Got the same one from harbor freight
CK5
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You say you only need it once but you use the same one for bushings ball joints ujoints tie rods. You have multiple vehicles, you will get use out of it.
X2, I bought for the IFS ball joints on my Tahoe.
Pretty sure most of the world would stop functioning if Amazon went under.
If I had a little more money in the bank I would just buy one but I'm trying to pinch pennies.
The rental got the job done but it would probably be easier to counter-torque on the truck; I had to stand on the arm to keep it secure. I set the torque wrench at 75 and it clicked, didn't click at 100, so it takes somewhere in the middle to set the ball joint. I did have them in the freezer but I didn't heat up the arm.
That picture was staged after I finished pressing the joint in, so disregard the misalignment of the bottom cup.
And for what it's worth if anyone is interested in the future, this was stamped on the shaft from Napa.
Finally finished assembly this morning. Damn it takes longer than you think torquing all those ball joints, tie rod ends, sleeve clamps, idler arm, pitman arm, and lower control arm shaft nuts. Then greasing it all; glad I bought the Milwaukee cordless grease gun.
Since no post is good without a picture, I cleaned this stuff out of the cross member.
The glove box had the paperwork from the original owner and thru some Google searching I found his obit and he had a farm. Obviously he grew wheat on that farm.
Since no post is good without a picture, I cleaned this stuff out of the cross member.
The glove box had the paperwork from the original owner and thru some Google searching I found his obit and he had a farm. Obviously he grew wheat on that farm.
Gotta love rats and mice. As long as they don't eat all the wiring. Glad you got it done finally. You totally lost your ass on the flat rate on that job!
I doubt there is a shop anywhere who would flat rate a job like that on a truck that old.
Talked to an old guy a few weeks ago about a rewire on his 64 impala. I told him it is an hourly job. He found a shop to do it for $500. He called me monday. At 5 hours they called him and told him it would probably take another 10 hours at $100 an hour. He is on a fixed income and does not have money laying around. Car might be for sale. Not running. I might go pick it up and finish it. Nice guy and beautiful car.
Talked to an old guy a few weeks ago about a rewire on his 64 impala. I told him it is an hourly job. He found a shop to do it for $500. He called me monday. At 5 hours they called him and told him it would probably take another 10 hours at $100 an hour. He is on a fixed income and does not have money laying around. Car might be for sale. Not running. I might go pick it up and finish it. Nice guy and beautiful car.
I was thinking this morning that it would have been expensive for a shop to do this. Granted they have a few tools and the experience that would have finished quicker than me, but still. I think I realistically have 14 or 15 hours in it.
Seems like the front is sitting noticeably taller now. Even after I jumped up and down on the front bumper. I had always thought it sat a little low, so maybe it was sitting low due to suspension wear.
Seems like the front is sitting noticeably taller now. Even after I jumped up and down on the front bumper. I had always thought it sat a little low, so maybe it was sitting low due to suspension wear.
That sucks for him. Those are the kind of shops that give mechanics a bad name as crooks. We always quoted any big electrical jobs at the truck dealership as parts and labor since you have no idea what it will take or what you will run into.
You got the control arm shafts and all that installed so that it was sitting in the correct position at ride height right? Like so it is not loaded up or anything like that? I know on the F150s I do at work they have the newer style control arms that just mount between two ears and if you tighten them down at full droop then put it all together and set it down the bushings will hold the truck up higher. You have to make sure and install the arms and tighten them siting in the theoretical position at ride height then force them down to hook up balljoints and such or be able to torque them all the way when sitting on their own weight. They are tougher to do since you can only access the upper control arm bolts when the strut is out of the way so once its all together you can't get in there to tighten it down.
Yeah, I waited to torque the lower control arm nuts until the truck was on the tires.
Part of the problem is the back is full of parts I picked up from a buddy. Probably nearly half a ton back there. A 10 bolt rear axle, TH350, SM465 w/Gear Vendors OD, rear driveshaft, and a rear bumper. So I think some of it is perception.
