3 Ways to Remove Ball Joint Rivets! 

√ *Watch the Video* √ *Buy The Part at 1A Auto* 1aau.to/m/Visit-1AAuto √ *Do it Yourself* √ *Save Money*

God I hate rivets with a passion

Slow the drill RPM and the BIT may just cut more aggressively

Hello Andy, you have been much help in the past. Today I replaced the front wheel bearing on a 2014 Traverse when I noticed the riveted ball joints. I don't have an air chisel but I put it on my shopping list. Many thanks.

#3 looks like the winner. So glad I found this video. I will use the x and airhammer method. I have a 1972 Revcon RV that uses Oldsmobile Tornonado suspension with the 3 hole upper ball joints.

I did a 2003 Michigan Astro AWD lower B. J. & I tried everything , heat, air hammer, after the head was removed. Wouldn't budge, So had to drill all 4 out.what a PITA. The videos I watch those vehicles aren't in the rust belt with 200,000 miles on them. Because the Rivets just don't pop out with a couple taps from a ballpean & punch!! Big job here in the rust belt!! Lol

Thanks for the video, you made the task look easy.

Excellent video and explanation!

Nice and informative showing several removal methods, now I will jump on my little headache, thanks for the help !

The right tools work wonders!

A well needed video

Thanks so much for the great ideas...getting ready to work on mine.

Thanks the video was helpful 👍👍👍👍👍

Never use a drill bit that's bigger than the hole in the control arm. Check the size of the bolt hole in your new ball joint as a reference. Be patient, keep your bit centered, and keep it oiled. Best method to limit damage to the arm.

Huge help, thank you!!

Awesome video. Thanks for sharing

Awesome video!! I'll be trying the grinder method.. Thank you💯💯💯

Very helpful thanks!

An old timer on youtube mentioned to drill slow and push hard when drilling metal. That way the tip doesn't overheat. Should be strands of metal coming off vs small flakes.

Thank goodness I found you guys , ordered from you guys couple days and having a hell on earth with rivets , will try this methods tomorrow.thanks

Cheers Buddy great expert advice & put together video👍

This worked great for me today!! I used the x method

Your company is great!

Why not use a angle grinder and just grind the head off? Or is the cutting wheel faster?

Always a pleasure to see a video from Andy! Many thanks for doing these.

Thank you.

Thank you lord baby jesus for this video! Love your videos and I will buy parts from you because of this!

thankyou for the vid.

Nice Video. Very helpful.. Big hat tip to you.

These are supposed to be DYI videos,but your showing how to do it on a shop lift. How many people have one of those. I know I'm doing it on the ground and have to go from the top which a few parts had to be removed to get to them.

Thank You 1A Auto :))

Loved this.

Cool thanks

rivets= one of the many proofs that engineers hate mechanics

Hate this design. Man! Ball joints aren't a hard job but this.... Wow!

Great job💪👍

Good video I just air chisel the rivet off and user an air chisel punch to remove the rivet.

I don't know what design idiot used rivets instead of bolts but I have the same problem with my 1999 Dodge Dakota . As you can imagine the whole front end needs replaced. I bought a new kit that gives me everything I need to upgrade my truck. I don't have a lift like you have so I actually have to work on the rivets from the top side. I'm not a mechanic by any means but I have to do this because I don't have the extra couple thousand to get it done. Great video and I'm going to score the top, then cut it off and if need be do some light grinding to get them out. Wish me luck

If the factory used bolts, this would take 5mins

Angle grinder. Final Answer .

Thanks for showing them that have no business trying to do this job the proper way not to waist time.

man, you just cracket the control arm seriously :DDD

I don't have an air hammer - I'm a wood worker and do a lot of my own work - I think I'll try cutting the "X" then using a drill bit - That should be pretty quick I have a 2004 AWD Astro Van - Of course I'll also be on my back... Thanks for this video, though - Good stuff

There's a stepped up drill bit. Looks like a cone. Great invention

Chisel method is best

Great video and comments below.

Great! I gotta do this job at the weekend. Lmao at the first method!! 20 blunt drill bits later Vs high tensile steel rivets 😂 defo won't be using that method. I've only got a grinder, with thin cutting discs, I think I'm gunna go with the cross method. Thankfully I got a very steady hand. This is why mechanics just change the whole control arm. I will do the ball joints however.

I was laughing my butt off watching this guy burn up about 5 drill bits🤣 When drilling apply pressure and drill slowly, you'll see the metal shavings come out like curly fries. If it starts smoking and squeaking like that you've just ruined your bit,

Exelent

Use autocenter punch then a small drillbit

Theres a crack in that lower control arm within the left hole you drilled out. Will that be an issue later?

Yea... we replacing the whole control arm in the shop. Great video!

After watching it, I like the 3rd method best, then 1st method followed by 2nd method.

