Yes they are and Moog makes them too. I did ball joints on 4 trucks last year and it does not take more than 4 hours with air tools. Not a difficult job.
Anyone got a good tech write up on changing ball joints?
- Thread starter Camarogenius
- Start date
Yes they are and Moog makes them too. I did ball joints on 4 trucks last year and it does not take more than 4 hours with air tools. Not a difficult job.
i would reccomend using the tool i have done it the hammer way and dont reccomend it if you can easily line up a tool. i accidently wacked the inner fender on my old bronco with a hammer, it didnt do any damage but made me more aware of some bad potential. its not really a complicated job it can just take some muscle to do.
if your truck isent 4 wheel you might be able to pull the joints without removing the spindle (which can be a royal pain by itself) if you have room behind the knuckle to do so. if it was 4 wheel there would be no way, the axle shaft would be in the way.
if your truck isent 4 wheel you might be able to pull the joints without removing the spindle (which can be a royal pain by itself) if you have room behind the knuckle to do so. if it was 4 wheel there would be no way, the axle shaft would be in the way.
yARIC008
Drives really slow
Nah, i don't see any realistic way to do the ball joints without taking the spindle off. It'd probably take you forever if you didn't take it off. If you do take it off it'll take some time but in the end alot less than trying to figure out how to do the joints without taking it off. And besides you'd have to spend alot of time underneath a jacked up truck on jack stands. Can't say I feel completely safe under there, especially when hammering and stuff.
BROWNIEBOY525
The old fleet
i found this its not exactly the same as yours but its still the same basic things.
http://www.ford-trucks.com/article/...g_Balljoints_On_Ford_E150_Econoline_Vans.html
http://www.ford-trucks.com/article/...g_Balljoints_On_Ford_E150_Econoline_Vans.html
yARIC008
Drives really slow
Virtually every step of this is frought with violence and dispair. 
Getting the spindle off can be a heck of a thing, and you might be at that for a few hours (or so it will seem). That's just a warm up for the ball joints. I'd start hitting everything with PB Blaster days in advance. It may not help, but might mentally allow you to believe it will actually come apart. 
Getting the spindle off can be a heck of a thing, and you might be at that for a few hours (or so it will seem). That's just a warm up for the ball joints. I'd start hitting everything with PB Blaster days in advance. It may not help, but might mentally allow you to believe it will actually come apart. 69oiler
I don't feel tardy
i wrote up a thread on STD when i did mine i'll find it for you tonight. pics are long gone but i did describe it well.
69oiler
I don't feel tardy
here ya go. i couldnt copy a link so i cut and pasted all the useful info posted by me and others in a thread i started 5/05/03.
well tonight i finally finished my complete rebuild of the front suspension on my truck. new greasable Moog ball joints, greasable axle u-joints, seals, polyurethane axle pivot bushings, new Warn lockouts. tie rods were done last year. the front end feels a lot tighter now, i can feel the road now. i took a few pics, i will try to post them soon.
now, every u-joint and ball joint on my truck is greasable, the way Ford SHOULD have built it. i cant really complain though, the original stuff held on for 260,000 miles. only one of the ball joints was shot, but i replaced all 4. the axle u-joints were... well... horrifying. the needle bearings that hadn't turned to powder were siezed tight and had a flat side ground into them. the pivot bushings were smooshed about 1/8" off center.
i had the passenger side lockout explode, metal chunks were all that was left. turns out the axle shafts were fine so i replaced the bearings and greased em up good.
thanks for all the help preparing for this project.
ROB
well tonight i finally finished my complete rebuild of the front suspension on my truck. new greasable Moog ball joints, greasable axle u-joints, seals, polyurethane axle pivot bushings, new Warn lockouts. tie rods were done last year. the front end feels a lot tighter now, i can feel the road now. i took a few pics, i will try to post them soon.
now, every u-joint and ball joint on my truck is greasable, the way Ford SHOULD have built it. i cant really complain though, the original stuff held on for 260,000 miles. only one of the ball joints was shot, but i replaced all 4. the axle u-joints were... well... horrifying. the needle bearings that hadn't turned to powder were siezed tight and had a flat side ground into them. the pivot bushings were smooshed about 1/8" off center.
i had the passenger side lockout explode, metal chunks were all that was left. turns out the axle shafts were fine so i replaced the bearings and greased em up good.
thanks for all the help preparing for this project.
