Starting my front end rebuild now finally, and trying to get the right ball joint socket to fit. Need some assistance:

Took a caliper and measured the rounded 'points' of the upper ball joints currently on the vehicle, and came away with 2.01" which strikes me as a weird measurement.

Then measured the rounded points of the upper ball joints included in my kit from PST and came away with 1.91"...hmmm.

Then tried to figure out what size ball joint socket I need for my 63 Dart and everyone is saying '73 and down take the SMALL ball joint size, but no one is saying what size that is exactly....I think I saw DusterIdiot say 1 7/8". That totally confuses me because here's a kit that I've seen people recommend as a good value that supposedly has the "right" sizes. Yet the Q&A about the product where people ask whether or not the kit fits '73 and down has people who say yes, and people who say no.

Therefore:

1. How do I measure a ball joint to get the correct size to determine socket size needed?
2. Why are the upper ball joints on my vehicle a different head size than the one I'm replacing them with? Have they likely been replaced? By something 'incorrect' for the vehicle year? Does that mean I could potentially be looking at correcting a screwy mickey-moused job?
3. What is the measurement of the 'small size' ball joint and does the measurement refer to the head of the joint where the socket snaps to, or some other physical measurement of the socket?

Thanks everyone! Appreciate the help.

Found a thread on a different site that advised to measure the ball joint on the flat side - hadn't been doing that.

These joints are spec'ing out at 1 7/8. So that answers that!

Eatkinson- if you promise not to steal it and will pay for shipping to you and then back to me when you are done, I have both size upper ball joint sockets and would let you borrow the right one. You just have to return it to me unbroken.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.