Can anyone tell me if it looks like this ball joint popped out to you? I had the ball joints replaced about a year ago when I got the truck. A couple weeks after, the other side popped out, and I had to get the whole upper control arm replaced cause it stripped out the threads. The thing is, I can't really feel it in the steering like I could when the other side broke (the truck got very very loose on me), but it sure doesn't look right. Thanks.

 

To me it too does look like it not fully seated. Maybe it wasnt tighted all the way and worked it self loose or threads were striped during installation. Did you replace them before? or a shop? The tops are easy to replace and are cheep. I would say if you have to question them, replace them.

 

Thanks. I just wanted a second opinion before I worried about it. I had a shop replace them about a year ago (like I said above). The thing is, I'm working on designing a 4 inch suspension lift for the front of my truck. I want to drop the lower control arms down 4 inches (along with the torsion bar bracket, sway bar mounts, and front axle). A friend of mine has access to a lot of metalworking tools including 2 cnc mills and a cnc lathe. I expect to have the project done in a couple months (if I get it to work I'll write up a post about it). I really don't want to replace the ball joints and get the wheels aligned now cause I'll have to do it when I finish the lift. I think I might try tack welding the ball joint in for the time being and grind it out later.

 

Well by replacing the ball joint while its on the truck you wont have to get it alined.

Thats cool your going to do a custom lift kit. Deffently write it up and take plenty of pics. For me all that time to do a custom lift kit I would rather do a SAS. But that is me.

 

Yeah, but I really think the control arm threads are stripped, cause that's what happened to the driver's side a while back, and if I replace the control arm, it will need an alignment... if I don't it probably won't hold the new ball joint.

I thought about a SAS, but I'm getting out of the planning stage and into the design stage, and so far it looks like its gonna cost less than $200 for the whole thing. I'm basing the design off the trailmaster suspension lift that costs a rediculous amount of money. The hardest part is going to be making a spacer for the upper ball joint, cause I don't think anybody makes a taller knuckle.

My plan right now is to drop the lower control arm down 4 inches, and put a 4 inch spacer on the upper ball joint to make sure the two control arms stay parallel. Then to make sure the torsion bars are at the factory angle, I'm going to cut off that crossmember and make a bracket to lower it 4 inches (this part is going to suck). I'll also need to make brackets to lower the front diff 4 inches so I don't kill the CV axles. The sad thing is, I'm not doing this to raise the truck, I'm doing this to take the 2 inches back out of the torsion bars but keep the truck at the height its at now, which will make it a much more comfortable ride and get it off the bump stops.

 

Sounds like a good plan. When you do a write up let me know I will post it up in the FAQ2 if you want. I thought about swapping in some coil overs or air bags in front for the better ride. That torsion bar is ruff, when torqued up.

 

It sure is, I think they amplify all the bumps in the road when theyre torqued up that tight. Just out of curiosity, did you come up with a plan for coil springs, cause the reason they put torsion bars on the 4x4s is cause the cv axles would go through the coil spring set up on the 4x2s. That would be sweet if it could be done.

 

I never completely followed through with designing for a coil over strut or shock design but a simple Idea would be where the shock location is. The top support would be strong enough. The bottom would need to be fully drilled out an taped. Thats the part where I'm unsure if it could handle it. And build up a couple of plates to replicate the dual shock kit and put the shock back there.

 

Well, my ball joint question was answered today, I made it about a mile away from my house and heard a loud POP, and as it turned out it broke all the way through. I turned around got it home, put that corner on a jackstand (as I lifted it up the ball joint reseated itself from the weight of the wheel/knuckle assemly) and welded it together. I don't think it'll be coming back out.

 

LOL Dang that sucks. Sounds like you were not to far from home, good thing.