2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission ball joint nightmare help!!

[KCraft]

me and a buddy of mine are trying to replace the ball joints on his 02 4x4, and needless to say cant get them out. :{ we have a bj press but they wont budge. we beat the sh** out of them, tried everything we can come up with!! any ideas??? this is insane. the spinlde/bearing assembly was an act of congress as well. help. worst project ever. #@$%!

 

[DieselDoghouse]

I feel your pain and hopefully more help will follow mine. Since I believe the ball joints are just in the knuckles (now off the truck) have you tried fire?? Heat and cool may crack rust loose. Then soak in penetrating oil. Using a stout ball joint press, tighten like h*ll and slam with a hammer, the impact may start it moving. I didn't have these issues with the ball joints but the hubs!! My advise is lotsa never-seize when you reassemble hubs to spindle and bolts/nuts on all—it made this job a piece of cake for me in August (240K)

 

[DieselDoghouse]

ALSO FORGOT! Take your time to clean off the axle shafts and have two people to slide them in like you're grooming a porcupine (carefully) wipe out any oil in the axle tube you possibly can, Because is you nick/crack a seal (or knock the garter spring loose) you'll have a nice new leak!! Stagnant oil in the tube from service will mimic an actual leak and give you the heart attack anyway.

 

[fox]

I had to cut the ball joints on mine, take the entire assembly to a press. I don't remember exactly but it was something like 15,000 or 19,000 lbs. to get them out. !!!! 01's and 02's are fitted tighter from the factory for some reason.

I then fitted the new ones and used an anti-seaze compound for the next round.

 

[wcjp]

Use lots of antiseize on metal to metal surface of the unit bearings when installing. The next time you get in there they'll easily fall out. Can't help on the ball joints.

 

[sfritts]

20 ton press and heat, be careful hot grease is a nasty burn. I replaced mine in the 98 couple of years ago. I used most of the " bad words doing it, and it took 2 days to do it. I now have greasable ones in it and they get lots of grease and often, ( every time I change the oil)

 

[rkressg]

Cut the Ball Joints off with a torch to get the knuckle out of the way. Beat the hub bearing out with a 12lb hammer (you will need new bearings), being careful not to break the knuckle (I now own a new knuckle on the passenger side).

Use the large C-Clamp style ball joint tool, a large ratchet, a 10' pipe, and two big guys. On the bottom, make certain you remove the snap ring from the top of the BJ. Setup the clamp to push down, and get it as tight as you can with the ratchet. Now, using the 10' pipe, keep tightening until you can not move the ratchet. Get a second person, and both pull on the ratchet. Once the C-Clamp tool bends to a point where it looks like it is going to explode (stand back), if you are lucky, the BJ will all the sudden blow out the bottom.

When you replace, grease or anti-seize everything. On the knuckle, take a angle grinder with scotch-brite pads, and thoroughly remove all the rust from where the hub mounts. The hub should freely move around inside the knuckle. Anti-seize this thoroughly before reinstalling.

 

[Rattlin_Ram]

Mine where rusted in from midwest salt and I just used a baljoint press... and PB blaster... . Broke one cheap ball joint press I had, then went and rented one from Autozone or someplace...



Soak 'm with PB blaster, it works! Crank down the ball joint press as far as you can.

Smack the top with a hammer a few times.

then repeat until they come out... .

Mike took about 2 days of the above until I finally got all of them out...



Soak, crank, smack... it worked on mine anyway... .

 

[rkressg]

Did you ever get the ball joints changed?