well im about to buy a kit, a rebuild kit for my front end containing upper ball joint/ control arms, lower ball joints and inner and outter tie rods. heres a link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ball-...Q5fAccessories

im going to be doing all the work myself and the upper control arms are easy since i have done one before, the tie rod seems easy...atleast the inner, not quite sure about the inner, but not sure if i really need that anyways since i had a new rack and pinion installed not too long ago, but the lower ball joints have me completly stumped. no idea how to remove or install these, and i dont know what has happened to our DIY section, but theres nothing really there so i was wondering if anyone could clue me into the tie rods and mainly the lower ball joints. thanks in advance DF! by the way, i may have the kit ordered without one upper ball joint since i dont need it, but if anyone wants it PM me. and im not sure if i need the inner tie rods either, i think i just need the outter part that looks like a ball joint, but im not sure on that. all help is greatly appreciated!!

 

You can rent the tool from Autozone like I did. It was a pitman arm puller. I needed it when I changed out my spindles.

 

i have a pitman arm puller and a ball joint fork which i like much better. so that b*tch of a lower ball joint just pulls out with the puller or fork? and how does it go back in? thanks for the response too weedahoe

 

Sorry I can't help MM, I've done a CV axle, but not the ball joints. Seems to me it might be a time to have a camera or at least your cell phone on hand and do a DIY, though...

 

ya there apparently is NO DIY on the balljoints, so looks like i will be making one, but i mean i gotta have somewhat of an idea how the h*ll to do the lower and inner tie rods....once i have an idea and im not ripping sh*t apart, ill do a DIY lol...

 

Looks like on those lower ball joints you need to get the ball joint out of the spindle then take the snap ring off the lower ball joint and you might end up having to press it out of the lower control arm.

 

When you tighten the castle nut on the bottom it pulls the BJ in place. Theres a place for a small wrench on the BJ to keep it from turning as you tighten the nut. Sry I dont remember what size it is though.

[EDIT] Wait, are we talking 2ed or 4wd and are you just taking it apart or replacing the BJ?

 

Lower ball joints just press out and press in. Pretty straight forward. If your capable of removing all the parts to gain access you should have no problem. I used a torch to heat around the lower ball joint then 6 or 7 meduim hits to it and the BJ fell right out. The key is to the have a heavy duty press when removing. When pressing back in make sure they start off straight. The inner tie rods I have not done.

 

weedahoe: 2WD, but from the part listings i have found, 2WD and 4X4 use the same parts, so theres no difference in those compnents.

big guy: so to remove i can heat it up and bang it out? and how do i press it back in? weedahoe says that just put it in place and tighten it down?

 

Yeah but I didnt remove the BJ from the control arm. I was talking about how to remove it from the spindle. From my dealings with BJ you need to press it in.