Ball joints....too big?

[sk8erdude802]

Ok Ive started replacing parts on the new SE. I went out and got new passenger side ball joint and CV. Get home. Slam the CV in and its perfect. go to slide the ball joint in and its not happening. Ive tried tp pry the pinch apart alittle so it would go it but it still seems that its just less than a mm to big. (Im refering to the post on the ball joint and the pinch thing on the bottom of the hub) The AutoZone person mentioned that it asked what month it was produced in but then said that the part numbers were the same for both/ I replced the ball joints on my other SE that was made in 04/93 this one was made in 05/93 so they should use the smame ones anyway cause the cut off in the autozone computer war 03/93...man Im ready for this to be done. I had planned on doing both sides today but this and having to drive across the world to get parts has slowed me down. Eh...its all good. Thanks for the input.

Steve-O

[sk8erdude802]

ok update. I took the first ball joint back and traded it out for a second one. this one looked different but it still has too big of a post...Im lost. this one at least looks more like what I pulled out of it. The post is 1.8 cm big while the hole is 1.6 cm (I pulled out a micrometer to check). Im lost as what to do now. if anyone knows autozone part stuff this one is a FA2092 and I didnt get a chance to look at the receipt of the first one.

Steve-O

[Dali]

ive had this same problem twice, no shops around have the small one so i just bored the hole out bigger to make the larger shaft fit. been running fine like that for the last year or so.

[sk8erdude802]

I want the freakin one thats supposed to fit. I mean its not to much to bore it out but I really dont want to screw that up. Ill keep looking.

Steve-O

[neutral]

I think Mazda changed the part sometime in mid '93 to the larger size.

The earlier smaller size should be Mazda P/N E016-34-550 so whatever the autopart's store lists should x-ref with that #.

Even so, others have reported so many probs sourcing the correct one for their MX's that many say the only sure way is to pull the old one and take it in to match with the new part.

[umcamara]

^^ Agreed. Before roughly March '93 they were part# K9967. After roughly March '93 they were part# K8773.

[sk8erdude802]

Yeah I ended up getting one of each of those and they both had a post that was to large. Turns out Mnemonic swapped out the hub for one from a 93 protege for lighter spindles before I bought the car from him. whew. I was about to go crazy. The post size on the one thats supposed to be from 04/93 on, is 1.8 cm for anyone searching in the future. The 93 protege lx pinch slot on the hub is 1.6 cm. Thanks for the info.

Steve-O