Ball Joint Removal?? Success with re-assembled photos now!

[sweetk30]

I know you figured this out already, but my father taught me this trick.

Get a sledge hammer and hit the HOUSING that the ball joint is sitting in, on the side, as hard as you can about 3-4 times. You don't want to hit the ball joint itself.

What happens is something like the shock from hitting it breaks the ball joint free. Because the housing is rock solid, you won't damage it like hitting the ball joint.

When I do this the ball joint literally falls out in about 3 seconds. My friends are always amazed when they see me do this for the first time.

this is the tuck and no need for pickle forks. and = no torn boots if being reused.

 

[jeff in co]

OK, started on the hard side first. Got the lower ball joint out no problem. Plenty of room for the cup to go on the outside of the ball joint and pressed it up with very little work.





Now the upper.....seems to be a problem with the cup and the steering arm. Am I to assume I need to get the arm off first before I can push out the upper ball joint? I've beaten on it a handful of times, heated it up and also used some more penetrating oil. Any secrets in removing it?

I also want to take the opportunity to get the arm "broken from the junk" so if I have cash left over, I'd get a 4" steering arm. This would help in the future addition.






Thanks again....

 

[Jessie James]

If that were still mounted to the truck, I'd say hit it with a sledge hammer as I described above. Since it's not, you will need to use a pickle fork and giant vice ... and some luck ... holding everything steady...

 

[sweetk30]

thay make a special cup with 1/3 of the lip cut off and taller to clear the arm .

take a big 4 lb sludge you have and long heavy punch and drive it out by hand. it will go.

then no need to remove the arm. new one will press in fine with arm in the way.

 

[k5zombie666]

you could rent the ball joint remover fork from pepboys. you pay the full price and when you return the tool you get your money back.

 

[jeff in co]

Got it, thanks! Some sideways hammering (rather than up and down) really helped. Added the heat and a few cycles of Penetrating Spray. Also tapped on the cone washers "counter-clockwise".....

 

[72blazerguy]

Looking good on the disassembly.

I took apart my front end to that point and then took the knuckles to a local shop. They pressed 4 new ball joints in for $40.

 

[Avery4jc]

Victory! Those steering arms can be a big ol' pain.

 

[jeff in co]

Victory! Those steering arms can be a big ol' pain.

MAN....tell me about it!

I'll keep posting as I progress (with photos). They sure do help!

I just got the other three ball joints out now so I'll clean up everything and then press in the new ones tomorrow. Definitely a long job but very satisfying too!

 

[jeff in co]

Slight delay as I need the Spanner Socket. Looked high and low here in town and finally am getting it tomorrow from Napa. I did try and make one and it worked for awhile but the socket wasn't deep enough.

Also picked up a new tie-rod end from Autozone.....$18. After a little looking, it's the same part number as the Moog and looks identical. So I'm guessing I actually have a Moog but at the cheaper price!

Can someone confirm the Torque settings for the Ball Joints:

Torque Lower to: 75 ft-lbs
Torque Upper sleave to: 50 ft-lbs
Torque Upper Cotter-pin nut to: 100 ft-lbs

Also, I put some grease in the sleave threads for the upper ball joint.....

Do I want to put a coat of grease inside the upper/lower sockets and the smooth, tapered part of each of the ball joints? Or should I keep them dry?

Can't wait to get this thing finished up this weekend (provided I have the time!)

Thanks!

 

[jeff in co]

and since you have it this far apart time for new u joints on those shafts.

Are these pressed in and would the auto parts store do it for me?

I saw these two types (called wheel joints), one that is sealed with synthetic grease ($17) and one that is greaseable ($9). Which is the preferred u-joint? Brand name is "Brute Force".

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/pa...42?counter=0&itemIdentifier=64126_0_1439_5247

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/pa...2?counter=8&itemIdentifier=186056_0_1439_5247

 

[jeff in co]

Or maybe these Napa ones:

Precision U-Joints for $29 each

http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?A=PUJ377_0275675634&An=599001+101989+50014+2014009#

 

[onetonbb74]

I wouldn't get either. Id get a spicer part number one. I broke the hell out of precision joints so brute force would be the one if I had no spicers available.

 

[jeff in co]

I love learning on the fly!

I found some poor reviews on the Autozone ones and mixed on the Napa ones.

Found a drive line shop about 10 blocks away that will install new Spicer U-joints for $35-$40 each (including the U-joint).

This looks to be the best deal and will give me piece of mind at a 300k+ mile vehicle. I bet they are still the original u-joints.....

 

[496truck]

You're correct on the torque specs.

I like the greasable axle shaft joints with the fitting in the cap instead of the cross. You will need to buy a needle type grease fitting for the end of your grease gun though. If you have the axles out and u-joints out, take the time to modify the shafts for full circle clips. I did mine while I was replacing the joints, only took a sawzall (actually did the first one by hand with a hacksaw), a vise, and a small grinder or dremel tool to smooth out the edges. Maybe ask the driveline shop to do it if you can't.

This is a pretty decent article about how to do it.
http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/May06/dana35_ujoint_snapring.htm

 

[398HBX]

Front Axle Rebuild

I just finished rebuilding my front axle, basically doing everything that you are doing right now. I learned a lot during the process. The one thing that I noticed when you were trying to remove the upper ball joint is that you did not loosen the upper ball-joint adjuster. (Reverse King nut looking thing)It makes getting
the upper ball joint out a breeze.

Here is a link to my rebuild of the front axle. It is about 90% complete (the site, not the axle)

http://www.398hbx.com/home/gm-10-bolt-8-5-front-axle-rebuild

Hope it helps.

 

[jeff in co]

I just finished rebuilding my front axle, basically doing everything that you are doing right now. I learned a lot during the process. The one thing that I noticed when you were trying to remove the upper ball joint is that you did not loosen the upper ball-joint adjuster. (Reverse King nut looking thing)It makes getting
the upper ball joint out a breeze.

Here is a link to my rebuild of the front axle. It is about 90% complete (the site, not the axle)

http://www.398hbx.com/home/gm-10-bolt-8-5-front-axle-rebuild

Hope it helps.

Unfortunately, that known fact only occured to me AFTER I got the upper ball joint out. Oh, well.....living and learning. Provided I could turn the thing, that would have really helped!~

I did put grease on all of the ball joint sleeves but I think this is incorrect. Did you just grease the threaded insert and nothing else or did you put grease everywhere? I won't get my Spanner tool till tomorrow so I still have time to do it properly.

 

[sweetk30]

spicers non greaseable will last longer also.

joints and installed 35-40 each vary decent deal. basicly install for about free.

 

[4X4HIGH]

The one thing that I noticed when you were trying to remove the upper ball joint is that you did not loosen the upper ball-joint adjuster. (Reverse King nut looking thing)It makes getting
the upper ball joint out a breeze.

Until the upper ball joint is loose from the adjuster sleeve you CANNOT turn that sleeve.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Can someone confirm the Torque settings for the Ball Joints:

Torque Lower to: 75 ft-lbs
Torque Upper sleave to: 50 ft-lbs
Torque Upper Cotter-pin nut to: 100 ft-lbs

Also, I put some grease in the sleave threads for the upper ball joint.....

Do I want to put a coat of grease inside the upper/lower sockets and the smooth, tapered part of each of the ball joints? Or should I keep them dry?

Yes, those torque values are correct.

Grease on the threads of the sleeves will be ok.

You do not want to put any grease in the tapers for the ball joints as the taper is what grabs and will allow you to tighten the nuts and having grease there could stop the ball joint stud from grabbing and making your life harder than it has to be.