# Front Lower Ball Joint Replacement - 96 Subaru Legacy
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818
**Category:** NYSpeed Automotive
**Created:** [January 14, 2008, 12:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818 "2008-01-14T12:12:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bigairskier1580](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bigairskier1580)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 12:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/1 "2008-01-14T12:12:56Z")
Never done this before, I have the ball-joint, and need to replace it.
What tools do I need to rent from Autozone?
What’s the general process?
Also, is an alignment required afterwards?
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 12:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/2 "2008-01-14T12:19:40Z")
> [@Bigairskier1580"](#):
>
> Never done this before, I have the ball-joint, and need to replace it.
>
> What tools do I need to rent from Autozone?
> What’s the general process?
>
> Also, is an alignment required afterwards?
>
> Thanks!
You will probably need a ball joint press to remove the ball joint and install the new one.
while you probably SHOULD get an alignment afterwards, assuming your car was aligned with a good ball joint previously, then nothing you change will have an effect on the alignment.
if it was aligned with a worn ball joint, your alignment will be off.
Here’s a tip. When you remove the nut from the ball joint RESIST THE URGE TO TRY AND POUND THE “BOLT” WITH A HAMMER. Instead, hit the KNUCKLE where the ball joint goes through, such that you are striking on an axis perpendicular to the centerline of the ball joint. You can also use a pickle fork, but i have found those tend to fuck shit up. Shocking the female part of the taper always works. (THIS ADVICE PERTAINS TO GETTING THE BALL JOINT “UNSTUCK” FROM THE KNUCKLE… THE PRESS IS USED TO REMOVE THE BALL JOINT FROM THE CONTROL ARM)
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### Author:  [@nitroinsane](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/nitroinsane)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 12:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/3 "2008-01-14T12:26:33Z")
deoends some are riveted in and require a air hammer others require a ball joint press and some are easy and bolt on
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 12:37pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/4 "2008-01-14T12:37:29Z")
> [@nitroinsane](#):
>
> deoends some are riveted in and require a air hammer others require a ball joint press and some are easy and bolt on
this is true but i THINK the subie ones are pressed.
you don’t NEED an air hammer if it’s riveted. A drill and chisel will dispense with the rivets as well.
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### Author:  [@Bigairskier1580](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bigairskier1580)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/5 "2008-01-14T12:42:55Z")
Can a ball joint press be rented from autozone?
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### Author:  [@943kgt](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/943kgt)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 12:44pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/6 "2008-01-14T12:44:03Z")
on a subaru there is no need for a press, there is a pinch bolt on the knuckle that holds the ball joint in. SOAK the shit out of it, if you dont have a torch to heat it up, that bolt has a tendency to break. since you’re replacing the ball joint anyway a pickle fork is fine, the damage ive usually seen is a torn boot so the old one doesnt matter or like newman said a nice blow to the lower control arm should break it free. Once the pinch bolt is out and the knuckle is removed from teh lower control arm it may take some wiggling and what not but the ball joint should come out without a problem, new one goes in along with the bolt, drop it into the lower control arm into the knuckle and viola replaced.
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### Author:  [@jrod0187](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/jrod0187)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 1:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/7 "2008-01-14T13:14:16Z")
> [@943kgt](#):
>
> the damage ive usually seen is a torn boot so the old one doesnt matter
Word :bloated:. Good times Anthony, that was a project in itself. Replacing the boot
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### Author:  [@943kgt](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/943kgt)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 3:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/8 "2008-01-14T15:02:14Z")
> [@jrod0187](#):
>
> Word :bloated:. Good times Anthony, that was a project in itself. Replacing the boot
i meant the boot on the ball joint lol, but yea that sucked, wrong clamps ftl!
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### Author:  [@jrod0187](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/jrod0187)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/9 "2008-01-14T15:35:38Z")
> [@943kgt](#):
>
> i meant the boot on the ball joint lol, but yea that sucked, wrong clamps ftl!
i know. Mr. subaru ordered the wrong clamps. :eyebrow:
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### Author:  [@943kgt](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/943kgt)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/10 "2008-01-14T15:43:41Z")
> [@jrod0187](#):
>
> i know. Mr. subaru ordered the wrong clamps. :eyebrow:
Mr. subaru can only order what the computer tells him is correct!
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### Author:  [@nitroinsane](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/nitroinsane)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/11 "2008-01-14T15:46:48Z")
> [@newman](#):
>
> this is true but i THINK the subie ones are pressed.
>
> you don’t NEED an air hammer if it’s riveted. A drill and chisel will dispense with the rivets as well.
to much time
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### Author:  [@943kgt](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/943kgt)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/12 "2008-01-14T15:49:15Z")
SUBIE ONES ARE NOT PRESSED IN!!! there is a pinch bolt on the knuckle. Nitroinsane i believe is talking about ball joints in like a sunfire with 3 very large rivents, air hammer ftw in that case, they’re like 12mm thick
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### Author:  [@nitroinsane](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/nitroinsane)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/13 "2008-01-14T15:56:03Z")
> [@943kgt](#):
>
> SUBIE ONES ARE NOT PRESSED IN!!! there is a pinch bolt on the knuckle. Nitroinsane i believe is talking about ball joints in like a sunfire with 3 very large rivents, air hammer ftw in that case, they’re like 12mm thick
i named how ball joints are installed i wasnt specific i dont own a subaru answer that
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### Author:  [@LXIFLYBY](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LXIFLYBY)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/14 "2008-01-14T16:07:32Z")
> [@newman](#):
>
> Here’s a tip. When you remove the nut from the ball joint RESIST THE URGE TO TRY AND POUND THE “BOLT” WITH A HAMMER. Instead, hit the KNUCKLE where the ball joint goes through, such that you are striking on an axis perpendicular to the centerline of the ball joint. You can also use a pickle fork, but i have found those tend to fuck shit up. Shocking the female part of the taper always works. (THIS ADVICE PERTAINS TO GETTING THE BALL JOINT “UNSTUCK” FROM THE KNUCKLE… THE PRESS IS USED TO REMOVE THE BALL JOINT FROM THE CONTROL ARM)
Good advice X100. Never had one i couldnt get out, some are worse than others, and the ones that dont want to come out easily with a pickle fork ALWAYS come out when you hit the control arm right around where the ball joint goes into it. BFH needed.
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### Author:  [@jrod0187](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/jrod0187)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/15 "2008-01-14T16:18:25Z")
> [@943kgt](#):
>
> Mr. subaru can only order what the computer tells him is correct!
haha, it was Tony’s fault.
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### Author:  [@943kgt](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/943kgt)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/16 "2008-01-14T19:09:21Z")
Oh and if you do happen to break that bolt, ur gonna have to take the whole knuckle off (mark the position of the cam bolts that hold the strut to the knuckle) and take it some where for the bolt to be heated up and extracted.
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### Author:  [@ubengineering](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ubengineering)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2008, 7:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/front-lower-ball-joint-replacement-96-subaru-legacy/41818/17 "2008-01-14T19:22:52Z")
whenever i do suspension work i do to one side of the car to the other, so u dont have one new balljoint and one half ass one