How To Replace Ball Joints

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Answer #1: Posted by help921 on September 19th, 2011 11:59 PM

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help921

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You will need a balljoint press, not pickle fork-type, tool. The pickle fork will likely damage the rubber balljoint boots.

1. Jack up the truck and put it on stands. Leave a stand or jack under the lower control arm so that the compressed coil spring cannot escape.
2. remove tire
3. Take off the brake assembly by removing the two bolts from behind the caliper (I like to slightly compress the caliper piston with a screwdriver so the pads have clearance on reinstall. If you choose to do that, remove the lid from the master cylinder to give the fluid a place to escape. You shouldn't get any spillage unless you over filled the reservoir).
4. Hang the caliper from the top of the shock using bungy cord or old metal coat hanger to avoid stress on the brake line.
5. Pull off the brake rotor and place front side down so the contact surface is off the ground.
5. Remove the cotter pin, castle nut, drive shaft nut and washer from the drive shaft to free it up from the hub assembly.
6. Break the drive shaft free from the hub assembly with a rubber mallet (NOT A METAL HAMMER!!!).
7. Remove cotter pin and castle nut from the lower ball joint.
8. Remove the three small nuts that hold the upper ball joint to the knuckle and the knuckle is now free.
UPPER BALL JOINT
9. Remove the upper ball joint from the knuckle and replace with the new one.
10. Set aside the knuckle that has your new ball joint on it. Leave the tie rod end attached. No need for extra work.
LOWER BALL JOINT
11. remove the snap ring from the grove in the ball joint using a pair of needle nose pliers by putting the pliers in the two holes and spreading the pliers. (Discard because you will get a new one with the new part).
12. *Press out the ball joint with a ball joint press.
13. Reverse the process for install.

* Some say just smash it out with a large sledge and use the press to put the new ball joint in. Problem with that is if you are not a good aim you could mushroom the edge and then you might as well shoot yourself. Just use the press for both removal and reverse for install.