ROB
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69oiler
I don't feel tardy
all i can say is, i hope i never have to remove those spindles again. the whole job took me about 24 hours spread over 4 days. i had a helper some of that time, who did a lot of the parts cleaning and acted as another set of hands when needed. plus it was his workshop i was using (maybe someday i'll have my own ). cost for parts was not quite $400, obtained from the local Napa and Federated parts houses, and Summit Racing Equipment. all in all it was worth the effort to save the large sum of money i'd have paid a mechanic to do it. yes i know i'm cheap
69oiler
I don't feel tardy
special tools... you will need a ball joint press, i rented one for free at Autozone. a good vise , and a couple sockets for changing the u-joints. snap ring pliers. the pivot bushings you can use the ball joint press as well. you may need to peen back the lip on the old pivot bushings, mine were kind of flared. you'll know when you see it. you will need the special socket for the wheel bearing nuts, $18 at Autozone.
the hardest part is getting the spindles off. the easiest way i found is to apply pressure with a jack at the very end of the spindle, then use a block of hardwood and a cold chisel and beat the heck out of the spindle and try and get the chisel behind the lip in the spindle. it is a real bear to get off there. by applying pressure with the jack, you only have to pry at the top and the sides ot the spindle, the jack is working from the bottom.
really, other than a lot of hard work and sore muscles, the job isn't all that bad. the TTB is really pretty simple when you break it down, very straightforward assembly. just have a look at it, there arent a whole lot of surprises. this is 4x4 though. with the 2xd there are a few different parts i wouldn't know about. on the 4x4 you do have to pull the diff to get the c-clip for the center shaft out to change the center U-joint.
it was almost so easy i wondered if i was missing something. if you have the time and patience, i would recommend doing the work yourself.
i got the Energy Suspension poly bushings for $33 shipped from Summit Racing. they're not in the catalog, but if you call them they do have them. the rest of the parts i got locally. be sure to spend the money on the good joints with grease fittings, and the needle fitting you'll need to grease the U-joints. it is so worth it.
there is definitly a feeling of satisfaction from doing it yourself.
ROB
the hardest part is getting the spindles off. the easiest way i found is to apply pressure with a jack at the very end of the spindle, then use a block of hardwood and a cold chisel and beat the heck out of the spindle and try and get the chisel behind the lip in the spindle. it is a real bear to get off there. by applying pressure with the jack, you only have to pry at the top and the sides ot the spindle, the jack is working from the bottom.
really, other than a lot of hard work and sore muscles, the job isn't all that bad. the TTB is really pretty simple when you break it down, very straightforward assembly. just have a look at it, there arent a whole lot of surprises. this is 4x4 though. with the 2xd there are a few different parts i wouldn't know about. on the 4x4 you do have to pull the diff to get the c-clip for the center shaft out to change the center U-joint.
it was almost so easy i wondered if i was missing something. if you have the time and patience, i would recommend doing the work yourself.
i got the Energy Suspension poly bushings for $33 shipped from Summit Racing. they're not in the catalog, but if you call them they do have them. the rest of the parts i got locally. be sure to spend the money on the good joints with grease fittings, and the needle fitting you'll need to grease the U-joints. it is so worth it.
there is definitly a feeling of satisfaction from doing it yourself.
ROB
69oiler
I don't feel tardy
if all you are doing is the pivot bushings, and not touching the ball joints etc, all you need to do is remove the calipers, loosen the boot over the splined shaft on the right drive axle so it will slide apart, remove the diff vent hose, undo the u bolts, and take the bolts out of the pivots. then the whole VERY HEAVY assemblies will come right out. otherwise you will just start at each wheel and take parts off till you have it all stripped down to nothing.
ROB
ROB
69oiler
I don't feel tardy
D O N T apply heat to the spindles--they are heat tempered--could induce crack with flame--is a tool made that makes it excess simple to remove spindle---is like the front axle nut socket---except----has threaded hole in center to put threaded bolt in--thread socket on spindle--put in bolt--as tighten-off comes spindle--even the hard stuck ones come right off!!!!!!! if cant fine one--ask snap-on man--they have them..
69oiler
I don't feel tardy
I actually replaced my pivot bushings and spring eye bushings without ever disconecting the axles or driveshaft a couple weeks ago. It took a little work but I was able to just remove the spring from one side at a time, let the lower ball joint sit on a block of wood on the ground, remove the pivot bolt and wrestle with the swing arm (supported by a jack) into a position where I could use a drill to remove the pivot bushing. I used the Prothane kit which requires the re-use of the original shells so I didn't have to press anything. Just in case anyone is wondering, you don't really HAVE to remove the axle shafts to do the job. Probably would have been less swearing if I had though!
69oiler
I don't feel tardy
OK it's me again in 2007. when i did mine i rebuilt the whole front end. including u joints, ball joints, and bushings. the ball joint press is your friend, you can rent it at Autozone and elsewhere i'm sure. also a slide hammer as mentioned above, for removing the spindles.
i just noticed you have a 2wd. ok i'm slow. anyway it's not a bad job. i just helped do ball joints on a 2000 F150 a few weeks ago. Blaster helps a lot.
anyway if you have any more questions i'll try to help.
i just noticed you have a 2wd. ok i'm slow. anyway it's not a bad job. i just helped do ball joints on a 2000 F150 a few weeks ago. Blaster helps a lot.
anyway if you have any more questions i'll try to help.
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yARIC008
Drives really slow
It was a bear to get off the spindle... I think Mel meant to say start hitting everything with a hammer a few days in advance
