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ball joints

john112deere

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
406
central Vermont
My '97 Ranger (2wd with twin i-beam front end) needs a passenger-side upper ball-joint to pass inspection. (Current sticker is expired, so...it's sorta urgent.)

Any tips?

I'm working in a parking lot, I think...in the rain, given the forecast for the rest of the week and the weekend.
 
smokey

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
13,258
707
Garrett Co. Maryland
Buy or rent a ball joint press and it is really easy. When you do them replace the upper and lower at the same time. The lower seems to loosen up bad when you take them off for some reason.
Be thankful its not a 4wd you don't have a axle and the darn spindle to deal with. Pack the wheel bearing while you have it apart.you will need a new inner seal when you pull the rotor off.
 
Skandocious

Skandocious

Post Whores Make Me Sick
19,083
663
California
smokey said:
Buy or rent a ball joint press and it is really easy. When you do them replace the upper and lower at the same time. The lower seems to loosen up bad when you take them off for some reason.
Be thankful its not a 4wd you don't have a axle and the darn spindle to deal with. Pack the wheel bearing while you have it apart.you will need a new inner seal when you pull the rotor off.
Click to expand...
smilieIagree with everything said above except that you MIGHT be able to reuse the seal, if you're on a budget and you're real careful. I was able to reuse mine when I did my front brakes. But yes, be glad you don't have to remove spindles :headbang:
 
john112deere

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
406
central Vermont
So I'll need to get a press...any other specialty tools?

Could you give me a basic run-down of what the steps are to this job, too? I think I more or less know what needs to happen, but...
 
Skandocious

Skandocious

Post Whores Make Me Sick
19,083
663
California
Applying what I know about 4wd full size trucks-- you'll have to remove the wheel, caliper, rotor, and knuckle. Then you should be right down the ball joints and you just use the specialized press to pop those suckers out :) It's pretty self explanatory. My brother and I did his ball joints on his D60 without using any references or manuals.
 
Skandocious

Skandocious

Post Whores Make Me Sick
19,083
663
California
Here Ian-- just looked it up in my online manual for 97 Ranger 2wd:



85558006L.gif



upl0366696254.png
 
john112deere

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
406
central Vermont
I just jacked it up to verify that it does need ball-joints. (It does...or, at least, it needs the RH upper, which is what the mechanic said; and he also told me to do both while I was in there.) The disassembly process looks pretty straight-forward, except I can't see exactly how the knuckle comes off...

As I'm looking at that picture, I almost wonder if I could just use the big c-clamp I have in the toolbox. Looks like I'd need to make or buy something for the "receiver cup."

On the other hand...this is probably not the last vehicle I'll ever chance ball joints on. So maybe the smart thing to do would be to buy the tool...I'll have to see what they cost.

Speaking of buying tools...I don't have a grease gun with me. So...since I do already own a "normal" grease gun, what would be a good choice of a secondary one. I'd rather have two different kinds than two of the same one, but I don't know what would be the most useful type to have in addition the one I've got back at home.
 

kustomizingkid

211
4
If your strapped for $$$ you can probably rent the press at a local auto parts store...

I've got the OTC master ball joint press with the medium duty truck and 4 wheel drive parts included...
 
john112deere

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
406
central Vermont
kustomizingkid said:
If your strapped for $$$ you can probably rent the press at a local auto parts store...
Click to expand...

I think I can, yeah.

But at my age (21), it seems like the intelligent choice is to try to buy tools every time I need them, rather than borrow or make do, since I'm likely to need them all many times more in my life.

And as long as I can keep the whole job cheaper than the bill would be to pay someone to do the work, I can justify the expense...
 

kustomizingkid

211
4
I'm 18 so I always try and buy tools as I need them, I've got a lot of living left to do :)

The only problem is that some tools can get damn expensive. If I had my way I wold have a mill and lathe right now...
 
john112deere

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
406
central Vermont
I've got access to mills and lathes if I call in favors...depending on where I am, sometimes I just have access.

