Front End Rebuild, Need Help

[farmall]

Ok, guys. I am going to sound like a moron for a minute here. I am getting ready to buy my new Upper/Lower balljoints. My buddy is going to install them in his garage. Everyplace I look for them wants to know if it has the 3,830 & 4,000lb axle or if does not. My trucks is a D350, I don't see a axle under it. So I assume it does not. Am I missing something, because this comes up under the 2wd section everytime?



Also are mine pressed in or threaded in?



Bill

 

[quilbilly]

I just did mine on a 1993 D250. It should say on the sticker on the door post what axle it has and you are right there is no axle, just the spindle. I got Moug ones from Rock Auto for considerable less than the local NAPA. The top one is threaded, it is a right handed thread, mine was so tight I was wondering if it was left handed. You need a 2 1/8" square socket, I welded one up out of a piece of 2" square tubing, I put 1/8" spacers on two sides of the square and then welded 1/4X1" flat bar to make the square. I was too cheap to buy the Snap-on socket plus where I live there is only a minimart that sells gas so I am not sure when I would have got it. I then used a big cresent wrench to turn it. Make sure when you put it back together you don't cross thread it as the pitch is very low. I turned it back and forth a lot to make sure. The bottom one is pressed in, I replaced all the bushings at the same time so I pressed them out and in off the truck. I get my truck back from the frame shop tomorrow, so I am excited, I saw them straighten it and saw how they line everything up so I am hopeful it is somewhere near what it used to be. Todd

 

[dpuckett]

Bill,

you are right, we dont have a front axle proper, but it is the 3800/4000# option in the parts store computer; at least mine was. I had to use an impact and run the compressor down 3 times before the uppers came off mine, but I was also using my neighbor's weinie compressor; nothing like what I grew up with on the farm. Lowers just require a hand press, which I rented from AutoZone, and had to do some slight tweaking to get it to work. They didnt notice, though.



Daniel

 

[JDMills]

Bill,

I replaced the top ball joints, with the 4000 Lbs. parts. Had to make a socket, like Todd did. suprised myself that it would work, under the strain of removing the ball joint. Whew! Broke my 1/2 inch flex handle breaker bar. (craftsman... ) some day I will invest in a impact gun. sure I did a couple of things the long hard way. but it is back together. I also had to adapt the ball joint press that I used. I think it did not have enough of a span to completely seat the bottom ball joint, so I used some kind of 1/4 inch milled steel plate. Not much fun, as It took me about two whole days to replace three joints. Good luck.

 

[CDegner]

JD,

I just gotta ask ... why would you only replace 3 when you were that far into it?

Carl

Originally posted by JDMills

Not much fun, as It took me about two whole days to replace three joints. Good luck.

 

[Greenleaf]

I'm thinking I'd much rather pay someone the $230 to do it for me as opposed to wrestle with all this.

I have to replace king pins/leaf springs in buses and want no part of it on the weekend.

Besides, I have to take the truck to the shop anyhow for an alignment afterwards. Might just as well take it there for the "whole shebang"

-S

 

[farmall]

Originally posted by Greenleaf

I'm thinking I'd much rather pay someone the $230 to do it for me as opposed to wrestle with all this.

I have to replace king pins/leaf springs in buses and want no part of it on the weekend.

Besides, I have to take the truck to the shop anyhow for an alignment afterwards. Might just as well take it there for the "whole shebang"

-S

Good luck finding a shop to do it for $230. Every shop I have talked to, will not touch it for less than 8 hours of labor. That is just to replace upper, lowers, tie rod ends, springs, and shocks. I know my buddy and I can do it. He does this stuff everyday. I just need to get all the parts before hand. Which I have my list made up and will be getting shortly.



Bill