1970 Cadillac DeVille RWD ecentric upper control arm installation

[Scot Minesinger]

Ok experienced mechanics help me out here.  Reading the shop manual thoroughly, but they missed something here due to post 1970 parts manufacturing.  I'm restoring the front suspension on a 1970 Cadillac deVille RWD.  The upper control arm, steering knuckle, and lower control arm are all off the car and restored with new bushings, ball joints, powder coated and etc.  Attached a picture for your amusement.

The eccentric presses into the ball joint, and then into the steering knuckle.  I did scribe the alignment of eccentric with relation to knuckle (so I can have a chance of driving to alignment shop, rather than flat bed).  The manual says to press eccentric onto ball joint first, and then mount steering knuckle.  Manual says to press eccentric onto ball joint by tightening a nut onto the threaded portion of the ball joint, but the threaded part turns and tightening is just not possible.  There is a hole thru the threaded portion of the ball joint.  Is there some wrench available that goes thru the hole and keeps threaded shaft from turning?  How do I keep the shaft from turning so I can press the eccentric onto the ball joint?

[cadillactim]

Is the upper control arm already on the car?  If not, just invert the control arm and take a large socket and hammer the eccentric down on the ball joint.

If control arm is on car, then install steering knuckle, and insert eccentric and ball joint into knuckle.  Then lay a piece of metal or wood on top of the ball joint/control arm and hammer down to seat eccentric and ball joint into knuckle so threads will not turn when you tighten nut.

Tim

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I don't have much more to add, but lovely picture.

But, I agree with Tim.   

Is the hole you are referring to the hole for the Cotter Pin?

What I sometimes do is grab a non-locking nut from my parts drawer and run a tap into the thread, a few times to make it slightly larger by "Wiggling" it, as I run it through, as in wobble it from side to side.

Then, with this "Loose" nut, wind it down on the stud of the Ball Joint to seat the taper into the female taper, using a pin punch to insert through the hole to stop it from spinning.   Once tight, you can remove the nut, and thread the original nut down.

Bruce.

[Scot Minesinger]

Thanks you.

I was thinking their was some tool or technique that I was unaware of, but basically the replies were contrary to my suspicions when posting the question.  That is an answer. 

Got two 1/2" fine thread nuts, drilled 3/16" hole (a little larger than hole thru ball joint stud) thru one of the nuts, side to side at top.  Install first nut with no hole with spacer (to avoid threads from nut contact on cone) snug to eccentric by hand.  Install second nut so hole in nut aligns with hole in stud and slip a cotter pin through nut and stud hole.  Wrench on lower second nut with hole, and second wrench on upper nut.  Tighten upper wrench and no hole nut to press eccentric onto cone, remove both nuts and cotter pin - done.

Will use this technique on passenger side.  The passenger side will be done in half the time as driver side.

Thanks again.