I'm trying to install new lower ball joints in my 94 V6 convertible. I need to remove the front disc brake shields, right? Well, neither the Ford Factory manual or the normally worthless Chilton manual I have is very specific about that. The Ford manual says it's held on with bolts, the illustration that goes with the very sparse text says rivets. The fasteners themselves look neither like rivets nor bolts as there is no head on the fastener. It's not hex, nor do they appear to be Allen cap screws.

So what am I looking at here, and how do I remove it?

After this little gotcha, I'm hoping I can release the ball joints and replace them without removing the strut or the lower control arm, or is that just wishful thinking?

Somehow, I think this would be easier if Ford had used a true MacPherson Strut system...

 

Okay, so I'm past the rivets. It would have been nice to get just a few words on it, like "pound out the center pins and drill out the heads with a 1/4 inch drill", but never mind.

Looks like I'll have to remove the struts after all. Would it be easier to remove the struts from the steering knuckle and then separate the ball joint, or leave the strut attached and remove the knuckle/strut as a unit? I'm not too hopeful about removing that bolt holding in the ABS speed sensor as it's pretty rusted. I'd also prefer not to have the separate the tie rod ends.

Opinions?

 

I haven't done it on a mustang, but from a mechanical point of view, it would be easier to just unbolt the strut from the steering knuckle. That way you don't absolutely need to unbolt the strut from the top strut mount, or bother compressing the strut to remove it etc.

If the ABS sensor bolt is rusted, lightly rub the bolt (and only the bolt) with a brass brush to remove as much of the rust as you can. Try not to damage the wires or plastic sensor housing. Then soak it in penetrating lube for a while and then try to remove it.

You shouldn't have to separate the tie rod ends to do the ball joints. But when you do disconnect the steering knuckle from the ball joints don't let the steering knuckle dangle by the tie rod. Put it on a crate or box or something. You don't want to bend the tie rod.

Take your time and it should go smoothly. Good luck...

 

In the end it was easier to remove the strut. Just the three bolts/nuts and it was out of the way. I set stands with rubber buffers under the spring points on the control arms and let the car rest on those so I didn't have to worry about the springs. The struts themselves don't have that much gas pressure in them, so it's not much trouble to reinstall them, certainly no worse than when I installed them in the first place.
The bolt came out fairly easily, though the sensor itself was pretty firmly stuck. At some $60 each, I sure didn't want to damage it. I decided to leave it in place and hang the spindle from a wire hook.
Since I had rented the splitter tool anyway, I did separate the tie rod end. This allowed me to hang the spindle as above and leave plenty of room to press out the old ball joint.
Well, I sure am taking my time at least. I had a hell of a time getting the spindle off the old ball joint. Although I could break the jamb nut free easily, it bound up before it could be removed. Even my impact wrench wouldn't remove it. I ended up taking a dremel tool with a cutoff wheel and cutting a slot in it to split it.

Then, the spindle wouldn't come off the old ball joint, at least not with the pickle fork separator or the "tap the flat" method. I put the two jaw separator tool on it and this finally popped it off the taper.

Then, my $19 Harbor Freight C clamp press was no match for the old ball joint. It wouldn't budge. I ended up going cave man on it with a 3 lb hammer with just enough force to get it moving. Good thing that control arm is strong. Thankfully, the new BJ pressed in easily. So the left side is back together and just needs to be torqued to specs, then on to the right side.