Ok y'all after everything I went through with my UCA's I finally got the stock factory once in ground off and perfect, NOW I have a very important question from way back about a year ago when I replaced the upper ball joints in the Trail master control arms

Whatat size socket do I need for the 1993 Dodge Dakota upper ball joints? I've found like three different sizes online one metric and two sae

 

I used a 2 9/64" socket on my 1988. Here's where I bought it: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003EZZUNU

RwP

 

These are supposed to thread in/out? Uh oh, I just pressed mine... One cross thread holds tighter than two dabs of loctite, right?

 

Supposedly.

If your ball joint has four flats and four rounded corners, it's a threaded joint.

If, however, it's just round, it's press. Or if it has rivets or bolts, it's riveted/bolted.

The ACDelco part for my 1988 looks like this: https://www.rockauto.com/info/345/45...ATE2__ra_p.jpg (there's other shots, but that one shows the shape I'm talking about.) It's for all upper ball joints, or rather, 2WD/4WD uses the same ball joint.

Lowers are pressed on my 1988; they look more like this: https://www.rockauto.com/info/345/45...ATE2__ra_p.jpg

Did the new one have threads? If so, they're threaded also.

RwP

 

Yep that's what I need, along with a 3/4 drive breaker bar LOL

Mine are upper screw in lower clip in

Mine look like that only the bottom ones use clips to hole them in

 

Yep; but the keynote is that they don't thread, they press.

Fairly easy to press once the retaining ring is out; pretty damn hard until

RwP

 

Naaa, all ya need for the lowers is a hammer to pound em out, no socket required since your obviously replacing them, just beat em till the fall out and use the socket to tap the new ones in

 

It's fairly easy ONCE you've removed the retaining ring.

Until then, you fight and fight and fight.

BTDT. Twice, now, on my Dakota. (But I've put on 240,000 miles or more since I bought it, so ... )

RwP

 

On my 94 that I had, the top ones are threaded. Had to use a long pipe as a cheater bar to get them out.

 

that always a good thing to get my old ones out I used a pipe wrench and a pipe I nick named God, cause no bolt or nut stays on after I use it, I have broken 1 inch drive breaker bars and the pipe barely flexes