Need help with lower ball joint assembly

[paulherman]

I am replacing the lower ball joints in a 1994 Camaro. I got the new one pressed in to the lower control arm, but I ran into an unexpected problem. I can't figure out how to get the rubber boot slipped over the ball joint. The boot feels like it has a metal washer inside the rubber lip - and it doesn't want to slip over the top of the ball joint (see attached picture). Is there a trick to this. I have tried every way I can think of to push the boot on, but don't want to tear it up.

Need help from someone who has done this before and knows what they're doing.

Thanks

[Trash man]

sure its the right boot? try the other ball joints boot and see if that one works

[paulherman]

I just opened up the other new ball joint, and it's the same way. The inside diameter of the boot is about 1/16 inch smaller than the outside diameter of the top of the ball joint - and the boot doesn't want to stretch because there is a metal washer embedded in it. It might slip over if it was pressed on, but I'm not sure how to do that without tearing up the boot.

[paulherman]

Well, I finally got the boot to slip over the ball joint. I found a piece of PVC pipe the right diameter to fit on the lip of the boot. I slipped the PVC pipe over the boot and pounded it on with a hammer. Works ... but it doesn't seem like it should be this tight.