Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) How bad is changing the upper and lower ball joints?

[Sticks]

I am a diesel engine specialist. Of all the trucks that I have worked on, I have never done any front end/steering/suspension work.



I recently had the unfortunate experience doing upper and lower ball joints on a '03 2wd Chevy 1 ton at work, without the proper tools. Coming out was easy enough once I scabbed together the components for extraction. Going in was enough to make me want to quit and find another employer.



I have an '02 3500 4wd. I know I need upper and lower ball joints on the left, right side may be shot as well. May as well replace the other known weak components with the proper stuff and get that alignment done that has needed done for the last 4 years (has a moderate pull to the right - probably where I am loosing 2-3 MPG).



Just how bad is this job going to be?



Shopping list of upgraded parts and source?



Special tools I should or need to get?



Say "Screw it. " and take it to a shop and pay someone to do it?



All suggestions and references are greatly appreciated!!



Oh yeah... Any one in the Denver CO area know of any shops that have the Dodge Ram alignment down to a science? I have read many a report of alignment shops just can not get the front end done right.

 

[Batphreak]

I didn't think the job on mine was all that bad. The worst part is generally dealing with parts all rusted together (hubs into knuckles, ball joints into knuckles, etc. ). To aid with that I started soaking everything I was taking apart with PB Blaster about a week before I was going to do the job. I didn't have much problem getting everything apart. I used a regular press and made some sleeves with tube laying around the shop to press out the old ones and get the new ones in. Also, since everything was apart that far I went ahead and replaced the axle u-joints, worst part of that was doing the seals 2 weeks later because those old brittle seals always start leaking after you put the axles back in. Overall it took me a whole Saturday. If you're a bit more experience than I am it should go a bit quicker. I've heard the good big ball joints presses work well, I believe most of the cheap ones aren't big enough, at least from what I"ve been told. I thought mine went all right with the hydraulic press, as long as you have have decent size (2" or so) tube laying around you can use for pressing.

 

[tractionengines]

I started working on mine when they were needed a few years ago... i couldn't get the hub assemblies out of the knuckles, after 4-5 hours of "getting nowhere" I put it back together and took it to the shop.



The machanic there said they were some of the hardest to get out he has ever seen... . I had him put some neverseize on them just in case I need to change them again, I hope they are a little easier.



Mike

 

[DSeamans]

Do it - all

I just did mine 2 weeks ago. I did the hubs, ball joints and axle u-joints. I knew I'd tear the hubs up getting them out and found some lifetimes on e-bay for $200 each. I bought a $59 tool from Harbor freight for the ball joints. They were the easiest part. The most important tool was the fire wrench! On the joints, I heated the cap enough to melt wax. Like soldering pipes, the capillary action sucks the melted wax in and they popped right out. The hubs I really cooked to get the wax where it had to go and then beat the heck out of them with a mall. I knew 200k miles in the salt would make them near impossible to get out. Putting it back together was quick. Cleaned everything real well and coated with oil then tapped em in. I probably spent 7 hrs and $650 to do what I know would have been over $1500 to pay someone.



Dave

 

[vahunters]

Dseamans,
I spent $1,500 at the dealer ship for just one side. You saved yourself a heap of money.
How did you use the wax to pop the parts out?? what kind of wax did you use?

 

[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.

 

[DSeamans]

Hubs

Steve, I tried the steering method for quite a while and all I did was bust the pump from trying harder and harder. I even tried a porta-power after the pump broke and couldn't get it out.



I use old fashioned canning wax. It comes in a box about 2. 5"X2. 5"X3". Its in 1/2" thick chunks. You can even use candles. You just heat it up enough to melt the wax good. On nuts and bolts, heat the bolt red hot and then melt the wax in after it cools some. I've done this on exhaust bolts that wouldn't come out with an impact and afterward they spun out with a ratchet.



Dave