How To: Upper Control Arm / Ball Joint Replacement (Lots of Pictures)

[Flyin Brian]

Does any body know for sure , If I can put a one piece ,upper ,RH control arm on my 98
AWD 5.0 .
Local parts store only knows what the boo(or computer) tells them. They say : you can get the one piece or the two piece with torsion bar set up.

 

[CDW6212R]

Your choice, either will work.

 

[spitfiresk822]

Does anybody have the moog part numbers for the updated 1 piece design and for the other side? I've gotten myself very confused with all these different part numbers and evidently they all fit according to the amazon thing. Reason for amazon is found these parts a lot cheaper there than summit, and need them soon.
Also, stupid question, left side is drivers side and right side is passenger, am i right or way off?
Thanks

 

[spitfiresk822]

98 xlt, thanks

 

[Obeskured]

New

I haven't done work on anything before, but your help makes it fairly easy to understand. I keep hearing about Moog, is this the best UCA for the passenger side?

 

[Mike99]

That was a great "how-to". Although the drivers side UCA was the only ball joint I didn't end up replacing.
Quick question though: I have a rather nasty shudder while steering at low speeds now (driveway). I'm thinking I messed up the alignment with the 1 UCA I put in. Any thoughts? While replacing the lower ball joints, struts, and passenger side UCA (ball joint half of a 2 piece), I did disconnect the steering tire rods as well - which I assumed was necessary.
This is a '99 SOHC with 2wd.
Ball joints are either in or out right?? No in between?
I'm hoping I just need an alignment, but I'd like to rule out other options (the re-install included) before I blow more dough.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

If you replaced your suspension components, you need an alignment. The shudder you feel is air in your power steering system, I assume you turned the wheel while the truck was in the air and the engine was off. Just cycle your wheel back an forth a few times with the engine running, it should get the air out.

 

[Mike99]

Thanks for the reply. I'm think I'm good now on the shuddering issue. I think I need to replace the other UCA as well now though. It felt a little sloppy when I checked it before (although I am still learning what exactly I am checking for), but when I had it all apart, the passenger side UCA ball joint was so bad I figured it was the smoking gun - a ton of vertical play, that I figured the driver side one was OK and any play that I felt was just in my head.
But now I still hear a knocking sound when I hit bumps, although not as much as before last weeks joint overhaul.
Is there any other logical cause for a knocking noise when I hit a bump?
Everything else is either new down below, or appeared healthy. When I jack it up and try rocking the tire, it seems to have no wiggle to it.
And I'll definitely get an alignment once I am done getting dirty.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Check you sway bar links, I'd suspect that is what causes your noise over bumps.

 

[Mike99]

Ahhhh... and if one or both are the cause - they are cheap! How do you check them exactly? I'm picturing just grabbing the bars and giving them a shake to check for play?
And if it is them, can they be swapped out without a special tool... any torsion/stress issues from the sway bar... do they relent easily???

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Most are rusted solid by now- get a universal link kit at AZ or where ever you like, cut your factory ones out with a hack saw or sawzall and put the new kit on. Any slack or movement indicates failure and causes clunking.

 

[erc430]

I am having trouble getting the upper control arm ball joint into the spindle where the pinch bolt is. I tried to mini sledge it in, but it will not go all the way in. Does anyone have advice for this?
Thanks

 

[Mike99]

I am having trouble getting the upper control arm ball joint into the spindle where the pinch bolt is. I tried to mini sledge it in, but it will not go all the way in. Does anyone have advice for this?
Thanks

Is the pinch bolt completely out? I was beating up mine last week for 5 minutes, until I realized the bolt was keeping the joint from going down all the way. I guess the curve in the ball joint extension mates with the bolt - so if the bolt is in it's hole, regardless of tightened or not, it will be in the way. However, I don't remember if I had to completely remove the bolt to disconnect the UCA in the first place... that's all I got

 

[erc430]

Yes, the pinch bolt is out. I'm reassembling so I'm trying to get the upper ball joint into the spindle, so I can then put the pinch bolt in. The ball joint just won't go into the spindle hole. Any other suggestions?

 

[YountExplr]

put the spindle and uca at an outward angle from each other. like this <:navajo:
just slightly but it is what helped mine go in.

 

[CDW6212R]

That often requires a jack under the LCA to bring the spindle up enough to knock the UCA down into it. Make sure that it's all very clean with nut rust or burrs on it.

Note the UCA doesn't go all the way down in the spindle, don't hammer it down flush. The hole in the spindle must line up with the slot in the UCA.

 

[erc430]

Thanks for the input guys. I took a floor jack and put it under the LCA. I then took a metal cone and hit it with a 3lb. mini sledge into the spindle hole. After that the ball joint went right in.

 

[konaboy]

I can not get the bolt/washer out of the side closest to the door on the drivers side. It's moving, I just can't get it to clear the hard lines. I've tried pushing the arm in and out rotating the bolt and washer, moving the hard lines a little. I'm stuck and about to throw something! I got the other bolt out fine, the ball joint out of the steering knuckle with a few good whacks.

What am I doing wrong or missing? I"ve been messing with this one bolt for over 90 min!!

1997 XLT 4dr 4wd

 

[CDW6212R]

That's the toughest bolt to remove. Loosen or move those fuel and brake lines slightly, the bolt head needs to go forward of those. Be sure to push the UCA inward completely as you wiggle and spin that bolt. How the bolt is spun affects how far inward it will go. In just the right orientation the bolt does come out that way.

Also be sure to put it back in the same way, with the nuts on the outside. In the other way the nuts are nearly impossible to loosen, and the adjustment then becomes hell for the alignment guy.

 

[YountExplr]

dont feel too bad. I spent over 4 hours trying to get that bolt out and eventually needed someones help to push on those hard lines while i moved the bolt. Ah, the learning experiences!