Hi folks, while replacing my upper control arm bushings I decided to replace the ball joints as well.

Everything went well until I tried to mount the ball joint to the spindle. I scratched my head, looked very closely and realized that there was almost zero clearance between the shaft and receiving hole. Totally confused I pulled the control arm, put it in the freezer and tried again. This gained enough of a gap to allow the installation and then tightening. I proceded to the other side and while mentally prepared to use the same routine I found that the ball joint almost fell into the receiving hole. Nervous, I measured the new ball joint and the original, they were the same…then I realized that the first ball joint (I had also measured it) I had installed did not have a taper on the shaft. It was straight with threads cut at the end. Both part numbers the same, both MOOG products…life is full of surprises.

wj

 

What a PITA! Good reminder to never assume they packed the parts correctly (I've been there too). As I was about to type: always look before you leave the store, I just realized I bought a microwave interlock switch 20 minutes ago without doing so. . . Well it'll serve me right if it doesn't fit ;-).

Thanks for the heads up WJ.
John