I need to replace my upper ball joints. is it a good idea to replace both the upper and lower at the same time? or can i just replace the uppers on each side?

also any recommended ball joints that are better than the others. i looked at the carli ball joints, but $800 is a bit out of my price range for ball joints.

 

So this thread has been here for a while with a lot of valuable info on it and I am wondering after this amount of time and the number of people who have done jobs what brand ***** joints do people find the the best for their cost with the proper lower ball joint so you can grease them.

Do anyone here also get an after market u -joint and are they grease able via a nipple .

 

I did this project this weekend.Broke a breakerbar & a torque wrench, learned a few new cuss words, but had success. Thank you ,this was VERY helpfull.

 

lesson learned today. if you are going to use heat to get the ball joint in or out, remove the rubber boot. especially from the new ball joint as they dont sell replacement boots. that was a $30 amateur mistake for me today. i know better, but just was not thinking.

also if you use heat dont have your grease fitting in until after it is installed.

 

Might be a dumb question but do you need a 1 and 11/16" socket or an 11/16" socket?


Awesome thread it's really going to help me knock this out this weekend. I just need a few items like the socket and I'm set. Thanks!

 

HOw do I disconnect steering linkage from steering knuckle on my 1996 2500 RAM 4x4 60 axel. I am discurage since this is the first step and I have a hard time achiving it. Do I need small puller?
Thanks

 

Question for Steve05Ram360 or anyone I have been trying for 2 days to get the Hub out I have tried the way shown 4 pound hammer and chisel it wont budge any suggestions

 

My 2000 4X4 2500 diesel is on the lift minus ball joints as I type. I could blame the original owner for all my problems. He drove it in the winter a lot all over his farm and delivered Christmas trees and ornamentals with it for 250,000 miles. But then why all the self abuse?

There was no way the wheel bearing/hub was coming out using the power steering & socket technique or by the "loosen the bolts 1/4" and tap on the bolt heads" as the manual laughingly suggested. No 'effing way. Some sage genius suggested using the sawzall. I cut the ball joints in a few minutes had the hubs and axles out of the way. The hubs are going to the machine shop to press out the old bearings.

Now to get the ball joints out. No way is a wimpy ball joint press moving them. All the other ideas failed to budge them as I farted around for a day trying to get the ball joints out before waking up 2 nights ago with this idea.

To remove lower ball joint: Use abrasive disc on the cut-off tool and cut a groove completely across the top of the ball joint, using care not to cut into axle housing. Take your cut-off tool to the bottom of the ball joint and cut up as high as you can around the joint all the way into the ball. Take your air hammer to the top of the joint and stick it in the groove and blast the ball out of the joint. Now take your sawzall and stick it in the groove and cut what remains of the ball joint vertically at each end of the groove. Take your time, you want to ALMOST cut all the way through the ball joint, but you do not want to cut into the axle tube. Use big hammer and punch to drive ball joint remains out of the axle.

Top ball joint removal uses the same idea. Cut the top of the ball joint off all the way around with the sawzall. Pop the ball up through the joint. Then cut a couple slits almost-all-the-way vertically through what remains of the ball joint. The **** it out of there.

I hope this helps someone. If I ever do one of these again, I'll save a lot of time and effort and go straight for the sawzall.

Have a nice day
Steve

 

Wow, I can hardly wait till it's my turn...

 

subscribed. I've been trying to get my ball joints out all day and nite and this looks awesome. This is the type of informative write up that I have been looking for. thanks!