ball joints

[john112deere]

My aunt has an '89 F-150, 2wd that is in, at best, "rough" shape. It is not her daily driver, just a yard truck/dump runner.

I've driven it several hundred miles, and it seems to run and drive OK, but it's really rusty.

It failed it's state safety inspection back in February for ball joints (right wheel only, I believe), shocks and brakes. No mention of rust. The mechanic who did the inspection told her that in his opinion the truck wasn't worth what it would cost to fix with the labor, so I'm sorta getting drafted.

Unless there's anything weird about the brakes on this truck, I can handle fixing them OK, shocks will be a fight to get off, but I've never done ball joints. Given that the truck is rusty...how bad a job is that, what (roughly) would parts cost, and how likely am I to wind up either in over my head (i.e. unable to put it back together) or breaking 47 other pieces trying to take it apart that will then cost a fortune to replace?

 

[blacksnapon]

just be careful, take your time, use a haynes(or equivalent) manual for step by step directions. You'll probably have to rent or borrow a ball joint press.

 

[Mr. Stroker]

Make sure no little ones are around when your trying to fit a wrench inbetween the beam or axle to get the nut off the top of the lower balljoint... Lots of cussing on my end, and it wasnt even my truck i was doing them on...

 

[john112deere]

Heck, Mike- I can't even change my OIL with little ones around for the cussing...

 

[mrfixit]

When I did my '89, it was a relatively simple procedure. The upper ball joint separated easily enough, and I just used my floor jack under the A-arms to compress the spring.
cannot remember if I had to drill the rivets out on that one, or the chebbie...
and I can't look cuz I would never get up again.

The shocks are not that tough, really. 'specially with a hot wrench.

 

[mrfixit]

Heck, Mike- I can't even change my OIL with little ones around for the cussing...

My family has historically stayed indoors while I work on the mechanicals.

 

[Mr. Stroker]

HAHA i tend to loose perfectly good tools do to me getting so ticked off and i throw them as far as i can into the woods on the other side of my driveway.... Spark Plugs was also a good way of expanding my vocabulary..

 

[CaFordDude]

My family has historically stayed indoors while I work on the mechanicals.

Hate to see the family patriarch embarrass himself?

 

[mrfixit]

Hate to see the family patriarch embarrass himself?

Wasn't there another thread about some dude who doesn't work on his own truck? OH YEAH... It was YOU!

Those who can...Do. those who can't...take stabs at those who do.
Those who are wise...steer clear of harassing those who do.
Unless it's to bring a cold beverage.

 

[Mr. Stroker]

I like to do as much as i can on my own truck. Only thing i havent done myself was the rear main, (Which is leaking again) I think they messed something up so im gonna buy a new one and do it myself. And the Radius arm bushings becasue the nut wasnt going to come off and i didnt have a torch or access to torches, so i paid to have those two things done.

 

[TexasNomad]

but it's really rusty

Umm...Damn.. that's some hard core funk there my man...
Never got real vocal on my 79s until I changed the power steering box..
Yaaa.... wasn't pretty
But changing the plugs/wires on my brothers WS6, the only good thing that came out of that is I wont be scared when I get to Hell.

 

[john112deere]

Umm...Damn.. that's some hard core funk there my man...

It's pretty typical of a 19 year old truck in New England, actually. It was a working truck (she bought it from a welder), never been garaged, 183k miles...

The whole body is rusty, but remarkably doesn't have any holes. I cringe every time I have to unlock the door, though, because the steel that supports the lock is so rusty it flexes when I try to push the key into the lock.

(Last time I drove this truck, it took me 5.5 hours to go 150 miles, because of snow. Only stopped once, necessitated by the 7.5 mpg I was getting that day. Also the heater is crappy and the wiper blades are shot. Cripes...if this keeps up, I'll probably start to LIKE the dumb thing.)

 

[andym]

You call that rusty? I've seen much worse.. lol

You will need a ball joint press, and probably a torch to get those shocks off. Soak everything in penetrating oil every day for a week before you do the job. Replace all the shock bolts as the ones you have are useless.

Don't use a torch on the knuckle - it's tempered and if you heat it you'll lose the temper and weaken it.

The brakes are easy. I would carefully inspect all the steel brake lines and replace any that are rusty. Yes, this probably means a LOT of new line. I would definitely replace the wheel cylinders and if it pulls when you brake, replace the calipers too.

Air tools would help. You may need a dremel or some sort of grinder if you can't torch the shocks off. Get new shock mounts if you can.

Oh yeah.... Ford used cheap steel on the leaf spring shackles. See if they're not rusted through. If they are - new ones!

It doesn't look like a bad truck, but those salty winters sure do a number on them.

 

[john112deere]

First time I saw this truck, last November, my aunt dropped me off next to it, 150 miles from my own truck, with the keys and a few bucks for gas. (The registration paperwork got misplaced...I was lucky to have plates.)

I went over it with a fine-toothed comb before I drove it up there. Nothing struck me as dangerously rotted. (And, believe me, I've seen, and driven, much rustier trucks, too. This isn't bad at all for what it is, IMO.) I'm kind of thinking it had newer brake lines already (though I may be thinking of another truck).

For the shocks- these are actual bolts, right? My Ranger's got studs on the radius arm, that are a real pain when they break.

And it's not a bad truck...but it's a LONG way from what I like. 2wd and the AOD being my big gripes with it. Also the engine is kinda "leaky," to the point that when you hammer it merging onto the interstate, the drip from the front main blows back onto the exhaust and it smells kinda smoky for a little ways...

 

[andym]

The shocks are held into the mounts with bolts. The mounts themselves are riveted to the frame. If you're killing yourself getting the shocks out of the mounts (they look like one big rust bomb to me in the pic) then you're probably better off air-hammering the rivets off and putting new mounts on.

If you want, I'll send you shock mounts off one of our many rust-free junk trucks here! j/k... I'd have to go pull them off and I don't want to be hauling my compressor up there.

 

[john112deere]

I have to go look at the truck on Sunday night. I've worked on enough New England trucks to know a bit about getting rusty stuff apart, though.

I don't know if I'll end up fixing this for her or not yet, and I'm not entirely sure why she wants it enough to justify the cost of repairing it (even parts), but...

 

[Lost]

I use a universal and air impact to get nuts loose. the wedge tie rod fork in between for pressure and use big old sledge to break loose

 

[NeXtras]

what ever you do to this, make sure u spray some penetrating oil on all nuts and bolts... i reccoment PB Blaster, thats what we use in the shop. Works well, just need to let it sit for 5 mins for it to sink in. Brakes are easy on these