Ball Joint replacement help

cardana24 · Oct 17, 2010

I have a 94 f250 4x4 with automatic hubs. I took the truck to an alignment shop and they told me they could not align it because the right side ball joints are shot. They told me it would be $350 to replace the two ball joints...so I went and picked the truck up with out it being fixed. I bought all new ball joints and tie rods from rock auto and I am going to replace everything my self. I got started yesterday and now I am stuck. I have the rotors off and I took the four nuts off that look as if they bolt the dust shield to the hub, but I cannot get anything to come off at this point. What am I doing wrong/where do I go from here? I have the hanynes manual but that really does not help much. What comes off next and how?

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LCAM-01XA · Oct 17, 2010

There are actually five bolts/studs, the four we can see in your picture plus another one the view of which is obstructed by the spindle in the pic - its like a car with 5 lug wheels, all are evenly spaced. Also these bolts/studs actually attach the spindle (cylindrical hollow-axle-type deal that the wheel rides on) to the knuckle (big cast-iron piece that has the ball joints in it), the dust shield for the brake rotor is simply clamped between those two - to proceed with your work you need to separate the spindle from the knuckle. This can be done with a block of wood and a 4lb or 5lb hammer of your choice (do not position the wood at the threaded end of the spindle tho), or in extreme cases of rust-bonding some heat (not glowing orange tho) may need to be applied to the spindle's flange where the bolts/studs go through and the wood has to be replaced by a piece of thick flat stock or angle iron positioned at the edge of said flange...

lotzagoodstuff · Oct 17, 2010

Do a search on this, there's lots of info on different ways to get that spindle off, I can tell you it's not very fun and if you don't swear much now, you will by the end of the job. I did a quick search but couldn't find the one link that has everybody's input, but as I remember there's the violence with a BFH versus the use the weight of the truck to loosen them method.

No matter the method, lots of Kroil or PB Blaster.

Good luck, you got a big job ahead of you but I can smell the money you are saving from here ;Sweet

6.9l ford · Oct 17, 2010

x3 on smacking the hell out of it with a bfh and wood or copper block!! :sly

Pb-baster is the BOMB!! ;Sweet

Goofyexponent · Oct 17, 2010

I JUST did this job on my F250 last weekend. Just use a good piece of wood and a hammer as mentioned.....and antiseize the HELL out of the spindle and them nuts if you want the job of removing it to be easier next time.

Once you get one side of the spindle to lift, you can hel it by sticking a wedge (chisel, screwdriver, etc) in the opened up area, then use the hammer and block of wood to drive the spindle towards the gap with the wedge in it...it forces the spindle out faster. I put the nuts back on the spindle to avoid damaging the threads.

To get the knuckle off, beat the snot out of the upper and lower flanges on the axle tube itself, but not too hard. The knuckle will fall off so watch your toes.

I put all 4 ball joints, all steering linkages, bearings, seals and grease (fliud) in my Dana 60 (same setup as your Dana 50) last weekend for the same reason!

cardana24 · Oct 17, 2010

so where do you put the peice of wood to hit with a hammer? I have a mini sledge that I will be using. Does anyone have a picture?

I have searched, but I cannot find any pictures of what I am trying to do.

*edit

I just read though what was posted a little better. Are you guys actually hitting the spindle cilinder with the hammer and block of wood? I have been trying to drive a screw diver into the surface where the peice that looks like a wheel spacer is held in place with those 5 studs.

If anyone would like to draw on the picture where they are beating on this thing, by all means go for it.

Goofyexponent · Oct 17, 2010

Take the block of wood and put it on the spindle on the top side NEAR but NOT ON the threads. Smack the hell outta it until a space opens up where you were trying to drive that screwsriver.

Then hit it in the same spot, but on the front side and try and knock the spindle towards the back of the truck. Then hit it from the back and try and move the spindle towards the front of the truck. Just keep moving around the end of the spindle with the hammer and block of wood until the spindle either falls out or you can pull it out by hand.

I advise you thread both nuts on there ALL THE WAY...leave the onw with the locking *** till last, and leave the *** facing outwards so you don't knock that *** off. Then out the block of wood up against the nuts fron behing and beat away...careful to not hit the nuts or the actual spindle with the hammer.

Brimmstone · Oct 17, 2010

Autozone has a tool that will thread onto the spindle than using a slide hammer take it right off. here is the number for the tool

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Tools-Garage-and-Equipment/4WD-Spindle-Puller/_/N-26ml

sassyrel · Oct 17, 2010

snap on makes a puller SOCKET--with three diff internal thread sizes----this threads onto the spindle,and you use a LARGE slide hammer to attach to the threaded nut on the outside--to slide hammer the rotor spindle off--this is absolutely the easiest--as ive been rebuilding the front axles for years--=---and even this can be fun---------i also made about the same assm, but with the threads thru the center--and you use a three or two jaw puller bolt thru the center---and it "jacks" the spindle right off. yes it does,cause its just the same principle as a jaw puller--the center of the axle shaft--is centered drilled for a reason--after your done doing this--wire brush the spindle,and where it goes thru with antisieze. now--see the nut on top with the cotter key thru it??? when you take the nut off, youll need the puller to get the tapered sleeve assm out--oreillys and others,"rent" this out. youll need it to get that out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! then take the bottom nut "LOOSE" only, and hit the side of where the shaft of the ball joint comes thru,top and bottom--when you see it come loose, take the nut all the way off, and it will fall out---then the ball joints need to be hammered out--but the new ones back in, DONT GET HAMMERED IN. press them in,or youll ruin em--and put it back together. you tighten the bottom ball joint nut first,to torque, then you put the tapered sleeve assm back in,tighten the top nut--to another torque value,and put in the new cotter key, and reverse assm the rest of the parts--

rjjp · Oct 17, 2010

Just don't remove the axle from the truck (guess what I did). And beat the hell outa it. I'll go take a picture of where to put the wood.

cardana24 · Oct 17, 2010

Goofyexponent said:
Take the block of wood and put it on the spindle on the top side NEAR but NOT ON the threads. Smack the hell outta it until a space opens up where you were trying to drive that screwsriver.

