OK so I'm in the middle of putting my Daystar/Rancho lift on and came across a problem I can't seem to solve.... doesn't seem others have come across it either in their installs.

I was in the process of removing the upper control arm nut and left it barely threaded when tapping the control arm loose so the knuckle didn't just "fall" onto the brake line (rather, it would rest on the nut). Then the plan was to take the nut off the rest of the way and ease the knuckle down. So here's where I am just now: the knuckle is loose but the ball joint stud is still threaded in the nut... when I try to loosen the nut, the whole stud spins. If I try to tighten the nut, it spins also. I have a loose ball joint I can't tighten or loosen Any suggestions? I've tried prying every which way while attempting to loosen it but it spins too easily... next will likely be getting a friend to give me a ride to pick up some vice grips and penetrating oil for the stud...

(wasn't this supposed to be the one step that should go simply? haha)

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Former CRD owner... now I just sit around and stare at the wall.

The ball joints have a 10mm, I think, fitting at the end for just that kind of problem. Put the small 10mm wrench on the bottom and the large wrench on the nut and turn. I usually hold the knuckle with one hand and loosen the nut with the other hand so it doesn't just drop loose. The nut should just come off easy at that point.

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2002 Liberty Limited
2.5" Rusty's Coil Lift + OME 927 springs + 1/4" spacers
265x70 Revos
Warn 4x Floods
ARB bumper
TeraFlex extended front bumpstops
Rock Lizard Skink Super Sliders
Bosch Size 86 battery
Jeepin by Al's 4.5 UC Arms
Kryptonite Differential Cover
JBA Bolt on KJ Tri-Angulated 4 Link

Ahhh...well that would explain why I couldn't see anything like that... on closer inspection it appears that the previous owner/mechanic stripped out that little 10mm fitting. Looks like vice grips are it.

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Former CRD owner... now I just sit around and stare at the wall.

either that or pry down on the upper arm with a bar back in the spring, set the ball joint back in the spindle and remove the nut , then after you have the threads clean install it a few threads and then remove the way you started. I always take mine all the way off spray the threads good , reinstall the nut a few turns then knock the upper arm loose that way it will always come off easy

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MUDD'S MOTORSPORT'S We do IFS lift installs ,
03 OVERLAND EDITION /Kilby-Skidrow-Mopar-4XGuard skids/ 2.5 inch TOTAL CONTROL JBA coilovers -JBA Arms/MOABS-31 FALKEN WILDPEAK AT3W / 4.10's etc, 04 Kilimanjaro Edition loaded, plus 05 KJ limited

From now on, I need to read a little slower ... I couldn't figure out how any of this had to do with a mid-life crisis.

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Pete
L.O.S.T. #PC050458
'04 Timberland Green Sport w/stuff...
'08 105th Anniversary H-D Dyna Low Rider
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior

thats what I was wondering too and why was it in the 4x4 section

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1980 Jeep CJ7 Buggy
SOA, D44/ FF14B, SBC 350, SM465, NP205, 108" WB, 37" MTs

http://www.dpgoffroad.com/
http://www.ucora.org/
http://www.christianoffroad.com/
http://jeepinbyal.com/