My friend had 16 hours into my front suspension rebuild before I went over to help finish the rear springs that took another 2-3 hours.
Yeah, I didn't touch the rears. I'll wait to open that can of worms. Haha!
I did learn a valuable lesson. I didn't realize the coil springs had to be very specifically located in the upper bucket. There's a kind of cup thing up there that the top coil wraps around. Should look like this:
That's a picture of the driver side, which I got lucky and seated properly. This is what the passenger side looked like:
This was contributing to the front sitting higher. It amazes me how impossible it can be to move these springs. I thought I could lift the front of the truck taking the pressure off the suspension and then pry or hammer it over. No joy!
Had to take the front end apart. Required unbolting the shock, caliper (because hard line portion blocks the ball joint nut), and sway bar end. Also had to pop the top ball joint apart. Luckily keeping the lower ball joint bolted works fine because the tie rod holds the spindle from flopping all over the place.
This tool works great for popping the ball joint without damaging the boot or the stud. $20 at HF. Called a "ball joint separator".
Can definitely tell the alignment is off now. I just installed the shims that were in there, but the top of the tires is definitely pushed out. Not sure if it's apparent in the pictures.
I did learn a valuable lesson. I didn't realize the coil springs had to be very specifically located in the upper bucket. There's a kind of cup thing up there that the top coil wraps around. Should look like this:
That's a picture of the driver side, which I got lucky and seated properly. This is what the passenger side looked like:
This was contributing to the front sitting higher. It amazes me how impossible it can be to move these springs. I thought I could lift the front of the truck taking the pressure off the suspension and then pry or hammer it over. No joy!
Had to take the front end apart. Required unbolting the shock, caliper (because hard line portion blocks the ball joint nut), and sway bar end. Also had to pop the top ball joint apart. Luckily keeping the lower ball joint bolted works fine because the tie rod holds the spindle from flopping all over the place.This tool works great for popping the ball joint without damaging the boot or the stud. $20 at HF. Called a "ball joint separator".
Can definitely tell the alignment is off now. I just installed the shims that were in there, but the top of the tires is definitely pushed out. Not sure if it's apparent in the pictures.
Yeah, top is definitely out.
Sounds like life likes to teach you these lessons the same way it teaches me. Trial and time-consuming-error.
Sounds like life likes to teach you these lessons the same way it teaches me. Trial and time-consuming-error.
Red neck lift kit. Definitely needs aligned. Should be done after any major suspension work. And what you did is very major.
I was thinking it's too bad I'll probably never do it again or by the time I do I will have forgotten. Well maybe, it was irritating enough I might get that little scratch in the back of my memory reminding me there was something about installing these coil springs.....
Dropped it at the alignment shop this morning. Don't need to ruin a good set of tires and I haven't had good luck trying to do alignments myself.
Truck is back from the alignment. Front seems to have settled now after fixing that spring and sitting under its own weight. Seems pretty close to level now with the drop shackles in the back.
I have a noise from the front of the engine I would classify as a belt noise but I have tightened them all. And they are no more than a year old.
I do think the belt for the AC compressor might be too long. I have almost run out of slot on the brackets.
The shop that charged the AC put the belt on so I don't know its source.
It is interesting looking at the same belt from ACDelco it's 54.5" long and Gates is 55.125".
Back to the noise, the alternator and fan clutch are new. The sound is there whether or not the AC clutch is engaged.
I do think the belt for the AC compressor might be too long. I have almost run out of slot on the brackets.
The shop that charged the AC put the belt on so I don't know its source.
It is interesting looking at the same belt from ACDelco it's 54.5" long and Gates is 55.125".
Back to the noise, the alternator and fan clutch are new. The sound is there whether or not the AC clutch is engaged.
Start the engine. Run a bar of soap along the running surface on both sides of each belt. It will tell you if it is belts.
No loose shirts or jewelry.
No loose shirts or jewelry.
