Lower Ball Joint Replacement

Lower Ball Joint Replacement
Special Tools Required
^ Ball joint remover, 32 mm 07MAC-SL0A102
^ Ball joint thread protector, 14 mm 071AF-S3VA000

1. Remove the front wheel.





2. Remove and discard the flange bolt (A) and flange nuts (B) from the lower arm (C).

NOTE: During installation, install a new flange bolt and new flange nuts. After lightly tightening all three fasteners, tighten them to the specified torque beginning with the flange nuts.

3. Disconnect the lower ball joint (D) from the lower arm.





4. Remove the spindle nut, and remove the outboard joint (A) from the knuckle (B) by tapping the driveshaft end (C) with a plastic hammer while pulling the hub outward.





5. Remove the lock pin (A) from the lower ball joint (B) then remove the castle nut (C).

NOTE: During installation, install a new lock pin after tightening the new castle nut.

6. Install the ball joint thread protector.
7. Disconnect the lower ball joint from the knuckle using the ball joint remover, then remove the lower ball joint.
8. Install the lower ball joint in the reverse order of removal, and note these items:
^ Tighten all mounting hardware to the specified torque values.
^ First install all the components, and lightly tighten the bolts and nuts, then raise the suspension to load it with the vehicle's weight before fully tightening to the specified torque values.
^ Use a new spindle nut during reassembly.
^ Before installing the wheel, clean the mating surface of the wheel.
^ Check the wheel alignment, and adjust it if necessary.