2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Ball Joints...Can they be done at home?

[klaybus]

I've got 215k miles on my truck & the front end is starting to get pretty sloppy when I'm on the freeway. My tires on the front have yet to show any signs of poor alignment but the frontend is feeling pretty loose at 60 mph. I'm thinking with the miles I have on the truck, the uppers & lowers may be shop along with the tie-rods & god knows what else... .

I know nothing about front-ends but am fairly mechanically inclined so how tough are front-ends to work on? My goal would be to change out the front-end parts & then take it to a shop for an alignment.



Clay

 

[kenny61]

Yes you can do it at home, many of us here have. Along with basic tools and a big hammer you are gonna need a press or ball joint press. IF not the big hammer will work
Have fun getting the hubs off...

 

[SKuyper]

Semper Fi Kenny61 !!! Klaybus might need a big posilock gear puller to get the hubs off... I had to use one to get the last one I did off I used an OTC ball joint press... my BFH wasnt big enough.

 

[SKuyper]

I've got 215k miles on my truck & the front end is starting to get pretty sloppy when I'm on the freeway. My tires on the front have yet to show any signs of poor alignment but the frontend is feeling pretty loose at 60 mph. I'm thinking with the miles I have on the truck, the uppers & lowers may be shop along with the tie-rods & god knows what else... .

I know nothing about front-ends but am fairly mechanically inclined so how tough are front-ends to work on? My goal would be to change out the front-end parts & then take it to a shop for an alignment.



Clay

You might just have a wore out track bar too... jack up your truck on concrete and have a helper pry up between the floor and the tire with a big pry bar to see if you can get any movement out of the ball joints. If there's no movement... look at the track bar... they are notorious for wearing out on our trucks and when they get real bad, it will cause what is known as the "death wobble"... . the right side is attached to the axle and the left side is attached to the frame with what looks like a tie rod joint with a grease fitting in it... that joint can get really lose and make your truck wander all over the place.....

 

[kenny61]

2 sets ago I cut the joints with a torch and popped the hubs out with a press

 

[SKuyper]

If he has to replace the joints... with over 200k on it... I'd seriously look into replacing the front bearing/hubs anyhow... While he's there

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

There's an easy way to get the hubs out without trashing them either. First you soak everything down with penetrant the night before (I used PB Blaster) then you get down to where it's time to remove the hub (take all 4 of the bolts out of the back side of the hub). Take 2 14mm x 1. 5 x 6 inch long grade 8 bolts and screw them into the back side of the hub on opposite sides (front bottom, and back top for example). Then you start the truck up, turn the steering knuckle (by hand - it'll turn easy if both tires are off the ground which they have to be) until the bolt is contacting the axle housing - you may need to put a socket or something in there as well. Then you just turn the steering wheel slightly and use the power steering to push the hub out. Turn it to the right slightly and then turn the knuckle the other direction until the bolt is contacting the housing (again use a socket if necessary). Turn the steering wheel slightly to push it out again. Go back and forth until the hub is pushed out. I did it this way on my 2nd gen with 230,000 miles and 8 Michigan winters worth of salt and corrosion and I got my hub out in about 3 minutes. You can't damage the hub this way because your pushing it out on the back side and aren't touching the bearing.

 

[SKuyper]

That's pretty slick Steve !!! Anything to save that $300 hub and bearing assy !

 

[monkeyman]

I loosened all four bolts about 3/4 inch, went and smacked each one cross way with a hammer, popped them loose in about 5, use anti seize on new ones
Rick

 

[Tinman]

Steve, that's one of the top 5 coolest mech tricks i've ever seen. Beats the heck out of using a hammer like it did.



You can get the tools you need (as well as parts) from quad 4x4. They also have a video on how to do it.



If you going to do bjs, do u joints and hubs at the same time. No since in tearing apart the front end twice for no reason.