I came across this older thread where it's described that I can simply freeze a new lower ball joint and then it should easily insert into the spindle race. That would be great, as I have new lower ball joints I'm ready to install but was having to wait until Thursday when the local parts store has a ball joint press available to loan. But this freezing trick apparently really works? I'll guess I'll give it try then. Any further comments from someone who'se tried this method would be appreciated. https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/for...l-joint-42718/

 

Update: I tried it and it didn't work for me. Put the ball joint in the freezer overnight. Put a little grease inside the race and tried to slide it in with finger pressure. No go. Not even a little ways.

 

You can try again, but this time heat the knuckle to hot, but not very hot.

Do you have a CO2 fire extinguisher, by any chance, or maybe a local supplier of dry ice? If so, use either of those to freeze the joint. Because dry ice is much colder than water ice, the joint will become a bit smaller with the former. To maintain the joint in the coldest state possible, use thick gloves when handling the cold joint.

The combination of hot knuckle and CO2-frozen joint will give the best chance at the easiest fit, but the joint has to go into the kncuckle as fast as possible.

Before doing anything, completely remove any lubricant from the joint and knuckle. Polish both mating surfaces to a shine by using metal polishing compound, then proceed with the heating, freezing and insertion.

Immediately after intial insertion of the frozen joint into the hot knuckle, try hitting the joint with a rubber mallet. If it's going to slip in the easy way, the mallet should drive it home much more quickly and effectively than finger pressure.

Here's an EricTheCarGuy video that shows how he does the insertion at 4 minutes, 50 seconds into the video.
h ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd5IcN3yjsg
(Copy link, paste in browser, remove space between h and ttp, then hit enter)
As you can see, he attempts to pound the joint in with a hammer, but he turns instead to an air hammer and it goes right in without any freezing or heating of anything. I believe that if you continue with his hammer method, you might be sucessful in the end. It'll just take longer than the air-hammer method. As Eric does, only hit the outer edge of the joint and vary each hit by 180 degrees, etc.

 

Okay I can maybe try all that Tony, but as you can see, in the other thread the OP said to just put it in the freezer (nothing about dry ice or any other freezing method mentioned, nor need to heat the knuckle as you suggest). Also says "literally slides in with finger pressure" (mine didn't begin even begin to slide in, pushing on it with my hand) and also says to lube the race no mention of polishing the race and the other surface of the joint.

I have a propane torch I suppose I could heat the knuckle, not sure what "hot but not very hot" is though.

No to first, doubt it on the second. I guess I could inquire around see if there's a place to get some dry ice, not sure how much it costs or the minimum amount they'd sell to me. I put a freezer thermometer in my freezer and it says it's -5 degrees in there (which is actually colder than it normally needs to be in there for normal freezing of food I think).

The outer metal surface of the ball joint is black metal. Does that polish with metal polishing compound? Doesn't seem to me like it would.

Well the thing is the bench vice I use to hold the knuckle while I hit the joint is at my workplace, and my freezer is at home. If I managed to get some get some dry ice and freeze the joint that way and keep the joint frozen in the dry ice while I transport it to the bench vice at work, I could then attempt to give it a try. Plus, I was skeptical at the outset of the claim of the OP in that other thread that the joint would "literally slide in with finger pressure". At the least I figure I'll be needing to try to hammer it in, freeze or no freeze.

I've already previously watched that video. It'd be nice to have an air hammer like that but of course I do not. I thought of simply trying to hammer it in slowly and evenly with a regular hammer but I'm concerned that I'll probably get it stuck crooked a little in the race while hammering like that then have to pound it back out the other way, maybe even a few times, and just end up buggering it all up with that manual hammering and pounding. I don't know whether to try that (see if I can just hammer it evenly and slowly, maybe with a hammer and a drift), or mess around with the freezing/heating method, or wait until after this Thursday when I can borrow a ball joint press. I hate having to wait, I do know that.

 

I take it that the freezer you used is at work.

Around here dry ice is $2 per pound.

I think both surfaces will polish with metal polish. On the joint you can use a buffing wheel on a bench grinder with some red rouge to remove the black and then some white to make it mirror-like. This polishing will only remove a miniscule amount of material.

Lubricant transfers temperature more quickly, so that's why I said to remove lubricant. Polished metal slides very well on polished metal.

Once the joint first starts to enter the hole straight and goes in say only 1/4", you can start pounding on it pretty good and it will remain straight. If you have a socket that is big enough to fit nicely on the outer rim of the joint, you can really start pounding with less fear of damaging the top of the joint.

Or wait until Thursday and hope that the kit has a properly-sized something for pushing and an adequately-sized "receiver" that will accept the full length of the joint's stem.

 

Nope I used the one at home. The one in my fridge.

Maybe the same around here, probably more, but still haven't checked. They'd probably sell me some at the fish plant.

Got a bench grinder but no buffing wheel. Would have to buy one. Got no red rouge, or white. Would have to buy that too.

The race hole is so close to the knuckle upright steel it really doesn't look to me like I'd be able to pound straight down all around, and if I put a big socket on it that'll even give me less swinging room up/down with the hammer.

That's what I think I'll do, even though I hate having to wait. The kit I'm getting is this one:
CARQUEST - Product Information:Alltrade Tools Llc - LOANER TOOLS 23 Pc Ball Joint / U-Joint Service Set - For press-in style Ball Joints - Kit 46, 1 kit, sold
but I guess I won't know until I get it whether it'll be adequately sized to do the job on the Accord. I read some reviews from here but nobody mentions Hondas, just trucks, Chrysler, and a mention of a European car. So will just wait and see.

 

Looks to me like it is going to work. The receiver tubes look deep enough.

 

Good. If it works it'll be worth the wait I think then.

I really wonder though what kind of other magic must have been involved for that guy to just stick his ball joint in the freezer and then just "literally push it in with finger pressure".

 

Very cold freezer?

BTW, you mentioned that the freezer was not where you work, but your vise is. How'd you get the frozen joint to the knuckle without it warming up?

 

I've used the "freeze"/"heat" method before....but never to the point where it just slid in...it helped keep the pushing/pounding down.

Put expansion plugs in the freezer over night.....nice and easy to knock them into the side of the block.......bushings in the freezer, control arm on an old hot plate.

Anyway, it might just be best to wait for the tool....good luck and let us know what works for you.