Ball Joint replacement, '93 940

I'm not sure on a Volvo what the suspension design is, but just be careful of any suspension spring removal. Make sure you have it securely on stands or a hoist, you can't do this job on ramps. If it is a strut design, just remove the strut as a unit. If it has torsion bars, unload the front end suspension (by raising the vehicle) before you remove the torsion bar fasteners. Basically, unbolt the top of the joint from the spindle (castle nut with cotter pin), and the bottom is probably riveted in. If the ball joints are riveted in, grind the rivet heads off and then bolt the new ones in. The fork bar is usually for stubborn tie rod ends, and for ball joints. I use one on the end of an air tool, so if you use the arm strong/hammer powered one, be careful. Use a torch on the spindle ball joint area to heat it moderately if it's really stubborn. The Haynes manual you mentioned will probably have all the particulars to that vehicle. We have had good luck with Moog parts. Have fun and be careful Hachi.

If you look at any ball-joint you'll see a tapered pin on one end, and a housing on the other. The tapered pin turns or rocks in the lower housing. Removing the old BJ consists of undoing the housing attachment technique which maybe small nuts and bolts, rivets (grind or chisel off and replace with nuts and bolts) or in rare cases the housing screws into the arm on the car. This is the easy bit. The difficult bit is getting the old BJ's tapered pin to drop out of tapered hole in the car's suspension. The fork you mentioned is *one* way to do this. Remember however, once the fork is used to drive a wedge between arm and the old BJ so the tapered pin drops out, the old BJ will be damaged. The most common way to get the taper to release, is to apply "pulling apart" pressure using a jack and piece of wood, then hitting the tapered fitting (which the BJ tapered peg is in) from both sides using equal force. This causes the arm to "spring" thus allowing the old tapered pin to drop out. If this is not successful,..drive the fork in to add more persuasion,..then hit the peg-housing again. 9 times out of 10 that will do the trick.

Jason

Thanks!

I think he's taking it to a mechanic, so I'm off the hook, but this is good to know, and gets filed for future reference!