Hey guys, its time for me to replace the upper and lower balljoints on the right side. How bad is it to change the ball joints. What needs to come off and i also know it will make my life alot easier if i have the puller. My truck is a 1500 4x4.

 

This is a great DIY by Steve
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-c...placement.html

VERY similar to what you can expect.
I will add you need a REALLY good penetrating oil for the hub assembly.
And a GOOD breaker bar and short piece of pipe to remove the hub nut.
Good luck and welcome to DF.

EDIT
And I believe the hub nut torque for you're truck when assembling is 180 flbs (I think)

 

i'm not sure about a 1500 as mine is a 2500 but i couldn't for the life of me get my ball joints out so i got a porta-band saw and cut mine off, pull the hub out and drilled down through the top of the ball joints and beat them out, worked pretty good, but like i said i have a 2500 not a 1500, just throwin out an idea to keep in mind.

 

I just replaced wheel joints on my 1500 and I think the axle nut torque is around 100 or 120. I'm not sure if you have to pull axles out when you do ball joints but I did last time. The axle nut is a 1 11/16 socket I used an 1 3/4. There are 3 bolts that hold your hub assembly on they're a 12 point 9/16 socket. Slide the axle STRAIGHT out. Loosen your ball joints and pop the spindle off. Press your old joints out and press the new ones in. Clean inside the axle tube before you put the axle back in. Make sure the axle is centered in the tube as you slide it back in. There might be a different way to do your balljoints I don't know this just the way I did it. Took me bout an hour per side.

 

I actually just had to replace mine last week along with my u-joints, hubs, tie rod end and a f***ing $31.72 bolt that i couldn't find at any local hardware store that i could make work. Honestly I went to auto zone and rented a press. Makes it a hell of a lot easier just make sure you press it out right, tends to help, haha. Def. get some good penetrator makes a hug difference, also double check you have the right size sockets unlike my buddy who was helping me and thats why i had to by a $32 dollar bolt from dodge. Good luck

 

Good point...
Make sure you have 12 point sockets on hand too

 

Does the Dana 44 not have retaining clips for ball joints? I can't see any on mine, upper OR lower! Do they just press out without removing any clips? I'm about to change my balljoints but would like to know this before I kill my balljoint remover.

 

i used a bottle of map gas and then the press. came out with ease. no clips

 

OK, thanks.
What's "map gas" though?