didnt make a whole bunch of difference.... the steering wheel turns back slower during a corner..... thats bout all i can notice.

 

Is your car lowered? If so, by how much? The lower you go, I think the more you'll notice the benefits of the RCK.

 

Question: the bolt that holds the ball joint to the hub assembly, after you remove the nut is the bolt threaded through the LCA?

 

No. The ball joint(housing) is press fit into the LCA.

 

I know the ball joint is pressed into the LCA. I mean the bolt that goes through slot on the top if the ball joint at the bottom of the hub assembly. After I take the nut off does the bolt get punched out or are there threads through the hub assembly.

 

So you're referring to the horizontal bolt that's used to hold the LCA into place? If so, then that bolt is only threaded on the end, so as soon as you get the nut off, then it just pulls out.

 

Ok..thanks. I tried to get it out last night and it wouldn't budge. I even tried loosen it thinking it might be threaded and still couldn't get it to budge. Time to spray it down and let it soak.

 

Yeah, it's in there snug because it has to hold the ball joint end in place with essentially tension alone, so the tolerances are pretty tight. Just be sure not to jack up the threads on the end of the bolt when you punch it out.

 

I couldn't remove the bolts holding the lower control arm to the frame without doing damage to the LCA. Rust!, and PB blaster for 2 days didn't help.

That's why I attempted to install the Ball Joints on the car ; ).

If you can get the LCA off without damaging something you are not willing to fix that's for sure the best way to work on this.

I was going to swap out the LCA as a last resort and of course mitsubishi recommends this approach $400 to $600 for the complete LCA assembly, which in hindsight, really isn't a bad deal at all ; ).

I was removing an installing the ball joint with a harbor freight Ball joint Master set and the C clamp (Frame).

A shop press is a RADICALLY better way to INSTALL the Ball Joint, and no doubt better for removal if you can remove the LCA to use the shop press.
or somehow rig a shop press to remove and install the ball joiont while it's on the car.

The C Clamp/Frame style systems can remove the ball joints just fine, but they don't make INSTALLING the ball joint an easy slam dunk experience that is must be on some other car models from the looking at othe youtube videos on the subject.


You can remove the ball joint while it's on the car without much problem. with an air hammer if you have air tools or with some ball joint service / Master Kit like what I purchased at Harbor Freight.

I should warn you that I am a very patient person and this frustrated me greatly.

The problem is that it is very difficult to install the ball joint straight.

First look for the notch that's removed from the pin that the bolt goes through when you attach the Ball joint to the steering knuckle, and place this close to it's final position facing inside away from you so you don't have to reposition it much when you put the bolt in.


It took 15 to 20 attempts to get it in straight over a few month period.
It was in the garage on jack stands all winter ; ) .

Here's the secret, that worked for me.

As you are tightening the C clamp by hand with a ratchet, (Not an impact wrench). Tighten the clamp a turn or two at most, then remove the C Clamp setup and look all around the ball joint to make sure it's even.

When you see a spot that sticks out more than the other side, remove the C clamp setup and put the clamp back on without the bottom cap and position the screw part of the clamp on or as near the high spot as you can and tighten it a turn or two until it's even. Then , remove the C clamp setup and put the clamp back on with the bottom cap on and tighten the clamp a turn or two at most, then remove the C Clamp setup and look all around the ball joint to make sure it's even.

Do this over and over until it's done.

Make sure to get the ball joint in all of the way so you can install the snap ring, and using vice grips or something turn the notch so that it doesn't obstruct the bolt that holds the wheel knuckle to the ball joint.

If you can look through the hole for the bolt with a light held behind it you will see how close you are.

This will take a few attempts to get right.

 

Just wanted to chime in here in case I can help other people having the same problem; the key is a chamfer on the face of the LCA.

In my writeup I pictured this gold anodized tool; it was my savior when I noticed the same thing you did about the shaft always wanting to misalign rather than going in straight.

It's a deburring tool, and using it on the LCA allowed enough clearance for me to install my new Whiteline Ball Joint

 

Anyone have a good way to get the LCA to pop out of the knuckle without using a pickle fork? I really don't want to take the risk of screwing up the boot or the RCK. I'm going to replace the boot I ripped and put in some DIY aluminum heat shields so I can remove the stockers.

 

OP, very nice write up. All those great pics are going to help this Saturday!

I wanted to see about getting more comments on the feedback for stock ride height setups. I'm also 9MR with custom valved Bilsteins and stock height. The geometry and some suspension guru comments indicate a benefit. Some don't seem to think so. Discussion?

 

You're welcome!

I can't provide an intelligent opinion on your question, but I will say that I did not experience a "night and day" difference after I installed the roll center kit on my Evo, which was already highly modified in terms of its suspension setup.

I feel this is the kind of mod you do when you're seeking the best-handling Evo possible, and you've already optimized the other, arguably much more important factors:

• alignment
• tires
• spring rate
• damper quality
• sway bars
• driver

I did some snooping in your past posts; sounds like you've run R-comps and been to Laguna Seca... what are the details of your suspension setup?

 

r compounds have been shredded on the outer edge, and I am just trying to sort out my 'build'. No to suspension to stop it eating my NT01s. So I am running RS3s for now. I have been playing around with everything, and am installing a front HR bar this saturday along with the RC kit, and the steering rack bushings.

I run custom valved MR bilsteins, (with works camber plates), which I like, but they are criticized by most as being too soft with the stock spring rate.

I have found that on track I am much faster than expected against a similarly powered Evo with crazy Ohlins setup that drives totally flat. (same tires) Because of all that I am going to find out some feedback to my own question about the RC kit, but I will have also changed the front bar at the same time, so I won't have the most scientific approach.

At laguna seca I used cusco sway bar adapter brackets and they were surprisingly effective, but I was using the RS3s so the roll over was kept in check, or moderate, compared to before. Tire temps were even and if anything hotter on the inside, which is the opposite of the 'shred' the outside problem I had a Big Willow.

 

Well, I got started on this install, but am stuck on a few spots. The one related to this very helpful post is at pressing the old ball joints out. I have a press, so it would seen it should be easy. However, when I went to do so on the first ball, the aluminum that seems to be folded over to trap the ball joint tore. In the pic I provided the tear is where the red line is.

I was wondering if anyone else knows if that aluminum is folded over, and or if it matters if that lip is damaged or not. I can't take a pic now, because I took it to my neighborhood machine shop to see if they could press it out without further damage. I'll update a pic tomorrow when i get it back.

Anyone had this difficulty?