Front ball joint question/ help please

[ChevyDude]

I am changing out the front spindals and springs, going with ECE 2.5" drops and Ground Force 2" drop springs. I've got the springs out and the spindals off and was wondering is there anyway to change out all the rubber around the ball joints? Should I replace the ball joints on the upper and lower control arms? If so how do you remove the ball joints, aren't those big rivets? I want to put new rubber between the tie rods and sway bar,,,where should I buy it? I am going to have the control arms soda blasted so maybe it would be a good time to replace the ball joints or if I can just replace the rubber bag that holds the greese??? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Sweet72]

I'd replace 'em now if you still have the orig. riveted on uppers. Just drill out the rivet head and punch the rivets out. On the lower ball joint, have a auto machine shop press them out if you don't want to buy the removal and installation kit. The replacement upper comes with four bolts to replace the rivets and the new lowers will have to be pressed in. Good luck...

[Tx Firefighter]

If you're going to have the arms blasted, deifinitely replace them. The blast media will infiltrate the joint and cause real, real rapid wear.

Sweet gave you the straight skinny on replacing them.

Only thing I'd offer on that is that drilling the rivets out on the old upper ball joints has never really worked very well for me. I use an electric angle grinder to grind the heads of the rivets off and punch the shanks out.

If you don't have a grinder, you can pay anywhere from 15 dollars to 100 dollars. The cheap ones seem to work pretty well for most casual hobbiests. I got several years of hard work, like building trailers, out of my first 15 dollar cheapie before I replaced it with a good'n.

[Sublvr72]

agreed, replace the ball joints while you have access to them, grind off the rivets and bolt a new one in. the lower has to be pressed out and you press a new one in.