i've looked and can't find out how! HELP!

[beaujt]

i took my truck in for an alignement, found out that i've got a bad lower driver side ball joint. I've got it down to the knuckle but i can't get the knuckle off! Shaft is out(found a broke grease zirk too on the u-joint), the only thing still on is the knuckle. i'm re-packing bearings too while i've got everything out, but the knuckle is giving me grief A LOT of grief. I have the bushing up top off, and the nut off the lower ball joint... i thought it was supposed to come off after that.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Thread the lower balljoint nut back on a couple of threads to keep it from landing on the floor when it does come off.

Grab a big hammer (48oz ballpein, mini sledge, etc) and hit the knuckleright where the lower balljoint goes through it. Its just a press tapered fit, it will let go. Just gotta hit it harder.

 

[beaujt]

yeah, i went back out, and got a bigger hammer! Had to smack it pretty good to get it off, but ol well. I got it off now, and both the ball joints are out of the knuckle(figured i'd replace both while i got it out) but now im waiting on the upper ball joint. they had to special order it. Sucks, but i'm gonna get em pressed on, my cousin has a press

 

[beaujt]

i ended up doing it all myself cause the frickin tire place wanted 150 to do the lower ball-joint(just the one) and then another 250 to re-pack the wheel bearings with grease! I busted out laughing at the counter hahaha... i bought all the parts for like 45(grease, upper and lower ball joints, and seals).

 

[4x4junkie]

$45 for all 4 balljoints?? You get decent ones? Cheap ones don't last very long.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

I got 3 years out of my last set of 'chassis pro' balljoints. They were $8 each my cost through work. Can't go wrong for that price.

 

[beaujt]

$45 for all 4 balljoints?? You get decent ones? Cheap ones don't last very long.

hahaha no that was for 2 ball joints grease and a couple seals. I ended up needing to get anothe seal too cause when i pulled the driver side shaft out, the inner seal was toast. Then my dad decided to blast some air inside the beam there and spit a bunch a dirt inside frickin sucked!

They've got the grease zirk on em so i figured i'd be ok for a while. but if they do go bad again i'll order some moog? ball joints... as i read about em on here being the best after i already got mine.

 

[4x4junkie]

Spicer Pro-Series are actually best, but Moog makes a decent joint too (just their grease boots suck... Mine split along the sides after a mere 6 months and I now have a bad joint because of it )

 

[beaujt]

spicer huh, well when these ones go bad i'll put those in then. I'm just waiting till i got another weekend to take off the knuckle(passenger side). I've already got the parts for it though. The seals have been the real problem though, keep finding a bad one grrr! how long did ya have the Moog joint on there?

 

[4x4junkie]

It's been about 4 years I guess. I just keep pumping a ton of grease through it (passengerside lower) each time, but it's finally getting to the point where it's starting to clunk when bouncing through rocks offroad so I'll probably have to get to replacing it sometime soon.


I put the good Spicers on my Ranger some 6 years ago, they're still just as tight as brand new (was checking it about a month ago while rotating the tires around). The Spicers come with urethane rather than rubber boots.

 

[beaujt]

6 years is awhile, do ya hit a lot of mud at all with your rig?

 

[4x4junkie]

No, I generally try to avoid mud just for the reason it sucks all the life out of your vehicle's moving parts.

 

[Ranger44]

Check out rockauto.com if the price of the spicer (or Napa Brand) ball-joints scare you. They are like $26 instead of $46ea.

And, yes, I'd have to agree with junkie about mud.

 

[beaujt]

hmm, i didn't think it'd mess up your parts that bad haha... but then again i'm still 19 years young haha(almost 20 in like 2 weeks). So i guess i better stop hitting the mud too much.

 

[beaujt]

Check out rockauto.com if the price of the spicer (or Napa Brand) ball-joints scare you. They are like $26 instead of $46ea.

And, yes, I'd have to agree with junkie about mud.

yeah i'll do that. i've just gotta wait till these ones go bad first as i'm about to have replaced all 4 for kicks and giggles. the passenger sides are cracking pretty bad(might do tie-rods and drag-link) too as those are damn near shot too. haha good think i'v got a lifetime alignement!