Balljoints wont come out! need to get to work.

[GooseR]

ok, ive been up since 9 this morning working on my lower balljoint and ive bent 2 presses already. Rented another from autozone, have it set up like http://www.haroh.com/explorer/ball_joint.html and it looks like its starting to bend again, so i stopped and here i am. I tried the way it sayd on the instructions but no luck. i lubed them early this morning and through out the day. i broke a breaker bar and a 1/2" rachet. ive been using 2"piping as a lever to make it easier. what can i do? i have to be done in 1.5 hours! thanks

 

[huskyfan23]

Can't believe your bending all those things! Bring the knuckles to a shop to get the balljoints pressed out and the new ones pressed in. I wish I would've done that, instead I spent a half hour per side just using the press, but it never bent.

 

[etc]

Make sure you using the right sized cup, and make sure the cup is sitting OUTSIDE the lip of the balljoint on the underside. When I did mine I was having the same problem, I was using a 3 foot pipe for leverage, me and papa dukes were both trying to turn it and it wouldnt budge. That's because the cut was sitting on the lip of the balljoint and was pushing on it self.


I'm amazed you bent the press. Most people that can't get em out resort to hammering them out and that works. They should not take as much force as your putting into them unless they're welded on. Make sure you grease the thread of the press and spray the hell out of the balljoint with PB buster or a rust penetrator.

On this picture it shows the stock balljoint on the right side:

Notice the lip on it toward the "top" of the balljoint. I'm 100% percent sure your receiver cup is pressing on that instead of the lower control arm. Make sure the cup sits outside of it.

And for the sake of clarification your press should be set up like this for removal:

 

[GooseR]

HAHHAHHAHA, thanks Etc, and husky, i had the wrong size cup, thanks guys!

 

[GooseR]

ok, how do i know if the bj isw in all the way?

 

[etc]

If there's enough room to put on the retainer clip, it's good.

 

[410Fortune]

well on the lower you can put the snap ring on it

 

[97BlackX5.0]

if you still have problems support the a-arm with a floor jack... then get a 10 pound sledge and hit the top of the balljoint till it pops out... thats what i did... had em out in about 5 mins.... then to put it back in get a bottle jack and jack up on the joint so that its lined up to go in the hole... then get the sledge and hit on the a-arm till its all the way back in.... i suggest earplugs

 

[Xzibit A]

if you still have problems support the a-arm with a floor jack... then get a 10 pound sledge and hit the top of the balljoint till it pops out... thats what i did... had em out in about 5 mins.... then to put it back in get a bottle jack and jack up on the joint so that its lined up to go in the hole... then get the sledge and hit on the a-arm till its all the way back in.... i suggest earplugs

ill agree with you on beating it out with a bug hammer, thats how we do it at the dealership, BUT DO NOT install it as you said that will put alot of stress on the new joint and cause premature wear.

 

[EBInterceptor]

Hahaha, that's a long time to spend on one joint! Nobody is perfect, and the simplest problems can cause the biggest headaches!

Edit: P.S. - I bet autozone loves you right now.

 

[GooseR]

lol, thanks guys, i finally got it out and the new one in. just not in time for work. thanks tho

 

[johnv45]

ball joints

What made you find that you had bad ball joints. I have a 97, but it drives fine except for a banging noise when I hit a bump in the road. johnv45

 

[97BlackX5.0]

you have to jack up the front end without unloading the front suspension... if you unload the suspension it pinches the joints and even if they are bad you wont feel the movement

 

[Black Mammoth]

Can't you also use a pickle fork? I'm not sure about the X, but I'm used to using something like this on other cars....especially for outer tie rods.