02 Sierra Ball Joints

[mdrew]

My son's 02 SLT 4X4 is wearing tires on the inside, both sides. Lifted the front end and gave the wheels a push / tug. Upper ball joints appear to be bad. The last time I replaced ball joints was on a mid 80's Silverado. Before I order ball joints and get into this, I figured it would hurt to ask for tips. A friend of mine told me that the ball joints are rivited in place from the factory on this model and to use an air chisel to pop the heads off and to also use the chisel to remove, and also install the new joints. Does this sound right?

 

I had thought to just buy upper control arms, but the existing arm bushings do not appear to be in bad shape. The hub bearings were very recently replaced, so no need to do that again. Is there anything else I might as well swap out while the truck is down??

 

And are there any preferred brands of ball joints? Looks like Moog is reference quite often... Where is a good place to buy parts for this truck?

 

thanks......

[Jsdirt]

I'm not 100% sure what that year has there for ball joints, but the 70's (cars) up to the late 90's had riveted ball joints. Those I would take an air chisel to the heads, then put a pointy attachment in the same chisel & get them started - don't want to go in too far with the air chisel & oval out the rivet holes - just enough to get the studs moving, then pound them the rest of the way with a punch & hammer. Without an air chisel you can grind the heads off, then use said punch/hammer - just takes longer.

 

My 07 ... and possibly yours as well ... has pressed-in ball joints held in place with a large circlip. You'll need to dig the circlip out & press the joint out with a ball joint press.

 

And yes - highly recommend Moog. At least the replacements will have grease fittings, so you won't have to keep doing them every 50k or less. Mine needed lowers at 42,000 miles.

[mdrew]

Thanks. I found Moog replacement ball joints and ordered them. I reckon I'll find out soon enough what's involved.

[ChevyTech77]

The factory ball joints are not held in with anything more than a press fit and were only serviced as a control arm (still are only serviced as a control arm assembly through GM) because getting a ball joint to "take" to the arm, after the factory joint is removed, proved to be difficult. The factory GMT800 upper and lower ball joints were both greasable from the factory, also.

 

I have pressed in a set of Moog replacements with little issue and replaced the complete control arms as well. Either job is not very difficult but in order to press the joint into the arm you are going to need a ball joint press and the correct adapters where as replacing the complete control arms would just be a bolt in procedure.

[mdrew]

To conclude this, and provide information to anyone else who may need it.....

 

The upper ball joints pressed out without much trouble. It is a straight forward removal process. The lower however.....much more difficult. The OE joints are pressed into the control arm, then crimped at the top, 90 deg apart. At each location the top ring of the joint is bend over. I tried chisels, files and anything else I could find to either roll the bent over dimples without much luck. An air chisel might help, but I doubt it. Even using a Snap On press and a cheater on the breaker bar, I could not press the joint out. In the end, I cut the top of the joint off as close as possible to the control arm with a 1/16" cut off disk in a 4.5" right angle grinder. I then carefully ground the rest of the joint flush with the A arm, using a flapper disk at the end. The joint pressed out without much effort after this.

 

In self disclosure, make sure you read the Moog instructions before installing them...... I didn't, then did after one side was done only to find out they are directional. I had to press them back out, orientate them as instructed and press them back in.

[ChevyTech77]

Top lip of the lower ball joint can be quickly and cleanly, dealt with using an air chiesel and cold chiesel bit.