03 4x4 lower ball joint removal question | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

03 4x4 lower ball joint removal question

ostrowski2003

New Member
Joined
June 9, 2012
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
when removing the lower ball joint does the ball joint come out of the lower control arm or is it all one unit?

in the book it says you have to buy the lower ball joint and control arm as one unit but why would they sell just the lower ball joint?
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





You should be able to take the lower ball joint independently. I have read that the B.J. & control arms should be removed/replaced as a unit, for the life of me I cannot explain-
 






when removing the lower ball joint does the ball joint come out of the lower control arm or is it all one unit?

in the book it says you have to buy the lower ball joint and control arm as one unit but why would they sell just the lower ball joint?


The lower ball joints can be removed by themselves and replaced (had mine done last year at a shop that way), it is the upper ball joints where some will recommend that you replace the whole upper control arm with a new one and the new upper ball joint already pressed into it from the parts supplier. The uppers can also be replaced by themselves (seperated from old control arm) if one wants to do that, but most of the recommendations I have seen, say to replace the whole upper control arm unit as one piece. Supposedly it's an easier repair job to just replace the whole upper control arm.
 






i just replaced the fronts upper/lower arms. The lower ball is held by a snap ring so i would expect it to be replaceable by itself. I just went with the complete assembly, you get new rubber all the way around. Some of the old bushings seem rather dry, one was kinda mushroomed out. It did improve the ride and with the mileage and years on it it seemed worth it imo. I do plan on keeping it for a few more years if i can.
 






i replaced both lower front ball joints on my '03 XLT. Pressed the old ones out using a loaner tool and pressed the new ones is. PITA but it can be done.
 






i replaced both lower front ball joints on my '03 XLT. Pressed the old ones out using a loaner tool and pressed the new ones is. PITA but it can be done.

Did you remove the CV drive axle from the hub or were you able to get to the lowers without removing?
 






Back
Top