My front lower ball joints apparently need to be replaced. Looking at the pics I see of what is listed as replacement parts (mostly moog greaseable), they don't look like what I have. I have no rivets or bolts holding the ball joints ot the control arm. Just some sort of cap at the top end of the control arm. How was that ball joint install and how does it get removed?

Is this the right replacement part?
http://www.thepartsbin.com/catalog/?...&N=10110&Nty=1

//edit:
This is the Moog
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Moog-...Q5fAccessories

Thanks
-John (noob)

 

lower ball joint is pressed in, has to be pressed out on, atleast i know thats the case on 4x4s. another guy on here was asking about his bolted in lower ball joints and i believe thats for the 2wd daks. moog has a good rep.

 

Thanks Fox. So do I grind off that "cap" that's on top, or does that get removed some other way, then press out the ball joint?

 

press the lower bj through the bottom. a lot of pb blaster and elbow grease to remove em. you probably could cut that top cap to make your life easier, make sure you use a BJ press with the right adapter to remove it.

 

I believe you are correct, the lower 4x4 joints are pressed in then held in with a big clip from underneath. My mechanic will be changing mine in the morning, I'll let you know.

 

Cool. Let me know how it goes/went. If I can't hammer/cut the old one out I hope to be able to borrow a press from an auto parts store, or make a makeshift one with the use of some C clamps.

 

I thought there was a safety Recall bulletin on the ball-joints and you could have them replaced for free from the manufacture. At least there was on my 2001 Dakota.

And I'm only referring to if you've never had them replaced already through recall bulletin.

 

recall was for the uppers only.

 

Yep recall was for upper.

Lower's have to be pressed out and new ones pressed in. What a pain in the ***! You have to remove the lower control arm unless somebody has a trick I don't know about. I will be taking mine to a shop tomorrow to have them swapped out then reinstalling the control arms ourselves.

 

My plan is to cut off the top caps with a die grinder or diamond cutting bit in a dremmel, then maybe drill some holes in the top of the ball joint so that it has room to collapse a bit. I may heat the control arm with an LP torch and put some non flammable lube in there, then beat the crap out of it with a 5lb hammer. And toughts on whether this would work or not?