Then hit it in the same spot, but on the front side and try and knock the spindle towards the back of the truck. Then hit it from the back and try and move the spindle towards the front of the truck. Just keep moving around the end of the spindle with the hammer and block of wood until the spindle either falls out or you can pull it out by hand.

I advise you thread both nuts on there ALL THE WAY...leave the onw with the locking *** till last, and leave the *** facing outwards so you don't knock that *** off. Then out the block of wood up against the nuts fron behing and beat away...careful to not hit the nuts or the actual spindle with the hammer.

How hard do you have to wale on the block of wood to know the spindle loose? I was hitting it pretty hard and I did not get anywhere.

Brimmstone said:
Autozone has a tool that will thread onto the spindle than using a slide hammer take it right off. here is the number for the tool

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Tools-Garage-and-Equipment/4WD-Spindle-Puller/_/N-26ml

Do they rent this tool with a slide hammer? I don't have a slide hammer. If they do not sell them with a slide hammer, what slide hammer should I buy?

sassyrel said:
n snap on makes a puller SOCKET--with three diff internal thread sizes----this threads onto the spindle,and you use a LARGE slide hammer to attach to the threaded nut on the outside--to slide hammer the rotor spindle off--this is absolutely the easiest--as ive been rebuilding the front axles for years--=---and even this can be fun---------i also made about the same assm, but with the threads thru the center--and you use a three or two jaw puller bolt thru the center---and it "jacks" the spindle right off. yes it does,cause its just the same principle as a jaw puller--the center of the axle shaft--is centered drilled for a reason--after your done doing this--wire brush the spindle,and where it goes thru with antisieze. now--see the nut on top with the cotter key thru it??? when you take the nut off, youll need the puller to get the tapered sleeve assm out--oreillys and others,"rent" this out. youll need it to get that out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! then take the bottom nut "LOOSE" only, and hit the side of where the shaft of the ball joint comes thru,top and bottom--when you see it come loose, take the nut all the way off, and it will fall out---then the ball joints need to be hammered out--but the news ones back in, DONT GET HAMMERED IN. press them in,or youll ruin em--and put it back together. you tighten the bottom ball joint nut first,to torque, then you put the tapered sleeve assm back in,tighten the top nut--to another torque value,and put in the new cotter key, and reverse assm the rest of the parts--

Thanks for the advice. I think the tapered sleeve assembly you are talking about is for camber adjustment right, it's under the crown nut on the top ball joint? What type of puller do I need to get that off?

I have already rented the ball joint press. I have changed them on my cars before but they were not as hard to get to!!

franklin2 · Oct 17, 2010

$350 is sounding better and better ain't it?

This is such a big job, be sure to check out your axle u-joint while you are in there. You don't want to be doing this very often. Frontend work is not easy. If you get this piece off, your next post will be how do you get the balljoints loose? Some more beating and banging to get that done also.

I assume you have a balljoint press to remove the balljoints from the spindle arm? I bought the $40 one from harbor freight and it works for this job with a little oil on the threads of the tool.

cardana24 · Oct 17, 2010

franklin2 said:
$350 is sounding better and better ain't it?

This is such a big job, be sure to check out your axle u-joint while you are in there. You don't want to be doing this very often. Frontend work is not easy. If you get this piece off, your next post will be how do you get the balljoints loose? Some more beating and banging to get that done also.

I assume you have a balljoint press to remove the balljoints from the spindle arm? I bought the $40 one from harbor freight and it works for this job with a little oil on the threads of the tool.

I don't want to know how much they would charge to do what I am going to do. The 350 was only for right side ball joints....nothing else. I am doing both side along with the tie rods.

Yes, I do already have the ball joint press. This looks more straight forward to me, I can see how the two ball joints are held in. I have never taken a spindle off before.

franklin2 · Oct 17, 2010

cardana24 said:
I don't want to know how much they would charge to do what I am going to do. The 350 was only for right side ball joints....nothing else. I am doing both side along with the tie rods.

Yes, I do already have the ball joint press. This looks more straight forward to me, I can see how the two ball joints are held in. I have never taken a spindle off before.

If you look at your new balljoints, you can see the tapered part below the threads. This is the hard part to get loose, the tapered part of the balljoint really fits tight. A large chisel and or a pickle fork helps bust it loose.

HankHill · Oct 17, 2010

heres a writeup that should help you, lots of pictures its on a newer superduty but will help you alot http://www.frontiernet.net/~jmray/F250BallJoints.htm

Ball Joint replacement help

cardana24

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lotzagoodstuff

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6.9l ford

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Goofyexponent

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cardana24

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Goofyexponent

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rjjp

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cardana24

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