92 4x4 Ball Joints

[sumncguy]

Ok fellas, its back in .. Ill share some pics later.

The refresh went ok. Not to bad for a Sr. Network Engineer. We will see over time. I didnt rush .. One side one part at a time so that I could use the other side for reference if I needed to. Problem with that approach was that I really couldnt use the opposite side as an example because both sides were so hosed up. Missing parts or other items.

The steering is very much more tight now at least on the stands.

A few lessons learned if having to ever do it again ...

1. I would get the front end up on a bench. Man my 58 year old body is sore from the constant up and down. Knees are killing me ! Would have been much easier on a bench.
2. I would put it back in 3 pieces, left side, right side, then the Radius Arm cross member.
3. I would get help from at least one other body. Took me 3 hours on Saturday to get all the holes to line up. Item 2 above would probably helped. .. little frustrating .. maybe .. on a hole .. I would be 1/8 of an inch off .. get up .. go to an opposite side raise a jack or block, come back and look .. 1/4 off in another direction .. that kind of thing. But I finally got it.

There is only a few more things I need to do. Install pins .. use white nail polish to draw a line on all the bolts so I can easily see if they loosen later on. Use the measurement thing and camber adjust to try to get it aligned enough to get it to the shop for a proper alignment about 10 miles away.

Few things I have to figure out. The outer spindle nut is supposed to be torqued to 150 ft lbs. My digital torque wrench only goes to 80 ft lbs. There are also 3 washers that are supposed to go on the end of the spindle that the c clip holds in to keep the spindle from being sucked inward. I cant see where there will be enough room to put them on. Maybe when properly torqued there will be room. This might be why the 4x4 wasn't engaging.

Next step in this process is certainly the wheels. Again .. Ive had plenty of 4x4 ..but none ever lifted like this. I think we are talking somewhere near a 7" lift. 3 body 4 suspension. Please correct me if Im wrong.

Thinking a 15x8 or 15x10 16 inch rim should fit .. Headed over to the wheels and tires section where Ive already started a few queries.


Edited .. Sorry forgot the entire parts list ...

New shock dampeners,
New L and R inner tie rods.
New L and R outer tie rods,
New upper and lower ball joints,
New rotors,
Junk yard spindle to replace the one with jammed race (and bearing that was totally wasted just not there),
New spindle bearings and seals
New wheel bearings and seals
New (and proper) spindle nuts and washers
New Radius arm bushings
New I beam (pivot) bushings
New steering gear and hoses
New forward u joint for forward drive shaft.
All unreachable nuts torqued to .. well .. Haynes spec.

Dropped parts thoroughly degreased and cleaned.

Anything reachable under the truck thoroughly cleaned (but could use a second pass)

Power steering pump drained, new fluid and purged of air.
Front differential also drained and fluid added.

 

[Shran]

I always separate the two sides of the axle when I pull them... it's just way easier than trying to wrestle all those moving pieces around. Didn't click in my head that you were removing the whole axle or I would have suggested that.

I don't ever torque the outer spindle nut and some here have suggested that 150 ft/lbs is not tight enough anyway. I just get it as tight as I possibly can with a breaker bar.

The three washers thing...... on your truck there should only be one washer and one C clip on the axle shaft. Older trucks had two washers and a bearing but yours does not. Sometimes you have to pry the axle shaft out (between the knuckle and beam, where the U joint is) to get enough space to put both on. Technically they are not necessary, 4 wheel drive will function without them, but it keeps the axle shaft centered so that the U joint doesn't bind up.

I would stick with 15x8 wheels at most on your rig. 15x10s will fit but they really put a lot of stress on your wheel bearings and as you are now aware, they are not designed particularly well to begin with... most other 4x4s have a lot more space between the bearings to spread out the load and will handle 10" wide wheels just fine but our trucks will not.

 

[SenorNoob]

I bought a torque wrench for the inner nut. Found it to be useless. If set by the specs it was so loose the rotor would move in and out.

The outer one, I just torque as tight as possible with without stripping the "tooth" off the lock washer.

 

[sumncguy]

Bottom is coming out .. top is going back in.

Thanks alot for all the help and comments guys !!