KQQLCAT

How do you get the rivits out of the lower ball joints? I have removed rivits from ball joints before but I can't seem to get these to move.

Thanks
Pat

chequenman

The Rivets are most likely seized in the part of the Ball Joint material. If the Ball Joints aren't any good (which I presume is the problem) you'll have to heat up Ball Joint around the Rivet and support the Control Arm, while driving the Rivet out with a good Drift Punch. This is much easier done when you have the Control Arm out of the car and I would guess you'll be replacing the Control Arm Bushings at the same time. Brute Force and Ignorance will be the call of the "Day"
"Here you don't need much Patients, but who's to say that you wanted to be a Doctor anyway"

Lady72nRob71

Just make sure you have drilled all the way through the bottom side of the rivets before using the heat and hammer.
Sometimes they LOOK drilled through, but really they aren't. This usually happens in fear of going too far and cutting into the arm itself.

joe_padavano

Note that rivets expand radially into the hole when the head is formed. You will likely need to drill into the body of the rivet to release this locked-in stress.