I was going to install the lower control arm ball joints this weekend on my 69 frame off restoration. We were already to press them in but when I located them in the arm and tapped them in with a mallet I was able to drive them in with not too much force!

The assembly books says "Note: Lower ball joints are a loose fit". I would like to know how loose a fit are they referring to? The old ones had to be pressed out with a ball joint press and a little heat - the new ones tap in with a rubber mallet.

Thanks

never seen one go in that easy,,the heat you put to the arm might have damaged it,,installed many ball joints and never seen any just slide right in with a tap from a rubber mallet most of the time a big hammer and a press is required to get them in ,,just my thought Frank

the part measures 2.001, do you think it would be ok to knurl the fit?

Try another brand of lower ball joint. Sometimes it makes a little bit of a difference. They should be a pretty tight fit and you should have to press them in w/a ball joint press.

If they just tapped in, like jet_car2000 says, the holes may have been expanded too much. I had this happen to me once on one of my GTO's and had to replace the lower control arm

I had to replace one lower control arm. The machine shop pressed the ball joint in and cracked the flange. Check yours for a very small crack.

I think Moog ball jionts are oversize for just this reason

i myself would not kurl it and never heard of that being done to a control arm,,think would try a moog joint like gene says or find another control arm that has a press fit to it ,,lower joint poping out can cause major damage not only to your car but to others on the road when you lose control of the car,if you go to the bone yards looking for a control arm ones from a nova will also work on your camaro.

I've never heated a control arm to remove ball joint. I suspect that might have streghted the hole a little. You can replace the arm or tack weld the ball joint in. I have welded many with no problem
Good Luck