*I must confess I dream of having a fancy pneumatic tire changing machine and a spin balancer in my shop one day. No way I'll ever mount enough tires to make it worth the expense, but...it'd be sweet.
 

Brian_B

blank
6,833
84
Mountain Home, AR
john112deere said:
I think I can, yeah.

But at my age (21), it seems like the intelligent choice is to try to buy tools every time I need them, rather than borrow or make do, since I'm likely to need them all many times more in my life.

And as long as I can keep the whole job cheaper than the bill would be to pay someone to do the work, I can justify the expense...
Click to expand...

That is a good plan...except how many times in your life will you ever use a rather expensive (good quality) ball joint press again?

I have never needed one (so far).

I tend to "rent" tools from the parts stores...that I am never likely to need again, if they are rather expensive and I am broke (most of the time).

Around here...renting a tool means leaving a large deposit (CC are good for this) and you get it back when you return the tool. Basically renting for free if you return the tool.
 

kustomizingkid

211
4
Thats how it works around here.... you pay for the full price of the tool and when you get it back you get all the $$ back.

The last tool I bought was a axle nut service kit, came with 8 sockets 29-36mm... Didn't think I would use it that much, but I needed it at the time. Since I have bought it I've used it more than I ever thought I would, and have lent it out more than I like.
 
john112deere

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
406
central Vermont
Brian_B said:
That is a good plan...except how many times in your life will you ever use a rather expensive (good quality) ball joint press again?

I have never needed one (so far).
Click to expand...

Who said anything about good quality? I was thinking of buying a cheap one.

This will probably not be the last time I change ball joints, though...I'll probably purchase and repair/maintain a number of older vehicles over the next decade for transportation (rather than borrow money to buy one nice vehicle), and I'm fussy about suspension. I'm also broke, so right now I just curse it for being sloppy. But hopefully come summer, I'll have a job...and at least be able to afford safety-related parts.

Plus, Tony told me last night that the ball-joint press he has can be used for u-joints, too. Since I'm a rear wheel drive kinda guy..that might also come in handy once or twice.
 

Brian_B

blank
6,833
84
Mountain Home, AR
Ahh...if it can be used as a multi-task tool...that makes more sense.

I am pretty picky about suspension, steering, and brakes as well. I wonder why none of the old beaters I used to drive ever needed ball joints? I have replaced tie rod ends, A-frame bushings, and all sorts of other things under them.

On a side note...I don't like cheap tools, if I can my hands on decent ones. That is just me though. Believe me..I know about BROKE right now.
I would laugh...but it is not funny.
 
john112deere

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
406
central Vermont
Brian_B said:
I am pretty picky about suspension, steering, and brakes as well. I wonder why none of the old beaters I used to drive ever needed ball joints? I have replaced tie rod ends, A-frame bushings, and all sorts of other things under them.
Click to expand...

Hard to say. I was under the impression these joints were replaced about 60k miles ago, but I'm not sure. They could be original.

Brian_B said:
On a side note...I don't like cheap tools, if I can my hands on decent ones. That is just me though. Believe me..I know about BROKE right now.
Click to expand...

I don't like cheap tools, either...but for the price of a "good" ball joint press, I can take the truck down the street and have them replaced by a mechanic. (Which, honestly, makes a certain amount of sense. But I ain't wired like that...I can do it, so I will.)
 

jeffnick

63
7
kustomizingkid said:
Being able to swap tires would be mint!

It would be an ultimate convienance factor.
Click to expand...

I wanted to mount passenger radials on my trailer. No one would do it for me, so I bought a tire changer (<$50).
IMG_2223.jpg

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200349248_200349248
And I've used it to put ceramic balancing beads in the front tires of my E-350.

And for those that want a lathe/milling machine...I waited until I was 59 to get mine and now wish I had done it 40 years sooner. It's soooo handy.
IMG_4409.jpg

Mine will turn a 10" brake drum or rotor, not to mention all the other stuff I've made. Don't wait, get it now, you'll never be sorry -- I'll bet you save what you spent on it in the first year!
http://www.smithy.com/products.php?cid=23
 

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