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Doing the balljoints right this time.

colbystephens

colbystephens

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Well, I replaced my balljoints a couple years back with some cheap-o non-greasable joints. They started to go out a while back, and I'm going to replace them right this time. I don't drive the truck much, so it hasn't been a big issue, but it's getting REALLY bad/scary...

Anyway, just ordered Moog brand uppers and lowers from Rock Auto, $130 w/ shipping. Bought a damn spanner wrench socket for $18 and some change to my door... it was cheaper than the local Napa could do. Kind of irritating that it costs that much though. Going to have to buy the Harbor Freight ball joint press, which is on sale right now for $30. So, grand total at $184 and some change.

Last time I borrowed a press from a friend and borrowed a home made spanner wrench. The home made spanner wrench sucked - it slipped around and such, so I decided I may as well just suck it up and buy the right tool... That $18 should be worth saving a few 4-letter words. :D

Kind of a bummer to do this though, as I'm intending to buy a Dana 60 later this year. But, I need a good functioning truck to wheel till I can rock the 60 I guess. :doah:
 
79bonanza said:
sounds like a rookie question but whats a spanner wrench, ive never replaced ball joints lol
Click to expand...

This is a spanner socket. It is for adjusting preload on the upper ball joint on D44 4wd axles.


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http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...d=1630&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all
 
Oooh. That one's shiny! :D Here's the beauty I got...

images.ashx


You gotta use a socket on it, as it doesn't actually have a hole in the back side.
 
:D That might be a slight overstatement... but I get out when I can. :D
 
Do you already have your axle shaft sockets and locking ring socket deals? Or are you going to rent them from kragen? I rented mine, but was in a hurry, left town for the week, and didnt' return them. Rental cost was more than purchase price by the time i took them back, even with my buddies working there :doah:

I now own them all.
 
mr.smartass said:
I have all of them plus conical washer pliers. :deal::D
37985041-110x110-0-0_OTC+Otc+OTC7077+Axle+Stud+Cone+Plier.jpg


And my D44 still has a mild shimmy to it... :(
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Oh yah, colby, think you need to pick up new steering arm nuts/conical washers. On the 91 i didn't have to remove the steering arm, but i think you have to on yours.
 
Yeah, I've got the hub sockets and lock ring pliers. :) No cone washer pliers, but i won't be pulling the steering arm off - I didn't have to do that last time, anyway... I don't remember it if I did.
 
colbystephens said:
Yeah, I've got the hub sockets and lock ring pliers. :) No cone washer pliers, but i won't be pulling the steering arm off - I didn't have to do that last time, anyway... I don't remember it if I did.
Click to expand...

Sure you would have remembered if you had to.

Good luck!
 
Maybe. Since the steering arm is newish, and since I'm not in NJ or whatever, it was never a real big deal to remove it. :D A couple of whacks with the back side of an axe popped it off when I put the raised arm on it 3 or 4 years ago.
 
Crap. I never knew they had a special tool to remove those aggravating conical washers. I always just used a chisel or something to lift them up a little so I could grab them with some pliers. Took some hammer blows to loosen them up too. Oh well. Guess I should have asked around on here first. How much does a pair of those pliers cost anyway?
 
I've got them but never once used them while taking my old arm off. I just like tools.:doah::haha:

And I just disassembled my uppers without taking anything off so you should be fine.:D
 
Yeah, I replaced my upper driver's side ball joint a couple of months ago and I didn't have to remove the arm. The only reason I've ever had to take it off is because two of the studs broke and I had to take the arm off the knuckle to fix it. Don't ever reuse those locknuts, no matter how good they look. They will loosen up over time and then the studs will go BANG at the worst possible time. Ask me how I know.:o
 
andyblack said:
Crap. I never knew they had a special tool to remove those aggravating conical washers. I always just used a chisel or something to lift them up a little so I could grab them with some pliers. Took some hammer blows to loosen them up too. Oh well. Guess I should have asked around on here first. How much does a pair of those pliers cost anyway?
Click to expand...


I don't know too much about those pliers, but I borrowed a pair from a friend when I swapped the arm on mine. I didn't find that they were much more helpful than regular pliers. Then again, I am on the West Coast and it wasn't very rusty so they just popped up pretty easily.
 
Well, I think the folks at 4WP could use a lesson in reasonable packaging...

35584_1309402491447_1122138716_30698249_2512529_n.jpg


Oh well. I have all the parts I need for the project now, so I'll knock that out this weekend. :D
 
They were probably trying to make it hard for UPS to damage or lose your part. I work at a military repair depot and I'm always seeing boxes even bigger than that with all kinds of padding and packing used to ship or store one little diode or IC that could fit on your finger tip. The government's reasoning is that it's worth $5.00 of packaging material to protect a part that cost them (actually the taxpayers) a few hundred or more dollars.

Also it could have been packed by someone who couldn't find the proper sized box or just didn't care.
 
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