Help, Ball Joints...
 

So I need new ball joints and really want to deal with this right now but I can't afford to have the shop do this one. I've never done ball joints, but I've done just about everything else so I know I can do it. But does anyone have any tips or know of any how to diagrams I can use to help me? Also what's a good replacment ball joint for these trucks? I know they go out alot. I don't have the funds at all, so keep that in mind, but I don't want to be doing this again next year. Any input will be much appreciated. Thanks...

Do a search for ball joints and you will find way to much good info to even try to add it all in here. It's not a complicated job, just a frustrating knuckle buster of one.

Hey what axle do I have up front?

My truck has a Dana 60 under it up front.

It's not complicated,Like Bubba says just lotsa mangled knuckles if you ain't careful

You may want to think about replacing ball joints, tie rod ends, track bar ,at the same time if they are needed. MOOG or dynatec seem to be the best ones. This is almost the most hardest thing to do on the truck.Be careful with the axle seals if it is a 4 wheel drive.Good luck and take your time:pca1:

Almost the hardest thing to do on the truck? That sucks! It's got to be easier than the injection pump and all that bs. I had to fix that myself 3 days after purchasing the damn thing. Couldn't afford to pay labor on top of parts. That was not fun. Hope this "investment" of a truck pays off. Damn! Thanks fellas...

I had to have a torch on hand to heat up the ball joints Sorry:ouch:.The fun stopped with taking the wheel off . You may want to get help

If you have any specific questions be sure to ask away. Be sure to use the socket trick to break them lose and use anti-sieze on the new stuff so you won't have to fight so hard the next time.

And definitely as was said before check everything out and replace all you can while your in there. Sucks to do this and then the next month have to pull it all apart again to change somethin else. Check your wheel bearings, rotors, U-joints to be sure they aren't gonna go sometime soon. I did em all at the same time when i pulled mine last time.

You can take these to the local machine shop or service center and for a few bucks they will push em out for ya. I used an air chisel, BFH and a hand press with a lot a cussin managed to get it done like that. The hand presses can be rented from Auto Zone or the like for nothin but a deposit.

I know that money gets tight with everybody but when I did mine Renteria1217 I did the whole front end. You may want to buy it piece buy piece.Just like uncle bubba said it more painful to have to pull it apart many times or just do it once.:argh:

---AutoMerged DoublePost---

Oh yes lots of cussing , I had 2 presses and blowed the seals in the one, Not a job I want to do agian. I had to wiss wheel the drive side bottom off . Replacing trans is much easier.

this happened wih my 3rd gen once i got in there needed a new tie rod end unit B/spindle an i destroyed a rented auto zone ball joint press but they took it back and gave me my deposit all i can say is..... its a bit(h to do. :madd: dont get the adjustable upper ones. once they are set they dont adjust and you need to set them up within spec and without alignment equipt its a crap shoot :argh:

Wish Dynatrac had there new ball joints out when i needed them...

Hey thanks for all the posts. Yeah I'll check everything while I'm at it. I figured the same thing turbo20. We'll see what's bad and we'll see if I can afford to fix it. The ball joints were about $240 for all 4. Just spent $ on shocks and a new tire too. Pretty tapped out. I'm starting the ball joints today. I ended up buying Moog upper and lower. Are these moog uppers adjustable? Hope not. Also anyone know of any step by step guides. Tried that website you sent me too uncle Bubba and can't find any guides.

i have moog too

I did mine last year they are not fun, get a ball joint press that makes it alot better pb blast the living sh&* out of them, drive around get it to soak up a bit, im trying to find the web site to help you out????
moog arent adjustable just throw them in

I did pb blast it a little, I'll go ahead and hit it some more. I've got a ball joint press too. I decieded not to start tonight so we'll see how it goes tomorrow. If you find that web site let me know. That would help. I've never done it, but I'll figure out either way.

I remembered the site but its at a password site and i dont work for the company any more and they changed the password but im still looking:humm:

---AutoMerged DoublePost---

ok i found this site it might help you i hope

PavementSucks.com - Truck Tech - Ball Joint Replacement - Dodge, Ram, 4x4, 4 wheel drive, 4wd, off road, off-road, wheeling, trails, DIY, trucks, Chevy, Ford, clubs, mud bog, rockcrawling, Toyota, Gallery, mud, rocks, readers rides, full-size, messag

Does putting it in 4WD really make it easier? Also I have one more thing I just remembered. I've recently had it in 4WD and noticed a clicking noise coming from the front maybe drivers side. It seemed to happen mostly when I was turning. Would this possibly be related to the ball joints?

---AutoMerged DoublePost---

Oh and thanks by the way coyropin. That site will help.

---AutoMerged DoublePost---

Do I need a hib puller or should I be able to pound it off or what?

---AutoMerged DoublePost---

Oh I meant hub on the last one. I got a hub puller and got it off.

---AutoMerged DoublePost---

This ****ing sucks. Why didn't you guys try to talk me out of this? There is no way this puller from auto zone is going to work. I'm trying to take out the upper ball joint right now and it is to long to fit between the puller with the fitting for the puller, so I cut the bolt on the upper ball joint to shorten it so it would fit between the puller. Now I've got everything in place and I believe I've bent the ****ing puller. This is seriously B***S**T. If there's anyone close to Meridian, Idaho that has a machine press or anything else you think might work, that you'd be whilling to use to help me get this thing out with, please let me know. I could use any help I can get right now. I needed this done today. It's my damn work truck and I'm supposed to work tomorrow. I'm desperate at this point. Feel free to call me too. My name is Mike. (208)761-6386. Please help!

---AutoMerged DoublePost---

I got it. Bent the f***ing puller, but I got it. Now to do the other side. What a huge pain this has been. Would have been pretty easy if everything came off like it should. It's really not that hard a job at all besides that. Also I just remembered...I've been wanting to put this leveling kit I bought awhile back on the truck. It's just the 2" metal bracket. I know my ride might go to s**t but I have to do something cool to the truck while working on it this time around. I've got to have something to look forward to when I'm all with this hell of a job. So my question is how easy is it to put the level kit on, and does anyone have any advice, videos, diagrams, or anything else you could refer me too. I want this to go as smooth as possible.

man there no fun i know them pullers do bend easy hope its going well i have never put any leveling kits on so im no help at all

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.

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.

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.:U:

check a round for prices i just priced them for my 06 and they were $90 a piece from NAPA so i had the dealer put stock back in under warrenty so look around

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?

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.

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.

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?

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:ok1:

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.

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

Damn I'll bet that hurt. I was getting pretty nervouse watching them bend. That's not very fun to do, compress the springs.