i jacked up the front of my quad to check the brake pads and i figured i would check the ball joints. i grabbed at 12 and 6 and when i move the wheel i noticed a bit of play in the lower ball joint. it wasnt clunking, but it also wasnt snug.

is there supposed to be a bit of play?

do i need to replace them as soon as i see any play?

i watched a video on youtube for the ball joint on an 850. looks essy enough other than the pressing it joint back in. does it go back in if i set it into my vice and try and hit it in with a hammer? any tips on gettig it back in?

id liek to try this on my own, but i will take it in if the advice is that it is too tough for someone that hasnt done one before.

thsnks in advance

 

Being 5 years old,yes they will start to have play. Best to press these out and it rather than trying to beat them in. All you'll do is damage them and bust your knuckles as they are a press fit. Easy with a press. If you're going to do the lowers might as well do the uppers also as sooner or later you'd have to pull it back down again. You could always pull the a-arms,get the 4 ball joints and have them pressed in at a local shop if you don't have a press. Then reassemble yourself. While you're at it check/replace the a-arm bushings.http://www.ebay.com/itm/BALL-JOINT-F...ZUKvmz&vxp=mtr

 

wow that is easily the most comprehensive reply I have ever received on any forum. Thanks I really appreciate it!


I have a few follow ups if that is okay...


1. the partzilla video doesn't talk about torque values. Do I just tighten them back up?


2. what size sleeve should I look for in a press kit? I don't want to get one and find it too big. I watched a rzr video and they called for a 1 1/4 inch sleeve and they made it out of a pipe.


3. do I grease the ball joint up to make it slide in easier? Seems like it may slide out easier if I do that....


4. will this mess up the alignment on the quad. If everything is the same size and put in properly, it shouldn't...I'd think.


5. are the upper ball joints just the same process but upside down?




Thanks again in advance.

 

#1 In the manual.
#2 1 1/4 sounds about right
#3 No grease. A tad bit of heat from a propane torch with ball joints in the freezer work best.
#4 may have to realign.
#5 Upper and lower ball joints are the same.
#6 This can answer a lot of your questions and many more later on.2011 Polaris Sportsman 550 Service Manual PDF Download

 

Thanks again! I'm going to download that manual right now!

 

so I downloaded the manual...this will definitely keep me from asking too many more questions!


I noticed on the ball joint link to ebay, they have part numbers (a few of them 7061220 for instance). I can't find any part numbers in the manual. They just give reference numbers. Is there another location that has exact part numbers? I'd like to try an get a few other things and would like to just look things up without always asking.




Teach a man to fish......




I can get polaris OEM ball joints for $72 each...a bit pricey!

 

This a is a good place for oem parts when you can't find them on ebay.Dirt Cheap Yamaha, Polaris, Suzuki & Kawasaki OEM Parts & Accessories – Cycle Parts Warehouse Even 40 bucks a piece is pretty pricey..But you can enter Polaris oem part numbers on ebay and aftermarket items will be there also that are more reasonable. Polaris 7061220 | eBay

 

I did it! Kind of....They only had two ball joints at the shop, so i decided to do the upper and lower on the passenger side.

I borrowed the ball joint press from the parts store and it was way too big so I needed to use sockets. I had up to 27mm deep sockets and I wish I had 28 or 29.

For the lower ball joint, I took off the whole A arm and and then pressed the old one out and the new one in.

For the upper, I did the whole process without taking the A arm off. When it was pressed in, I noticed that the dust sleeve had slipped off. I'm not sure if it was off when I got it, or I popped it off. There is no way to get that thing back on. I finally stopped tying when I poked a hole in the sleeve with a screwdriver.

oh well...it was $35 at the local shop and I ordered a replacement off of amazon of $24. I will just replace it later in the year.

My overall plan is to replace all the ball joints and then take it in to have them service the front diff. This way they won't try and replace the ball joints while it is in the shop.


thanks for the help, I couldn't have done it without it.

 

You did the work not me.. As far as servicing the front diff,do it yourself if it's just a fluid change.