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D44 ball joint install questions

sponsoredbydad

sponsoredbydad

Dune Slaying Sand Junkie
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Getting ready for dune fest, decided to replace ball joints.
1. snap ring on bottom ball joint, why not top too, other than when pressed in the groove is not straight
DSCF1418.jpg

2. The spanner nut that goes on the top inside is supposed to be torqued to 50 for pre-load. Mine threads right thru by hand. are you supposed to put the ball joints on first then thread it down over to torque?DSCF1420.jpg
 
1) should be square
1a) because it's in tension (clamping) and the bottom could start moving once the top has worn a bit

2) yes, assemble it first. Usually, I go with "good enough" as to the tightening but you do need the special socket to put it together.
 
Upper ball joint is mounted right. The upper part of Knuckle is slanted to give more beef to the stud area. They make a tool to torque it properly.
 
Here's how I've always done it when I ran D44/10 bolts. Torque bottom ball joint. Torque top sleeve. Tighten top ball joint nut until knuckle turned free regardless of what that torque may be as long as it is reasonable. If your knuckles are hard to turn you will end up with sticky steering. About the same as over tightening your sector shaft in the steering box.

Make sure you start by torqueing the bottom ball joint first.
 
IIRC the GM manual states that if a scale is connected at the tie rod hole it should measure 14 lbs of pull. I picked up a cheap fish scale at the store when I did my ball joints and measured mine just to be sure. You just want the knuckle to move fairly freely.
 
rampage said:
IIRC the GM manual states that if a scale is connected at the tie rod hole it should measure 14 lbs of pull. I picked up a cheap fish scale at the store when I did my ball joints and measured mine just to be sure. You just want the knuckle to move fairly freely.
Click to expand...

X2, I forget exactly but I set my preload to 15 or 25 with a scale. Just so there's slight drag to initiate movement.
 
Well the "Might as well" bug got me BUT it just might of saved my ass down the road. I tore this thing down to replace ball joints, got the drivers side on and went to slide the axle in and thought why not look down that tube and check out the seal (Might as Well RIGHT?). Crap it was trashed, so out comes the carrier and well-well-well every bolt but 1 holding the ring gear on were hand loose, now I didn't check the torque spec yet but I'm pretty sure it ain't finger tight.
 
sponsoredbydad said:
Well the "Might as well" bug got me BUT it just might of saved my ass down the road. I tore this thing down to replace ball joints, got the drivers side on and went to slide the axle in and thought why not look down that tube and check out the seal (Might as Well RIGHT?). Crap it was trashed, so out comes the carrier and well-well-well every bolt but 1 holding the ring gear on were hand loose, now I didn't check the torque spec yet but I'm pretty sure it ain't finger tight.
Click to expand...
How bad is the carnage?
 
sponsoredbydad said:
Well the "Might as well" bug got me BUT it just might of saved my ass down the road. I tore this thing down to replace ball joints, got the drivers side on and went to slide the axle in and thought why not look down that tube and check out the seal (Might as Well RIGHT?). Crap it was trashed, so out comes the carrier and well-well-well every bolt but 1 holding the ring gear on were hand loose, now I didn't check the torque spec yet but I'm pretty sure it ain't finger tight.
Click to expand...

Depends on how girlie your grip is. :rotfl:
 
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