BALL JOINTS SUCK!!!!!

stebob · January 5, 2004

I copy pasted this from the post I made on mychevy truck. Man! What a job this was. I had no idea what I was getting into. But, now the satisfaction of getting it done!

Well, I replaced all 4 of my balljoints over the weekend. I'll tell you I learned 1 thing. That is that I NEVER WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN!!! It took my buddy and I 13 hours to get it all done. Ok, well, maybe 2 things I learned. If I were to try this in my garage w/o the lift and all the power tools and huge breakers bars we had to use, I would have been sol.

1st, I went and rented a balljoing press to remove and install. Well, with my '97 it appears you can't use the press to press them out. The lower balljoint has a lip that is flush with the control arm. This leaves no where for the receiving cup to press up against. So, I ended up using a torch and beating the hell out of it until it came out.

Then to the upper. "just drill into the rivet, then drill the rivet head off. Afterwards punch the rivets through and remove balljoint." YEAH! RIGHT!!! Well, that didn't work, so I heated up each rivet with a torch and beat the hell out of them with a sledge and punch until they FINALLY broke loose and was able to work them out. Now, I had to use an air hammer to separate the balljoint from the control arm. It's out!!

Bolting the new uppers in, no big deal. Sure will make it easier for the next guy to do. Pretty uneventful there, until a little later when going to put the knuckle back on. I'll get to that.

Ok, now to press the lowers in. The press I rented should do the trick here. So, I start, get it going and look at it. Going in at a quite an angle. Beat it back out and try again, only to have the same problem. Beat it back out, try again, same problem different angle. Very pissed and tired at this point. Ok, finally got it straight, went in no prob. WHEW!!!! This after 7 hours. Just got 1 side done, but not put back together.

Now to put it back together on this side. Get it all back, grease it up move over to the other side. It starts all over again with heating and pounding. BUT, I was able to get the lower out in about 5 min!!! Go to press the lower in, have same probs. not going straight in. Get smart and use a hammer and punch to straighten it up. That only took 2 hours to figure out. Alright, all straight and press her back up in there, wahoo!! Look down and notice that the zerk fitting hole is faceing straight out. MUTHERF.... No way I'm going to heat it back up and pound it out. Figuring that would ruin it. Ok, f it, come back tomorrow. So, at that point after 10 hours, decide I'm done for the day. Figure I can pick up a 90 degree zerk and no problem. Get the zerk, get back to the shop and the mfer won't fit. Theads are wrong. ALL the zerks the store had, had the wrong threads. F it. I put the zerk in that came with the joing, squirted some grease in it and figured I would use a needle injector to get the grease in the boot. Ok, so get this side all back together. Go to turn the wheels and won't budge. WTF?? Found that the new bolts to mount the upper balljoints in are too long and are hitting the knuckle. SOB! Ok, so I find some washers and use those. The threads are just poking through the nut, so I take it back off and locktight it. Go over to the side got done the night before and same d**n problem. Washer those as well. DONE!!!!!!

Next weekend, tie rods ends, pitman arm, and idler arm. THEN to the alignment shop...

This was an incredible PITA!!!! I NEVER EVER want to do this AGAIN!! However, now that I'm experienced with it, I guess the next time wouldn't be as bad, but DAYUM!!!

I was concerned about heating everything up with a torch, thinking that might weaken my control arms. They never turned red hot, but the rivets did along with the balljoint. What do you guys think? Is there something I could have done better? Obviously, this was a 1st for me.

dadejak · January 5, 2004

Stebob,

I just replaced all the steering linkage on my 95. (Tierod ends, pitman, etc.)

The only thing I didn't do was the Ball joints. After reading your post, think I'll take it to shop when it comes time for that.

Thanks and good luck on the rest of your steering adventure.

Sure is nice to have a tight steering again!.

Jack

points · January 6, 2004

How can you tell if ball joints are wearing out?

CapnDean · January 6, 2004

OH MY GOD! CAPNDEAN HAS A BROTHER!

Stebob you just described CapnDean's trial & error method of Religion & the art of automotive maintenance.

