I have an 85 z28. 8 cyl, carb, 4BBL etc.

I am extremely lucky that the car itself is in great condition, aside from shifting from 1st to second a little rough, it only has 88k miles etc.

However, some front end parts need to be done... an idler arm (easy), but theres an issue with the ball joint on the passenger lower control arm... It's looking like its bout ready to pop out. A ball joint is cheap and easy enough to get, but my friend who will be doing the work (mechanic who works at a shop.. trust him more to do it than myself) believes that it will need to be pressed in. Since his shop doesnt do that theyd have to send it out. However, my father who's had experience with 80s chevys believes pretty strongly that it's a simple thing to replace and doesn't require anything much.

So I come to you, the guys who know better than I.

Preciate any responses in advance.

 

You can look at ball joints and see when they are worn very easily. The grease fitting gets suck up inside. But if they are both equaly worn and you dont know how far its supose to stick out then that does nogood to compare.
They are pressed in. I am a mechanic and have a tool for doing them while on the car. Mine is made by OTC and is a big C clamp type of thing with adapters and cups for removing and installing different ball joints. (also works well with u-joints as my bro does it that way) The local parts store may have this tool for loan.

 

Thanks for the info Mike.

Looked at it further with my pop. There's a little play in the wheel but it doesn't appear to be the ball joint. What really concerned my friend whos a mechanic was that it looks like its popping out (down) out of it. However, it doesn't appear to move for me at all. essentially it looks like the spot in the control arm it fits in became larger and it came down, however looking I have seen "oversized" ball joints ... Now I'm not sure of the difference but I checked the joint it doens't move at all, and doesn't look like its falling out at all. Most of the play in the wheel (very little even) is actually coming from the struts.

This all became looked at because when driving my car will occasionally pull to the right. It's noticable when driving normally, but especially when braking. When braking if I let go of the wheel the wheel will sharply turn right a quarter of a turn. It's not 100% of the time however. We know it needs an alignment definitely, but I'm curious if that pull to the right would be from the alignment, especially as it almost seems random. (I've been trying to find a way too reproduce it. Im not sure if i'm just hitting a bump and it's causing it, or what is going on.)

 

The pull might be a brake grabbing.

 

Play in the wheel would be from worn tie rod ends,idler arm, or steering box. Did you jack the car up to check the ball joint? You need to get the tire off the ground, get a long bar under the tire, and pry up to see if the ball joint moves up and down with some slop. You can't check for sloppy ball joints with the car's weight on it.

 

We indeed jacked it up and did as you mentioned. Ball joint did not appear or feel to move up and down with the play in the wheel. I'll have my friend take it into his shop and put it up on the ramps again and we'll double check.

I've heard that as well , guess I'll check it out. Thanks again!