Technical Bulletin

Duralast Part No. FA2101 Press-In Ball Joint Service

Applications affected: All vehicles using Ball Joint FA2101: Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis,
Lincoln Town Car (1995-2002) and Ford Mustang (1994-2004).

Description: This ball joint relies on a press (interference) fit within the control arm opening. This means the
diameter of the ball joint housing needs to be larger than the inside diameter of the opening in the control arm
housing. By OEM design this is a .002” (two thousandths) interference fit. However, most aftermarket ball
joints, including Duralast, are manufactured slightly larger than the OEM part, to provide additional
interference to compensate for minor wear of the opening in the control arm.

Complaint: Some customers may find the new replacement ball joint doesn’t fit tightly in the control arm
opening. Complaints may reference “lack of press-fit”, “loose fit”, etc.

Probable Causes: There are several conditions that can create this scenario, including:

1) Cracked or fatigued control arm; through age, damage, excessive rust or multiple previous ball joint
replacements, the inside diameter of the ball joint opening may exceed the usable range or otherwise
lose the ability to maintain a press-fit.

2) Improper tools or procedures used to remove the old ball joint; if the old ball joint was “hammered” out
or pressed out on an angle, the ball joint opening may be oversized as above, or elongated (out-of-
round), losing a proper press-fit.

3) The control arm assembly being serviced on the vehicle may not be the original (OEM) part. Some
aftermarket control arms do not follow the OEM ball joint housing diameters; they may use a (non-
standard) ball joint that is slightly smaller or larger than OE. When replaced as an assembly this doesn’t
create any issues, but if individual components on the aftermarket arm are replaced later (ball joints,
bushings, etc), they may not be serviceable with aftermarket components which are designed to OEM
dimensions.

Solution: If the replacement ball joint diameter does not exceed the control arm opening by two thousandths of
an inch (002”) minimum in two directions (90 degrees apart) as detailed in the instructions following, the
customer should be advised to replace the entire control arm assembly as a proper repair; part nos. 520-207
(LH) or 520-208 (RH).
FA2101 Ball Joint Housing Inspection Procedure
(Crown Victoria model example shown)
First determine whether the looseness complaint is due to a worn ball joint or a worn control arm:

 If the ball joint housing wobbles within the control arm hole then the control arm hole is damaged or
oversized and the control arm needs to be replaced.
 If the ball joint housing is tight in the control arm hole and the ball joint stud wobbles in the ball joint
housing then the ball joint is worn.

Before replacing this press-in ball joint the following measurements should be made to insure that a
proper press fit can be obtained between the ball joint and control arm hole:

1. Measure the control arm hole inside diameter at two locations 90° apart. (see image 1)
2. Measure the ball joint housing diameter at two locations 90° apart at the height indicated in image 2.
3. If the average control arm hole inside diameter is greater than the average ball joint housing diameter
then control arm hole is deformed and will not provide a good press fit between the ball joint and control
arm housing. The control arm needs to be replaced.
4. If the average control arm hole inside diameter is less than the average ball joint housing diameter than
ball joint can be replaced into the control arm. At least two thousands (.002”) interference is preferred.

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