Use a HSS drill bit..they will drill threw it easy

When you drill down through the center you can use one drill bit drill down till you know you're down there to the frame the smaller drill bit that you use you can step it up and use the larger drill bit. But all you have to do after that is take a chisel flat chisel and cut the head off it comes right off. I did too many of them but just a drill a hammer and a chisel. Make sure it work it at you don't have to change the drill bit that many times

Cutting wheel and muscle-chisel, got it.

Noice. Thanks!

Can you go top down ? With the drill option

What type of drill bits are you using?

I can’t get the rivets out. I’ve been beating on them for a day. Ended up taking the controller arm off and still can get the rivets out

Is there a certain type drill bit I should use? Maybe a drill bit to withstand high heat?

Could I use a gringing rock instead of the cutting wheel? I feel like it would be faster and safer as the cutting will can explode if not careful enough.

So, I had my Acadia in the shop and they said the ball joints were going bad. I ordered replacements, lower ball joints... but there was also "Upper ball joint" but it looked like the whole control arm and i didn't see anythign that looked like a ball joint on it. Is upper ball joint a misnomer on my 2008 Acadia? The only 'ball joint' I see is the one you removed in this video.

I have the ball joint out. How in the world does it go back in? Everything is lined up, but it won't "press in" all the way. Using a jack on it just moves the entire assembly. 96 Buick Century tia

Looks very similar to Chevy Equinox crap. Wait until you install the OEM ball joint replacement. What a BRILLIANT design by General Motors. If anyone does one. By the entire control arm assembly..

Will I still need to use a pickle fork to remove the ball joint stud from the spindle? Or can I just give it a good whack with a hammer?

Ive never seen these guys have an issue with anything like theyre having with thesr rivets

Just get a full control arm with ball joint attached. Too much work drilling those.

Air hammer for faster results.

I air chisel the heads off without cutting the x in the end. Then I hit under the other side with the air chisel to pop the rivet out.

I wouldn’t use the first method. I did on the driver side And it took me over a couple hours. Plus I didn’t have much room to work, unlike this guy with the nice lift. I still gotta do it all again because I bought a faulty part from Oreilly’s. Gonna use the second method for the passenger side for sure.

Once I learned the X cut method I never looked back.

👍

The drilling method put a crack in it @4:14

You got an easy one. On 4wd trucks could take hours. Good job though.

My fiance said using a step drill bit was the perfect solution!

Do you need an alignment after ?

the dtill is turning much to fast

Could've used a pickle fork to separate the control arm

I'm a Master mechanic and why did he not just use his air hammer once they were ground down it works for me every time

I started mind and it's been a nightmare

Slow speed down on the drill alot!! You torched the end of those drill bits, that steel is soft enough You can just bump the drill and only move at half speed and you will pull giant single piece spirals of the metal, metal is way softer than you think no need for high pressure or speed and yr bits will last for ever, done right tip of the bit never even get too hot to touch

Who else fkin hates the rivets?

This dude needs a larger punch and Thor's hammer

I normally like these Vids, but a lot was missing here! At the end, I don't see how there was enough clearance to undo the castilated nut on the ball joint stud w/o removing the CV joint. Am I wrong? Also not covered is how much torque on the replacement bolts/nut to mount the replacement ball joint, instructions with new ball joints is poor. If too tight cheap bolts can snap!

Best advice is replacing pretty much everything when the ball joint goes out..it would already cause damage to the hub,tie rod,control arm bushings & cv axle boots (easy to fix) since the main indicator are ball joints the rest will follow..if you done each thing periodically you spend $500 extra on front end alignments..the small shops even have to send the cars to shops with a alignment machine

Ok I averaged 3 beers per rivet..

Dril is not a option

You've dulled your drill. It's not even cutting. And your hole is off centre. And hou had a perfectly good starting dimple AND you should have used a centre punch anyway

That drill didnt work did it lol

You clearly have no idea what you are doing. If you did this to my truck I would fire you for incompetence.

Fml

Drilling up sucks

how about showing how to remove the rivets from the ground a lot of home mechanics DO NOT HAVE A LIFT !!!!!! to get easy access to the freaking parts whats is the purpose of a mechanic showing how to when he has a garage with all the things he needs last time i checked I don't have a lift in my driveway to easily get to my ball joints ,i can only lift my car so far it would be nice if a mechanic thinking like a regular person who does not have a lift if he can show how to do this feat with out a lift and show how to do it on the ground like regular people who do not have a lift ,if i had 1000 dollars to give to mechanic you think i would waste time on the ground ,everytime i try to fix my car cause mechanics don't realize that some of us do not get paid like a pro mechanic and to put down 1000 dollars or so is not easy when gas is high food is high living is high ,please excuse my rant i am tired of seeing how to vids by people who have easy access to the things we do not have and brag how easy it is i tried to watch the vids for my car repair and it is the same a pro working in his pro shop !!!!!!!