rcguymike

I'm mostly done replacing the ball joints on my 96 grand cherokee and I realized that the grease zerk on the lower ball joint was in the way of the CV joint. I went to unscrew it and it snapped off.

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Now what can I do? Is there a way to get just the lower one out leaving the upper one in? Is there a way to seal it without ruining it?

rcguymike

Also the abs sensor wire brackets crumbled. Can I wrap it in electrical tape and zip tie them to the knuckle? Or anyone have a better idea?

Bustedback

There are plugs that screw into the hole where the grease fitting goes, check with NAPA and see what they have. Go to the local Pik-N-Pull and get a sensor from a donor heep.

rcguymike

I have a plug but the threads are broken off in the hole. I do have some screw extractors but that might get dirt or metal shavings in there.

dave1123

Just use the screw extractor. Either that or use a c-clamp type ball joint remover and take it out and put a new one in.

I suppose you can always close the hole with a dab of weld.

rcguymike

Will the c-clamp installer/remover configure to take just the bottom one out? The instructions I was following you had to take the upper one out first so that you can put the threaded portion through the upper hole in the knuckle. I guess I'll try the screw extractor as it's already broken and I can return to Amazon for a replacement. Just have to get this done before Friday as I cancelled insurance on our third vehicle.

rcguymike

So screw extractors failed miserably... Had to cut off the stud on the bottom so that the autozone press would fit on it to press it out. Ordered a replacement from Amazon, but I realized I forgot to grease the other side lower joint... Need more hours in the day...lol Will probably take everything apart and grease the lower one tonight and start taking things apart to get the the passenger side brake line that rusted through.

I'm thinking about returning the Autozone press and getting one from AdvanceAuto*, theirs is supposed to be better right? How else can I press in the lower joint without removing the upper?

*Edit: We don't have and AdvanceAuto...was thinking AutoValue and they don't loan tools...

dave1123

If I recall correctly, doesn't the lower joint go in from the bottom?

rcguymike

It does but the configuration of the autozone ball joint press makes it easiest to install it with the threaded portion up through the hole where the upper joint is. The cups weren't long enough the press the joint out on it's own so I don't think they'll be long enough to press it in. I may have to weld up a little spacer ring or something. I wish the autozone one had an add-on kit with longer and a better selection of cups. If I had easy access to some pipe I could probably find a piece and cut it to the perfect length and use but I'm on a time crunch now and need it back together by Friday.

dave1123

I think on the lower one, you can just use a flat plate.

rcguymike

Got it in! It was quite the rickety setup and fell apart on me a few times but it worked!

There wasn't enough room to have both cups in so I started it this way until it bottomed on the plate, then it still barely fit. I had to yank on the press to get it on straight and then the cup kinda sucked itself onto the little shoulder perfectly.

93_xjcherokee

I greased mine before I put everything back together. Once you get it all together, you will never be able to grease them

rcguymike

I wanted the knuckle on there at least so I could see how much I could put in before the boot would stretch and rub too much. It's silly how they didn't design the bottom one with an offset angular zerk or something that would work with the axles still in there.

93_xjcherokee

They make angled zerks but I don't think there's enough clearance with your axles spinning

rcguymike

and a rock would probably get wedged in there and rip it off or something...