Replaceable Ball Joints?

[NPdarkside21]

I own a '99 XLT with coil spring suspension and I have already changed the lower ball joints but I'm wondering if the upper ones are replaceable. I was about to buy some new ones but the listing says coil spring upper control arm "WITH replaceable ball joint". The thing is, the passenger side has a grease fitting on the ball joint but the driver side does not. I can't tell if the passenger side has had the whole arm changed and not the driver
or
they both have replaceable ball joints.
Any advice?

 

[pjtoledo]

can you tell us where that listing is?

do you now have replaceable upper joints now?

 

[adsm08]

Look for snap rings. An arm designed with replaceable joints will have a snap ring around the top of the joint.

 

[pjtoledo]

to confuse the issue even more, NAPA lists the right upper control arm NCP 2605230 as having a pressed in ball joint.
but the left upper control arm NCP 2605231 is unitized, cannot replace the ball joint.

furthermore: NAPA PCC 104261 is a ball joint "will not fit OE arm", and NCP 2601549 says OEM, coil springs.

good luck.

 

[adsm08]

Right. The arms are different side to side. One is a one-piece, the other is a two-piece unit that had sliders for caster adjustment.

No press-in joint fits an OEM arm, because that isn't how the OEM arms are designed.

 

[pjtoledo]

lets stay with the confusing part for a while longer.

the torsion bar AKA heavy duty suspension, and 4wd had the 2 piece pass side upper control arm starting in 98 and going for a couple years. those were superseded by 1 piece arms (just like the dr side) at some point. these are longer than standard duty, and the ball stud is bigger. they don't fit coils.

the "standard duty" AKA coil springs upper control arms started in 98 as 1 piece with replaceable ball joints for each side. Ford 3V049 MCS-104261 is the current listing for the joint.
Ford shows "until 5-14-01" for those ball joints. I'm thinking that's when the upper arms went to the unitized, can't replace the joint style.

adding to the confusion,,

Ford 3V049 MCS-104261 should fit the OEM arm, but NAPA PCC-104261 says "will not fit OE arm"

for NPdarkside21 it boils down to what's on the truck now.
personally I would get the 1 piece arms which include new bushings and ball joint.


To NPdarkside 21, if you do have replaceable ball joints in those uppers I am very interested in the dimensions of the stud and the base where it presses into the hole.

 

[cbxer55]

My 98 needs to have the front end rebuilt. Been squeaky for awhile now. Got other fish to fry, and the tires aren't wearing funny. But when I do it, just going to buy all new upper and lower arms with the joints already installed. And with grease fittings if I can find them. The squeaking sucks, and if the damn things had grease fittings, I could easily stop it.

 

[adsm08]

My 98 needs to have the front end rebuilt. Been squeaky for awhile now. Got other fish to fry, and the tires aren't wearing funny. But when I do it, just going to buy all new upper and lower arms with the joints already installed. And with grease fittings if I can find them. The squeaking sucks, and if the damn things had grease fittings, I could easily stop it.

Get a needle greaser and drill a 1/8" hole in the top of the joint, add grease, and cover over with RTV when done. It isn't great for a long-term solution, but it will shut the squeaking up for now, while you fry your other fish.

 

[91stranger]

I have a 1999 and I have been looking at complete kits from ebay for around $108. These have both inner and outer tie rods, lower ball joints and the top control arm with the ball joint already installed. So from my understanding is the upper ball joint is replaced with the control arm. Might as well since the control arm has rubber bushings that can deteriorate over time. That is how mine is but you just need to get under there and look around the fittings for snap rings or a castle nut. If the ball joint is replaceable by itself then it should be obvious.