[helpthe95]

Hello everyone. I'm in the process of rebuilding my front suspension. I just finished installing my new Moog prebuilt upper and lower control arms, hotchkis springs, billstein shocks. I've also installed a new Moog centerlink, idler arm and inner and outer tie rods. My question is this.
1. What's the best way to tighten the ball joint tapers to the knuckles (upper and lower)?
2. What's the best way to tighten the tie rod tapers to the knuckles?
3. What's the best way to tighten the two inner tie rod tapers to the centerlink?

The FSM book calls for a long threaded bolt to seat the tapers on at some specified torque. Do I need to rent a tool? Or does different areas of this linkage all use different seating tools? I understand this all seems simple but I dont want to mess any of this up. I'm currently assembled with ballpark alignment and snugged up. But nothing is tight and cotter pinned yet.

Thanks

 

[95wagon]

When you have new joints with some resistance to rotating, often it is a simple matter of just doing them up , to spec.
This especially with the tie rods.
Pick an accessible position for the cotter pin hole , might as well make them the same left and right for aesthetics.
If they start to turn before the taper is seated , gentle pushing from the back with a pry bar will hold the tapers together.

The ball joints you often will need to jack up under the lower arm to raise the upper arm off the snubber . The snubber will sometimes hold the tapers apart if you don't and the stud will spin.
Same as tie rods, you might have to pry the upper arm down a little to hokd the tapers together
Position the cross hole where the cotter pin will clear the knuckle casting.
Once you reach spec, continue to tighten until the first notch in the castle nut lines up.