Hello all 76 regal sr coupe already have the inner and outer tie rods out,notice ball joints upper and lower need to be done.Now in what order of steps is easier reinstall tie rods and then do ball joints or do ball joints first then tie rods?.also advise needed on upper ball joints?.Thanks all. Also noticed that the tranny has a leak car shifts fine hoping it may be a seal or connection it looks to coming out at the oval cover just before the tranny pan.
If the tie rods are already out, I'd go ahead and do the ball joints while you have them off. Hang the brake caliper on the frame and remove the spindle. If you leave the shock in place, it will usually keep the spring from hurting you. I would use a jack stand under the control arm just for good measure. If you ever have plans to change springs, you are very close. Also, taking the arms out and taking them to a shop makes pressing/grinding the ball joints out a lot easier. I've usually done it on the car with a rented press from Advance or Autozone so you don't need to remove them if you don't plan to replace anything else, like control arm bushings, springs, etc. On the upper ball joint, if you can get the upper a-arm out, it is easier to grind the rivets if they are the originals. If not, you can use an air chisel to knock the heads off and tap them out with a punch. On that trans, the first thing to do is clean it up and track down where the leak is coming from. Front seal requires something to come out, engine or trans. Not fun so you can try filling it back up with some Type-F fluid to help swell the seals a bit. That is what we used to do in the dark ages. If it is the rear seal, dispstick tube, pan gasket, shifter rod or speedo housing, those are pretty easy to replace. Post some pics if you have questions and we'll be able to make a better recommendation.
