First time doing ball joints. I have an idea...

[A guy named Rick]

So yeah, going to be doing the ball joints on the 720. i don't trust them, and while out having the 8 year old tires looked at that sat for 7 years, the front driver's side stared clicking. i figure go ahead and do it, so ordered the K-series MOOG ones from Rockauto.

my question is, i know they get kind of stuck in there, would i be able to maybe use a scissor jack between the suspension arms to separate the ball joint from the hub/knuckle? obviously if i do this on the lower i need to support it because the tension from the torsion bars. what do you think?

[NC85ST]

I’ve never had a problem using a pickle fork to get them out. Sometimes I get the fork wedged in there good and then hit the threaded end with a hammer. They always pop out. My trucks are 2wd, I don’t know if yours is.

[grannyknot]

I would advise investing in dedicated ball joint tools, a pickle fork and a BFH or a ball joint separator.

 

 

[thisismatt]

Sounds like a bad idea, Steve

[A guy named Rick]

Haha was just wondering. Yeah it's a 2wd. I've heard people having trouble with pickle forks. might give it a try, or the separator.

[A guy named Rick]

when i do the tie rods, will i need to use something similar for that? i've heard i might have to.

[banzai510(hainz)]

what Granny knot posted works good

I did one and and was pretty ez. I took my time

 

 

just keep turning the nut till it explodes!!!!!!!off

Edited May 28, 2021 by banzai510(hainz)

[datzenmike]

Pickle fork fucks the rubber boot unless replacing anyway.

[A guy named Rick]

yeah just replacing whole thing. starting with ball joints, will do tie rods next and bushings. on one of my other posts someone said the lower busings in the subframe are a real PITA.

[Charlie69]

The lower CA bushings can be. I have done 3 sets and have 2 more trucks to do.  But I am in no hurry to do them.

[A guy named Rick]

everything in my suspension is either slightly rusted or caked with grease and dirt and grime. going to need a good scrub and degreasing. PB oil will be my friend too. that stuff works great. i just used some on the hood latch and i don't have to drop the hood and wake the neighborhood up anymore.

[matrophy]

Good writeup for tie rod ends and ball joints here - the url below says brake hose but he has seeveral tabs on the site:

 

https://720nissantrucks.weebly.com/front-brake-hose-replacement.html

[A guy named Rick]

lmao yeah that's about what my ball joints look like, all greasy and covered in grime. in the link you sent

Edited May 29, 2021 by A guy named Rick

[matrophy]

1 hour ago, A guy named Rick said:

lmao yeah that's about what my ball joints look like, all greasy and covered in grime. in the link you sent

On a side note - Replacing the lower control arm bushings was the hardest job I've ever done - at least in my limited time as a shade tree mechanic. I did a write up on that subject here. I used hand tools partly because that's all I have and partly because I didn't want to take chance on damaging the frame with a more violent method. I bet a torch would be helpful to get them out but putting them back easily still escapes me.

 

[bottomwatcher]

I made a similar tool. Version one used hardware store all thread. It was too soft and when it snapped it left both my hands clean of the tools I was holding and wondering wtf just happened? Version two I used hardened all thread with hardened nuts. It was a slow painful process. Anyways I took a brake hone, polished the inside of the barrel oiled it, heated it with a propane torch and had left the new bushings in the freezer over night. Went together slowly but smoothly. I bought this to do the balljoints on my 3/4 Silverado. I think it might work for bushings and U joints. Can be "rented" for free from some of the autoparts store.

[A guy named Rick]

i went ahead and bought the harbor freight one @grannyknot mentioned. looks scary the way it can shoot the ball joint out with force like i seen in a video. whatever. i bought a prybar and a dead blow hammer too. looks like it's not going to be too much issue, i just kind of wish i had bought the tie roads too and do it all at the same time.

it probably would make sense to do the bushings too wouldn't it? probably making more work for myself in the long run, but i figure bushings aren't as dire an issue as ball joints. i think 2 of the most important things on suspension you don't want breaking or separating are ball joints and wheel bearings.

[thisismatt]

Loose bushings can cause darting and death wobble, but neither are as catastrophic as losing a ball joint 😅

[A guy named Rick]

3 minutes ago, thisismatt said:

Loose bushings can cause darting and death wobble, but neither are as catastrophic as losing a ball joint 😅

My point exactly lol. i'll check them out as i'm doing the ball joints. put it this way: i can rock the front of the truck side to side by hand and make the upper joint click. scary as hell sounding when you're driving it. and this being a truck that sat 7 years that i'm getting back on the road. might as well do it right before something breaks catastrophically.

[A guy named Rick]

I will also be installing KYB Excel-G shocks up front this time instead of the Gas-A-Just i put in the rear, which i feel are too stiff but maybe stiffer might be better if I plan to be hauling some stuff in the bed of it that's going to weight it down? Idk. My old shocks in the rear were worthless. probably the original ones.

[thisismatt]

9 minutes ago, A guy named Rick said:

My point exactly lol. i'll check them out as i'm doing the ball joints. put it this way: i can rock the front of the truck side to side by hand and make the upper joint click. scary as hell sounding when you're driving it. and this being a truck that sat 7 years that i'm getting back on the road. might as well do it right before something breaks catastrophically.

I had the inside I-beam pivot bushing on my work F250 go out. It caused the beam to shift side to side, putting the wheel into a crazy toe-in/toe-out oscillation on the freeway. Felt like the front wheels were about to fly off.

[A guy named Rick]

sounds scary. i don't plan on taking this thing too fast or long distance until everything is good and safe. just around town and haul stuff to the dump. the fastest i been in it lately is 50 and that was scary because the tires developed a hop from sitting for 7 years. need new tires. i don't think they will reshape themselves.

Edited May 29, 2021 by A guy named Rick

[A guy named Rick]

ok, so do i need to grease the new ball joints before installing? and also, i have the MOOG K9045 lower (the others haven't come in yet, just one lower so far) and it has a white plastic ring. what do i do with this? also it looks like only 2 washers come with it.

[NC85ST]

Grease after you install them. The plastic ring, I’m not sure. Did it not come with the nut?

[A guy named Rick]

it cam with castle nut, pin, 4 bolts, 4 nuts, 2 washers, booth, ball joint, grease nipple, and plastic ring.
like in this link, but i got it on rock auto

https://www.carid.com/moog/front-lower-bolt-on-ball-joint-mpn-k9045.html?view=671212&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2PLB5ujv8AIVBrjICh1TyAtREAQYAiABEgL3hPD_BwE

why 2 washers?

[NC85ST]

If I’m not mistaken, the plastic washer goes on the ball joint, under the dust boot. When you remove the lower ball joint, from the lower control arm, you will understand why only 2 washers. The tension rod is held by 2 of the bolts that run through the ball joint. If I remember right, the washers go on the bolts that don’t run through the tension rod. Just pay attention when you take it apart. It’s not all that hard.