New ball joints and idler arm

[gearboxx70]

Got my new upper and lower ball joints and new idler arm in today! Yes, all by myself.
I went with Moog brand parts simply due to past experience. I've never had a problem with them, and they always seem to fit just like OEM.
I also got my parts from rockauto.com. This was my first order from them, and everything went well. I got the right parts the first time, and the lower ball joints were on closeout for about 12 bucks each! (Yes, I should've ordered from one of the suppliers that supports this site. I didn't due to cost. I just started a new job, and have yet to get my first check. In the future, I plan to shop the suppliers that support this great forum.)
My front cross member and suspension are from a 78 C10, so I had the press-in lower ball joints. I started out thinking I could use a large gear puller to get them out and back in... Didn't work out that way. Luckily, there's an Autozone not far from me (The ONLY parts store that "rents" out a ball joint press in town.) Not a bad deal...You buy the tool, use it, and return it for a full refund. I don't normally shop Autozone. The employees at the one near me aren't always the brightest bulbs in the pack. And I get most of my general parts from the NAPA store, which is locally owned.
So, on to the work... The upper ball joints were the factory-installed units...riveted in. I cut and 'x' in the rivets with my angle grinder to make chiseling the heads off easier.
Yes, I know this is all out of order and such. The point is, its done! Took about 4 hours, and it was done safely. (I put a chain around the coil spring and LCA just in case something slipped out of place.)
I've never done this type of repair before, and I'm thankful this forum exists to get all the knowledge and cool tricks from. The collective here can give themselves a big pat on the back!
Thanks!

[LockDoc]

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Glad to hear you got it rebuilt. It can be a real job if things don't go smoothly. I buy a lot of my parts at the local NAPA store, otherwise I have to drive 20 miles to pick them up.

Keep up the good work...

LockDoc

[gearboxx70]

And the next day... (Today)
I got it in for an alignment this afternoon. I stood by and watched while the work was done. Its how I am with my cars. If I can't do the work myself, I'm going to stand by and watch. Paranoid? Maybe. It makes me feel better.
So the the alignment was only a tad off. Driving home was odd. Felt like a whole different truck than it was a couple days ago! And that's a good thing!