Wonderful lessons I have learned:

Outboard motors: Can you reinstall the lower unit on a 225 Johnson without properly aligning the cooling tube? (you'd think this is impossible....but after much effort in the language arts... I managed to do so). Wound up dropping my lower unit at the boat launch to repair it.....Like changing a clutch at a red light.

Is it possible to -using a crackerbox welder - weld a 3.25" shaft (attached to a detroit 1271TA Diesel) solid enough to limp home from 200 miles offshore? Answer - - Yes, only after having your foot slip into 2' of oily bilgewater thereby clanging your gnads on the shift linkage while electrocuting the crap out of yourself.

Can you remove a frozen lug nut with a pair of pliers and a bench vise? (No...but you CAN wring that sucker off).

#12 romex in lieu of jumper cables? Sure....

So...if you ever need any help...just give me a call (and you buy the beer)~

My toolbox has everything you need...vise grips, JB Weld, Duct tape, BFH and a cheater pipe.

As they say in the commercial.....this bud's for you!

Oh yeah...edited as an afterthought! I once had my Ford 3000 tractor stuck so bad...I chained a log to the right wheel to walk myself out. Worked great...til the chain snagged my fender and tore it right off.

tmf6902 · January 6, 2004

CapnDean...thanks.....I havn't laughed that hard in a long time...especially the part about the nads...LMAO

Wingnut · January 6, 2004

My toolbox has everything you need...vise grips, JB Weld, Duct tape, BFH and a cheater pipe

Watch out for that cheater pipe.....I broke a 50 lb bench vise clean in half using one of those to press some u-joints in....Talk about entertaining. Top half flew right past my head when it popped.

And yes....I have pics

As for the balljoints...Thanks for the warning Stebob, now I know what I'm in for on the 92 (it needs them too ).

asepgrad98 · January 6, 2004

1. could you have put the upper BJ bolts in the oppposite way so that it wouldnt hit the knuckle? (nuts on top)

2. Dont see why you would want a 90 degree zerk for a lower ball joint?

3. best way to get rivets off is to cut them with air chisel

4. should have been able to use press tool to get them out unless the cup was not big enuff

5. when they lower goes in crooked i take a big hammer and beat it on the lowest point till it goes straight.

6. have fun gettin that pittmann arm off

dadejak · January 6, 2004

6. have fun gettin that pittmann arm off

amen!

Wingnut · January 6, 2004

Last time I did my pittman arm it was really easy with an impact hammer with a picklefork attachment....Time before that it was a BFH, and a lot of new words.

Wingnut · January 6, 2004

A word about cheater bars....Use them with caution.

tmoreau · January 6, 2004

Watch out for that cheater pipe.....I broke a 50 lb bench vise clean in half using one of those to press some u-joints in....

My dad did exactly the same thing once. It was a BIG vise, never seen one like it... and he busted the dang thing in half.

chevfamily · January 6, 2004

Stebob, capndean, I'm howling cause we can relate to the stories. especially boaters. Who's idea was it to cool a hot block of iron with cold salt water.

stebob · January 6, 2004

asepgrad98,

1. Yes, but didn't know until everything was bolted back up. Didn't want to have to seperate the knuckle from the balljoint again. Easier to just to a washer in there.

2. I didn't!! I ended up pressing the new balljoint in with the zerk hole facing outwards, parrallel to the axle.

3. Did that, but that only takes the head off, does NOT get the rivet out.

4. Tried that, too, but the cup is too big. The balljoint lip is flush with the control arm. No where to it to press against.

5. Figured that out on the last ball joint.

6. Thanks for the warning, I was hoping for an easy cruise from this point.

All you guys cracked me up!! I needed a good laugh after that.

Let me tell you what else happened....

I knew something got in my eye. Figured it would come out, well last night it was too much for me to stand to I went to a 24 hr immed. care place. There is metal embedded in my cornea from the grinding I did on Sat. I wear glasses and my dumb butt didn't put on goggles like usual. Well, it was so deep they could not get it out. I had to go to an Opthamologist today. He got it out and advise me that if it were 3mm over, I would have lost quite a bit of vision in my right eye. WEAR GOGGLES BROTHERS!! WEAR GOGGLES!! I'm ok now, but still in some pain.