did my ball joints yesterday
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Registered User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 46
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From: palestine, Tx
did my ball joints yesterday
required tools
24mm impact socket
impact
crescent wrench
needle nose pliers
ball joint press
hacksaw/grinder (because a BFH is no good on the uppers)
steel toe boots (for when your spindle decides to come loose)
and a really really BFH
I believe it took 3 hours to do the driver side because I was being "too nice" to it, and only one hour to do the passenger side cause I was mad at ball joints at the time. oh and no one told me that they "pop" into place which is exactly how a truck sounds when it falls off the jack stand, also that you will bust your *** when said ball joint decides to go in because you cant catch yourself in time.
the pickle fork was worthless for removing the joints from the spindle, so I used the BFH to knock the lowers out of the frame then I used a hacksaw to cut the uppers in half.(later decided a grinder would be faster than a hacksaw) once the spindle fell on my foot and I praised the invention of steeltoes I knocked the remains of ball joint out of it with one swing of the BFH each.
thankfully the old ones held together for as long as they did without dropping the tire i'll have pictures up later, but for now imagine looking up into a church bell and that'll give you the right idea.
the results are amazing I no longer have kicked out looking tires, it no longer rattles over bumps, and I now sit about two inches higher in the front also.
and tonight im tackling the pitman arm to get rid of all the play in the steering and hopefully it'll drive like a new truck.
24mm impact socket
impact
crescent wrench
needle nose pliers
ball joint press
hacksaw/grinder (because a BFH is no good on the uppers)
steel toe boots (for when your spindle decides to come loose)
and a really really BFH
I believe it took 3 hours to do the driver side because I was being "too nice" to it, and only one hour to do the passenger side cause I was mad at ball joints at the time. oh and no one told me that they "pop" into place which is exactly how a truck sounds when it falls off the jack stand, also that you will bust your *** when said ball joint decides to go in because you cant catch yourself in time.
the pickle fork was worthless for removing the joints from the spindle, so I used the BFH to knock the lowers out of the frame then I used a hacksaw to cut the uppers in half.(later decided a grinder would be faster than a hacksaw) once the spindle fell on my foot and I praised the invention of steeltoes I knocked the remains of ball joint out of it with one swing of the BFH each.
thankfully the old ones held together for as long as they did without dropping the tire i'll have pictures up later, but for now imagine looking up into a church bell and that'll give you the right idea.
the results are amazing I no longer have kicked out looking tires, it no longer rattles over bumps, and I now sit about two inches higher in the front also.
and tonight im tackling the pitman arm to get rid of all the play in the steering and hopefully it'll drive like a new truck.
Record Breaker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,222
Likes: 4
From: NB, Canada
I regret to admit that I ended up takin mine to a local garage and had him do my ball joints. I had no time to screw with them at the time, and I didn't have a balljoint tool. I almost never take my vehicles to a shop to have work done. I still hate myself a little for this. 
props to you for gettin em done. lets see some pics!
props to you for gettin em done. lets see some pics!
how is that?
Captain
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 699
Likes: 0
From: Eaton Ohio
