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Does anyone use a ball cup tool? I thought about getting the ProTek PTK-8467 ball cup tool but from the picture it isn't obvious to me how it holds them and if some are too big or too small to be held. Does this tool work well with AE and RPM ball cups? Does it also work with ball links? Or is there something available that works better?

I use the Du-Bro for small AE cups.

https://www.dubro.com/products/e-z-threader

For RPM and larger AE cups, I just use a mini Crescent wrench.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/crescent-crescent-mini-adjustable-wrench-at24vs

The jaws are tight and it is small enough that it doesn't feel awkward.

My shock pliers also have a pin to hold ball links.

I use Team Associated ball cup wrench ASC1579, which works the exact same way as the ProTek unit. The end of the wrench has an opening, just like a nut driver but it's ball cup shaped instead of hex shaped. I prefer how the Associated unit is held with using your finger tips. It works nice and easy.

Here's a couple pictures of it. That's an Associated ball cup ASC7230.

I hate making up turnbuckels so I use a drill with a little chap stick on the threads .

Looks like we all don’t like marred up ballcups I’ve had one of these for as long as I can remember.

Frankentruck wrote: ↑Fri Jan 07, 2022 4:45 pm Does anyone use a ball cup tool? I thought about getting the ProTek PTK-8467 ball cup tool but from the picture it isn't obvious to me how it holds them and if some are too big or too small to be held. Does this tool work well with AE and RPM ball cups? Does it also work with ball links? Or is there something available that works better?

I just got this tool in the mail yesterday and have not used it yet. I have also ordered some of the other ones that are available on amain but they have not arrived yet. Here are a couple better pics of the Protek tool for you.

There's some very cool options and experience here. One of my main issues is that the tie rods that are supposedly the right length always seem to need to be close to being bottomed out in the ball cups and it takes a lot of torque to get them adjusted to the final length. But I always install them dry which might be a mistake. My worry is that the tools won't hold the ball cups firmly enough and they might just spin inside the tools.

Frankentruck wrote: ↑Sat Jan 08, 2022 8:45 pm One of my main issues is that the tie rods that are supposedly the right length always seem to need to be close to being bottomed out in the ball cups and it takes a lot of torque to get them adjusted to the final length.

And that is why I measure them myself.

Once you start deviating from the original pieces, the chances of original length turnbuckles fitting gets slim.

I have one car that uses the same turnbuckles on all four camber links and the steering links. I used different length ball cups to make it work.