Getting cotter pin through ball joint

[scherp69]

So as the title says, I have a question about getting the cotter pin through the ball joint. I'm have Moog 5108 ball joints and I have the nut tight, but it hasn't gone far enough to allow the cotter pin to go through. In the past if I've gone too tight, then the entire shaft starts turning and then I can't tighten it up at all so I ended up replacing them. At $38 each, I don't want to keep replacing them. I can get the cotter pin through one side, but it won't come out the other. Any advice?? Thanks in advance.

[Blake Foster]

if it is really tight, the nut i mean, just back it off one notch, but make sure you are really pulling onthe 3/4 wrench thata how tight they should be then just back it off

[gearheads78]

Originally Posted by scherp69

So as the title says, I have a question about getting the cotter pin through the ball joint. I'm have Moog 5108 ball joints and I have the nut tight, but it hasn't gone far enough to allow the cotter pin to go through. In the past if I've gone too tight, then the entire shaft starts turning and then I can't tighten it up at all so I ended up replacing them. At $38 each, I don't want to keep replacing them. I can get the cotter pin through one side, but it won't come out the other. Any advice?? Thanks in advance.

I had the same issue with my ball joints. The hole was not perfectly centered in my Howe ball joints. I had to sneak up on it to where one side of the hole was opening as the other side was closing my pin would just barley slide in. If I lined up one hole in the center the other side would be closed up too far. It also helped to arc the pin just a little.

[70rs]

I think you guys just need bigger hammers.

[JRouche]

Sound like my problem I had with some spindles. The tapered hole was too small. I was lucky enough to have factory stock spindles still and measured the tapered hole. Sure enough, the new ones were small. Back to the company they went. JR

[JRouche]

Originally Posted by JRouche

Sound like my problem I had with some spindles. The tapered hole was too small. I was lucky enough to have factory stock spindles still and measured the tapered hole. Sure enough, the new ones were small. Back to the company they went. JR

Oh, and for the spinning ball joint stud. I have had to resort to an impact air wrench sometimes. Just to get the taper seated quickly so the BJ stud didnt turn. Just a quick tap on the trigger. Prolly not the preferred method. And once the pin was seated and grabbing good I was able to move the nut to the last hole or even cinch it down a lil to the next hole. Just a matter of getting the tapered pin to seat and grip.

[wedged]

massage the slot in the nut a little to make more room for the pin. I've even cut down studs, slotted them with a cut off wheel, then drilled a hole through a ground down nut to still use a cotter pin. This was to gain clearance. Crude but effective.

[ma73z]

I like to hit the face of the nut on the belt sander, go a little at a time usually works like a charm and doesn't hurt a thing.

[JRouche]

I dont know, but the couple of posts on modifying the nut just doesnt sound right to me. Castellated nuts arent the best of nuts to begin with. So deepening the groves or thinning the base just doesnt sound like a good idea.

And I understand they are mainly for a safety issue, if the taper fit lets loose. Well I think the taper does let loose after some miles. After you seat the taper, if you were to back the nut off a 1/8 of a turn, so the nut is loose I wouldnt be surprised after driving the car the pin on the BJ will back out the distance that you gave it, that slack.

They arent tension nuts, but they do keep the pin seated. Im not a fan of castellated nuts, but thats what is used. Making the nut even weaker than it already is IMO is a bad idea.

If the pin is seated all the way in and you still cant see the hole then the bore of the spindle may be off.

Seat the pin as far as you can. I can really lay into my nuts and the ball doesnt loose traction. Thats really odd you had to replace the BJs because of that. They should be a pretty tight fit. And I use Moog joints. Maybe low friction joints are like that though, dunno.

So anyway, seat the pin as far as it will go, use a air wrench if you need to. Just to get the speed of turning to seat the taper, NOT for the additional torque. Then if the hole still cant be seen remove the nut and washer. The pin will stay in place. Then look at the top of the spindle arm (or bottom if its the top BJ), right where the pin comes through. All of the cars I have worked on, (which really isnt that many) will have the top of the taper on the pin just at the top of the edge of the spindle arm, I can always see the end of the taper.

Thats the way its supposed to be. If you have threads below the top of the arm (for the bottom joint), in the bore its wrong. If the pin taper is just slightly, like say an 1/8" above the arm no big deal, just fine. The washer (or two) will give you plenty of threads to grip onto with the nut. You dont want the pin sitting to low in the bore. If it is then either the pin is off (not likely) or the aftermarket spindle balljoint bore is too small. You want the spindle arms bore fully engaged, the entire surface, with the BJ pin.

On critical parts like this dont fix a bad fitment with even worst fixes. Find the problem, no matter how painful it might be, work through it. You will be happy if you do. Peace of mind every time you drive the car and really, you just dont want a failure on that part. You shear a BJ pin or crack a castellated nut and you will be lucky if you happen to be parking it. JR

[ma73z]

Jrouche I wasn't saying throw the nut on a 36 grit belt and take an 1/8 inch off just simply removing a couple thousandths lets the slots move that much more just to let the pin slide in.