I have torn boots on both front upper ball joints...1996 1500 5.9L 2wd 199,094 miles



I am considering doing the upper and lower ball joints this coming weekend...

Has anyone here done this before? Any tricks or special tools? Anything else I should do while I am there with all that apart?

I figure so far I need:
- pickel fork
- big hammers
- two floor jacks
- spring compressor??
- Are the OE ball joints riveted in? If so....I'm gonna need an air hammer I bet....advice?
- replacement parts

I plan to read through the Haynes manual a few times too.

If you have done this.... please chime in,

thanks,
Chris

 

Get yourself some heat too. Like a torch or MAPP gas at the very least. Take out the 2 cotter pins, back the nuts off all the way, and then heat the balljoint studs. They should tap out after the right amount of heat.


Good luck.

 

methylacetelyne propadiene (mapp gas incase anyone was interested in what mapp stood for.. learned that tonight at school .. gettin my learn on) might work...you could try it..might take a while.. i picked up a balljoint press kit off ebay for 50 bux (iirc) and worked great.. .. since youl have the spindle off might as well do the lowers at the same time.. no sense on doing the work now and then just doing it again later.. nock it all out in one shot..save yourself time and money in the long run.. ive seen heat work to break loose bj's but it took a good long while and we had to use a oxy acy. torch to do it.. you can also go to your local napa autozone advanced auto and rent a bj press kit and save yourself the trouble of trying to heat anything up.. i noticed you had a 2wd so i think you ahve to use a spring compresser. would make the job alot easier.. since your your bj's are attacted at the A arms..