Lower Ball Joint - testing my patience - picts

[Shugalou]

Hi Guys,

I'm prepping to install my 4/6 drop and I'm rebuilding my lowers and I'm trying to figure out how to get these SOBs out.

I have taken a grinder to them wacked on them, put heat and nothing yet.

It looks at though there is a collar that holds it on.

Does anyone have any insight? Am I on the right path or have I totally frigged this up?

I originally gave these to a shop to do but they sat on the job and told me at least another week and 200 bucks so I'm trying this out on my own.

Thanks

[Shugalou]

Damn just watched a youtube vid and I was way off with the removal of this...rookie mistake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj5P7enwTU0

[truckin 79]

Wow I am suprised you were able to get the center out of the ball joint like that. You can rent that tool from Autozone that was featured in the youtube video. Pressing them in is a little harder with that tool but is possible. You could save yourself time and take off lower control arm and just take to shop and have them press it in for you

[Shugalou]

Yeah I was persistent.

After renting this tool from Canadian Tire it came out so easily I could have done it in the parking lot.


Now onto the bushings

[Pontiac1976]

Just the same was, just in reverse for putting back in. bushing ball joints.
Glad you got them out.

[Bears63]

I rented that tool from my local O'Reilly's to do the ball joints when I had my '71. Then I bought it. Handy thing. Actually did the ball joints in the parking lot of my apartment building on a Saturday morning.

[Jstock85]

Did mine a few months back. They weren't as crusty as yours so I got one out with a 3lb hammer and used that same tool for the other. The tool is def the way to go!!

[Jstock85]

Originally Posted by Pontiac1976

Just the same was, just in reverse for putting back in. bushing ball joints.
Glad you got them out.

Yes!! and use the same tool to press the new ones back in.

[Shugalou]

I got the problem solver moog replacements so when I get to that point I'll figure out how to put them in...it looks like you have to drill them in though.

I wrestled with the bushings for a couple of hours and decided to take it to another shop that specialized in restorations. I drilled, torched banged with a hammer and those suckers weren't moving.

[Shugalou]

Well looks like I'm getting raked over the coals with my bushing replacement.

$254.35 to take the old bushings out, it took them 3 hours and had never done it before...some classic car restoration shop...must have been a slow day for them.

[old Rusty C10]

I have a 14 ram 2500 and bent two of those kits for the ball joints.. one was a chinacrap and the other was a matco one... wound up torching them until the ball popped (sounded like a gunshot) and then we were able to press out the old ones and that was on the lowers truck has 116K on it

[Jstock85]

Originally Posted by Shugalou

Well looks like I'm getting raked over the coals with my bushing replacement.

$254.35 to take the old bushings out, it took them 3 hours and had never done it before...some classic car restoration shop...must have been a slow day for them.

I just about refuse to spend that much at a shop unless i absolutely cannot do the work myself. after i finished all my front suspension, steering and brakes I took truck to firestone for front end alignment paying the $96 bucks had me feeling bad!! I got poly control bushings for $60 from parts geek and ball joint for $20 from rock auto, rented the tool from orielly and just fought it till i got it done. It did take awhile and i had to walk away a couple times but eventually got it finished.

[cooperhw]

I took mine to a local shop and he charged me $100 to push em in and out. After buying the ball joints and bushings and paying to have em pushed in the $250 each for new lower control arms (complete) from Rock Auto doesn't seem too bad now.

[Jstock85]

Originally Posted by cooperhw

I took mine to a local shop and he charged me $100 to push em in and out. After buying the ball joints and bushings and paying to have em pushed in the $250 each for new lower control arms (complete) from Rock Auto doesn't seem too bad now.

That crossed my mind also but I wanted to do the work myself to learn how all that works.

[Honest Bob]

I find that when doing any bushings or pressing heat is your friend.

[TrailerTrash]

Its funny how different these trucks can be. When i did the ball joints on my C10 last summer the bottom ones took me a whole 10 minutes each. had one of those ball joint kits they popped right out with a good bit of pressure then i popped the new ones right in.

one of the top ones took me longer than both the bottoms combined God bless air chisels

[SkinnyG]

When MOOG offers a "Problem Solver" part - buy it: they are fixing an inherent problem, and it's a wise purchase.

The new ball joint ~should~ go it just fine with that kit.

The same ball joint kit often goes on sale at Princess Auto. Current retail is $109, I might have paid $60 a number of years ago.

Doing all poly bushings on a vehicle usually takes me 6 to 8 hours. I usually use an Oxy-Acetyelene torch to burn out the rubber, or if I don't have a torch, a drill and a LOT of patience. A hydraulic press is VERY handy for putting the new bushings in, and Princess Auto has a 12Ton that usually goes on sale for about $135 (retail $189).

Often, I will buy the tool to do it myself, if the tool even approaches the labour to pay someone else to do it for me. Then the tool has paid for itself, and the rest of the jobs are free!

One of my mottos: "I can pay a professional to screw it up, or I can screw it up myself for free."

[TrailerTrash]

Originally Posted by SkinnyG

Often, I will buy the tool to do it myself, if the tool even approaches the labour to pay someone else to do it for me. Then the tool has paid for itself, and the rest of the jobs are free!

Interesting. I like how you put it I never thought about it like that before.