Help, Ball Joints...
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Diesel Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 213
Likes: 1
From: Meridian,ID
Thankyou. That is exactly what I needed. I''ve got to finish up the passenger side ball joints and then I'll probably tackle that. I'll let you guys know how it goes. Thanks again.
Diesel Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 100
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From: Elgin Tx.
Just thought I would throw this out there. 2 WD take a torch and blow the head of rivet off If you take a drill and drill about 3/4 way thru the rivets and take a punch that will fit inside, you will be suprised how easy the rivets come off. Keep this in mind you are dealing with rivets the more you beat on it the tighter it gets. The idea behind drilling the hole is it lets the rivet shrink and it wont swell tighter with each hit.
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Diesel Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 213
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From: Meridian,ID
I think you may have the wrong post JLWelding, or I'm just not sure what your talking about. Moving on...I just finished up on the truck. Did upper and lower ball joints on both sides and put in the 2" spacer. I think I may have messed up the seal on the passanger side. As I was changing that side I noticed some oil leaking out. I though that may have just been because the axle was out. But now that it's back together it's dripping a little. It could be left over from when the axle was out (if having the axle out would have made some oil leak), or I damaged the seal. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
BOMBARDIER
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 12,854
Likes: 1,112
From: Illinois?
The leak should stop in a few days. Sometimes oil accumulates while the seal is out and will drip for a while. If it doesn't stop after that, then worry about it. Nothin out of the ordinary.
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Diesel Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 213
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From: Meridian,ID
I believe it's stopped. I put a small catch bucket right underneath the lower ball joint where it drips and it hasn't dripped. I just wasn't sure if oil coming out was normal or not. I sure hope I didn't mess it up though. I guess we'll see. That whole replacing ball joints was not fun. Honestly it's not really a hard job at all, all the bolts are right there and nothing is really hard to reach, it's just everything being so damn tight. Oh and having to press the ball joints with a press that is too small kinda sucked too.
Diesel Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 100
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From: Elgin Tx.
I just threw that out there for changing ball joints on a two wheel drive. Here is the deal like I said earlier when you put heat to rivets they swell rapidly( metal is soft) making it hard to drive out. So take the tourch and blow the head of rivet off and then drill down thru the center about 3/4 way then take punch that will fit inside hole you drilled and usually take about 3-5 hits and they fall right out.
We are talking ball joints, right?
We are talking ball joints, right?
Diesel Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 349
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From: Wray, CO
That is awesome to know what I am about to be gettting myself into, I am about to get into an '01 and she needs ball joints and tie rod from the pitman, but I can't imagine that these ball joints can be all that different from the Ford PowerChoke I am cruising right now. I did those with a bfh in an RV park bout a year ago. I can't let this truck pass me by though, I am picking it up for $4k with an extra cummins. 115k on the clock
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Diesel Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 213
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From: Meridian,ID
yeah we were talking ball joints. I did end up getting the press to work. It was only one ball joint that I had a problem with. The rest was fine. It's actually not that bad of a job. I might have some bigger issues though. read my newest post. I think it's title bad news, p2016 code or something like. Check it out.
Diesel Bomber
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,525
Likes: 103
From: Havre mt
To install the spacers you need to pull the wheels, shocks and compress the springs down far enough to put the spacers in. The easiest thing I have found to do this is strut compressors, 2 sets of em to control these heavy springs.
Pull the 3 nuts off the shock tower that go through the wheel well
Compress the springs
Pull the flat metal piece out that the nuts were fastened to
Insert the spacer, bolt side up and put the bolts through the wheel well holes
Replace the 3 nuts
loosen and remove the strut compressors
Re-install shock
Drive it away.
WARNING: If this springs breaks lose of the compressors it will send you to the hospital or the morgue, it's ugly. Hence the reason for 2 sets of compressors. If somethin breaks you have plenty of back up in place to hold it and you will see these compressors flex and bend when you do this. These springs are monsters. Most auto parts stores rent these compressors for nothin but a refundable deposit.
Pull the 3 nuts off the shock tower that go through the wheel well
Compress the springs
Pull the flat metal piece out that the nuts were fastened to
Insert the spacer, bolt side up and put the bolts through the wheel well holes
Replace the 3 nuts
loosen and remove the strut compressors
Re-install shock
Drive it away.
WARNING: If this springs breaks lose of the compressors it will send you to the hospital or the morgue, it's ugly. Hence the reason for 2 sets of compressors. If somethin breaks you have plenty of back up in place to hold it and you will see these compressors flex and bend when you do this. These springs are monsters. Most auto parts stores rent these compressors for nothin but a refundable deposit.
i still have the bruis on my side when mine poped out of the compressor. i was setting it on the floor when it let go bounced off of me and hit the truck left a good size dent in the passenger side door
