02 ram 1500 lower ball joint replacement question
 

I have an 02 1500 2wd. I am trying to replace the lower ball joints and was told by many sources that these are the pressed in type. I took it to a shop to have it pressed in and the guy told me it is the rivit type.
It has 4 rivits on it that are in a square pattern (side by side, each bolt equidistant from each other). Someone suggested that it might be an 01 carry over, but I looked at the coputer at orileys and the one for the 01 shows a different pattern. Should I ignore the rivits and try to have this pressed in? Could it be that the guy didn't know what he was talking about, or is there another ball joint for the 02 that I am unaware of such as a mid year change or something?

Please help.

If it's IFS in the front it is not a 01 carryover.
There isn't rivets on my Lower bj that I remember, just a snap ring and it's pressed out

They do have rivets but the cap of the BJ gets popped of exposing the top of the BJ with a snap ring. You take that off and then press out the old and press in the new and replace the snap ring.

ok, so you do nothing with those rivits? Those rivits get ignored and stay put or do you knock those rivits off and replace them with bolts?

Right. leave the rivets alone. Use a chisel to cut off the locking tabs on the BJ cap and then pry the cap off exposing the top of the BJ. Get some snap pliers and take off the snap ring and go from there.

Now see, that's EXACTLY what we thought but when we took it in to have them pressed the guy said they were rivited.
Turns out... HE'S AN IDIOT!

Took it to another shop, they did them no problem. Thank you for taking the time to help me out.

-Tara

Well they are riveted in a plate but as you found out, you dont drill out the rivets to remove the plate from the truck. You just remove the BJ from the plate. ....LOL