So I've got a 94 s10 blazer 4x4 that I'm redoing the front end on (upper/lower control arm bushings, ball joints, tie rods, shock absorber, rotors/pads, cv axle) and for the most part everything has gone as planned...until now. I've gotten everything back on besides the rotor/caliper and now I'm trying to attach the ball joint on the upper control arm to the steering knuckle, but the steering knuckle won't line up with the upper control arm enough to let the ball joint stud in. Doing my best to avoid the temptation of smacking it in from above and smearing the threads on the ball joint.
I've tried quite a few things to get it in, and have one theory that I hope to be proven wrong.

What I've tried:
detaching tie rod from knuckle
loosening upper/lower control arm mount bolts
detaching shock absorber
jacking up LCA
torquing cv nut to suck the knuckle in (but not beyond torque spec)
whacking the knuckle in towards the control arm
Despite this the hole for the ball joint on the knuckle is still about 1/2" outboard of balljoint stud on UCA.


Theory I hope to have dismissed:
I thought maybe I was given the wrong cv axle, maybe it's too long and that's why I can't get the f'ing ball joint in, but I measured it before and after I put it in and it's the same length as the one I replaced.

Anyone else ever have this problem? Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

How much of the shaft is exposed at the inner end? Can you post a pic?

Start the shaft nut at the outer end (cover the threads) put a square of wood on the nut and try tapping it into the case further to seat it. Don't hammer directly on the shaft threads - ask me how I know...

If the hole in the knuckle is displaced outwards that's the only thing I can see that's at issue.

 

Hey thanks for the input. Turns out it was the cv axle, NAPA gave me the wrong one... I put the old one back in and the knuckle slid in no problem.