[rgunlock]

When I worked on the original front axle, I did brakes, bearings, seals, etc. but didn't get deep enough into it to do ball joints. I've never done ball joints, but I had a ball joint press kit from earlier I guess, when maybe I thought I was going to change them on the original axle. So that was a major adventure.

I had the special tool for the spanner nut, but it kept slipping off with any pressure. Gave up on it and went to town - again - to get another hopefully better special tool. Nobody had one, but I did get new upper and lower ball joints for both sides. Ah ha I thought... I've got the knuckles from the 76 K5 donor that provided the axle rebuilt with 4.10s. So, I don't need to remove the knuckles from the 78 K15 axle. (BTW, the K15 ball joints seemed to be fine). I'll just put new ball joints in the 76 knuckles. Realized later that I could just beat the ball joint studs out of the "C" on the axle since its all replaced with the new ball joints. Apparently that is what I'd done years ago with the 76 axle since the spanner nuts were still in there. A shot of PB blaster and the special tool got those out. Had a time figuring out what barrels and adapters to use with the press kit - basically a different set up for upper and lower, remove and insert but got them done.