2002 v70 tighten ball joint

[toshgregg]

bought a cheaper ball joint without spline socket in spindle and I cannot tighten the nut, spindle just spins. Jacked up control arm but still no luck, any ideas short of taking it apart and using a new joint with spline socket?

[dikidera]

You are telling me you installed a ball joint in the control arm, but it spins? It sounds to me like it wasn't pressed well.

[Blacklab467]

Try an impact wrench, FYI the Volvo ball joints do not have a spline on the taper bore either. I assume you are talking about the large nut on the end of the balljoint?

[toshgregg]

Thanks guys, I already tried impact wrench, no go there?

[dikidera]

Every single car I've seen has never had splines on the ball joint, the ball joint has a taper which when pressed in the knuckle well will hold it from spinning. Hammer it in from bellow.

[deano1]

He's talking about the torx "spline" Lemforder used on the bolt part of the ball joint. Sometimes you need to use this torx if the lock nut Lemforder supplied overwhelms the ball joints resistance to turn in it's socket before the nut is able to pull it tight to the control arm.
You all know this is amplified by 1000 if you're trying to remove that ball joint
cheers Dean

[Blacklab467]

Right, or use a channel lock plier or vice grip to hold the knuckle to the lower control arm, failing that, use the torx at the bottom of the ball joint spindle.

[toshgregg]

Thanks everyone, I put a large pry bar between ball joint & spindle hub and pulled and tightened nut to specs

[abscate]

You have to make sure that taper isn’t spinning. I made that mistake on an E83 and halfway home had a loose strut. Drove home at 45 on back roads , checking every 10 miles.