In article <45382448.10104@aol.com>, SilverEightynine@aol.com (Terrible Tom)
writes:
>
>
> With everything I have done to my cars and trucks - believe it or not...
> I've never changed ball joints on anything. I am attempting to change
> Christines ball joints, and I know what to do, but seem to lack to tools
> to do it with. I picked up a ball joint press for the lowers... but the
> uppers are threaded into the control arm.
>
> I measured and the ball joint measures 2 1/18th across. There seem to
> be no balljoint tools suited to this task that I can find. And a large
> box wrench in that size would cost me over $150!! Anyone have any
> suggestions? There has to be a socket or a spanner wrench out there for
> this. I could use a pipe wrench? But thats not my first choice.
I did the balljoints on my 92 not too long ago. I had to buy the special
socket. Best price I could find was Amazon of all places. Ran me about $35
shipped. I'll look tonight for the part number. It was 3/4" drive as previously
mentioned. I went to Harbor Freight and picked up a 3/4" drive set for $30 and
used it. Quality on the HF was crappy though, so I returned it. Next time I'll
just get an adapter for my 1/2". If it breaks I just run to Sears for a new one
for free!
I did have to use a cheater bar to break them loose and tighten them back up.
I tried to use a balljoint press for the lowers, but the kit I had would not
fit. In the end I placed the control arm on some wooden blocks and whacked the
old joint with a 3-lb sledge. It eventually popped out.
I also did the bushings in the control arms that weekend too. Major PITA. If
you are doing bushings, get a spring compressor. I didn't and we could not get
the spring back in without one, and then it took over an hour trying to
maneuver it out of the spring once it was back in the truck.
I know the socket I bought was made by SK Tools.
If you pull the pivot bar out on the top, the nuts are 22mm in size. If you
have stock exhaust manifolds I think you need a short socket for the pass side.
And make sure you put the grooved side down when you reinstall. I didn't do
that when I put everything back together, and the bar would slide around a
little even with the bolts torqued down. Had to pull it out and flip it the
following weekend.
Kevin
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