Lower Ball Joint Dust Boot

427Cammer

Registered User
Was using a ball joint separator tool, and split a lower ball joint dust boot -- TRW lower arm and ball joint -- anybody know where to get a new dust boot, or how to repair the split? Control arm/ball joint is brand new, so don't want to have to replace hardware just to repair a split boot.

Thanks.

Cammer
 
Well it's too late now but the only time you can use a pickle fork separator is when you need to replace the control arm/ball-joint anyway. The pickle fork is guaranteed to tear up the boot on the ball-joint. There are c-clamp type separators available that will save the boot. I am not aware of ball-joint boots being replaceable, just the complete ball-joint. Lower ball-joints are available but you need about a 20 ton press to get them in and out of the control arm. So, if you don't have a press, by the time you pay a shop to r&r the ball-joint you probably can buy the complete lower arm cheaper which come with the ball-joint. John
 
Thanks for the reply -- you are quite correct regarding the fact that a pickle fork-type ball-joint separator tool will ALWAYS tear up the boot -- I just decided to try and finess the separation and CAREFULLY insert the pickle-fork UNDERNEATH the dust boot -- alas, it STILL tore the boot. Ideally, I would have used a C-clamp type ball-joint separator tool -- which I did not own, nor have access to this afternoon.

That's the bad news. The GOOD news is that NAPA has a ball-joint dust boot that fits perfectly over the top of the torn dust boot (one could remove the torn dust boot, but not necessary) -- just packed the NAPA boot full of synthetic grease, stuck it over the old ball-joint dust boot, and tightened the ball-joint up. Seals tight -- we'll see how long the rubber replacement lasts before it starts to shred/fall apart.

NAPA lower ball-joint dust boot part number - 650-1178, cost ~$3.50 -- labeled as a tie-rod dust boot, but large enough to fit the T-Bird/Cougar lower ball joint snugly.

Cammer
 
Cammer, that sounds very interesting about that tie-rod boot application. Keep us informed about how it works and if it stays where it's supposed to. I'm thinking it won't last like a ball-joint boot would, but any reasonable service life is ahead of the game for you. John
 
Back
Top