 A bodies only used the small ball joint
1957-75 Imperials and 1974-78 big cars used the biggest joint (MOOG K778) It was also on light duty Dodge vans from 1971-03, 1972-93 2WD pickups as well as 1987-96 2WD Dakotas and most Vipers.
Everybody else used the middle size (MOOG K772) i.e. 1973+ Darts/Valiants, F-M-J bodies, most C bodies till 1973 and all B-R bodies
Some sites where you can buy these sockets:
Mancini Racing
American Muscle
Summit Racing
Ebay Motors
JEGS
All balljooint sockets i've seen are impact sockets. And that's what you want. The easiest way to use these sockets is with an impact gun (electric or air).
You really want to do this with an impact gun. Because those upper balljoints are incredible hard to remove by hand, i.e. a socket attachted to a breaker bar is a guarantee to injury!
If you don't want to buy one, 'cause you know this is the only time you need one, maybe you can borrow one. I belief you can rent these sockets in the United States. Food for thought, I think...
My sockets are from SK Hand tools. Just type SK and the serialnumber in a search engine and the stores who sell them pop up.
1 7/8" - s/n 84688
2 1/8" - s/n 84689
I've read that SK Tools is out of business. So finding a new SK socket is probably rather difficult.
A PST socket (Performance Suspension Technology), This one is with a 1/2" drive.
There are 2 sizes for A-bodies.
The a-bods through model year 1972 use the smaller socket.
73-76 use the larger.
Personally I would not use an impact to install. There is a "suggestion" of a thread when inserted into the UCA but it is fragile, it is far from being a durable thread.
I remove them (or loosen them) and tighten them while the UCA is still on the car. The correct socket, a breaker bar, and my floor jack handle over the breaker bar does it for me every time.
The a-bods through model year 1972 use the smaller socket.
73-76 use the larger.
Personally I would not use an impact to install. There is a "suggestion" of a thread when inserted into the UCA but it is fragile, it is far from being a durable thread.
I remove them (or loosen them) and tighten them while the UCA is still on the car. The correct socket, a breaker bar, and my floor jack handle over the breaker bar does it for me every time.
Mopar92
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that info guys!!!
Don't forget that, if you have a pre-72, but somebody put 73-later big ball joint sockets, you need the later socket.
(Don't ask... ;-))
(Don't ask... ;-))
ScampMike
Despicable Damn Yankee
actually, once you get it started ( as in KNOW the threads are caught!) I have found the impact to be my friend - the last ones I did were into tube type UCA's and I needed heat on the outside of the UCA and the impact - and even then it took some doing.. OEM UCA's are surely easier..
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