Hey everybody,
I am planning on rebuilding my front end this spring. new springs a arm bushings, ball joints, brakes, all that jazz. What are some good tips or tricks to making this job as simple and painless as possible. I read the part #'s in the sticky so i have them. Any help would be cool! thanks
ez

 

Oh i tell you what if you are replacing the ball joints they are a huge pain in the rear, i had to do one of mine and it took me almost 5 hours for just one. I had to buy a new a-arm cause my old upper ball joint decided to do me a favor and press out driving down the road and scared the @#@$ out of me. Well when it did that it tore the a-arm and ruined it. A trip to the junck yard and to the auto parts store i got an a-arm and a new ball joint. My tip of advise is to press your balljoint in which is about an 100 cuss word job and press the new one in, and just for safe keeping i welded a bead around the ball joint so it can never press out, cause you don't wanna have to deal with what i did on the road. I think it is better to have to buy a new a-arm next time it is time for a ball joint than for it to just press out on you. I strongly reccomend welding it.
Anyone else had their ball joint press out while driving? it sucks.

 

Never EVER had that happen. I have done lots of 2wd ball joints... The trick is to make sure when they are being pressed that they are straight, and not diagonal.

I have a 20 ton shop press and a ball joint c-press. The C-press works awesome on A-arms. The press works good for steering knuckles.

On the C-clamp, air helps. Also, a BFH helps. Squeeze it a bit, then hit it with the BFH.

I would strongly reccomend NOT welding your ball joints to your A-arms because ball joints need to be replaced. Thats why they are replaceable.

Proper tools are essential.

 

You guys that are having trouble with ball joints are likely trying to press out and press back in ball joints that are "threaded" in. These are a pain to get out if you try to press them out, and then the new ones will not stay in because the threads would be stripped out. I am not sure what years are threaded in, but I know for certain that a 93 D350 2WD is threaded in.

 

On my 92, one was threaded and one was press-in. I don't remember which. It seems the bottom threaded in. (But I could be confusing it with my father-in-laws 2001 1500.) It's pretty easy to tell I think. The thread in types have a hex shape near the base to get big honkin crescent wrench around. To press out the ball joint, you can "rent" a ball joint press from stores like AutoZone and the like. They refund the price when you bring it back.

 

On my 93 D350, all of the ball joints threaded in. There is a special socket that is available to change them. You can use a crescent wrench, but it is a real PITA to get them started straight without that socket. When I put ball joints in, I always put 3 or 4 small tack welds around the edge where the joint meets the control arm spaced out evenly, but only put them where it is easy to get your grinder or cut off saw in to them in case you need to replace them again later.

 

screw in type and welded ,one popped out and cost me 600 before i got on the road,new a frame ,tire ,alig,ball joint,allways happens in the middle of nowhere on a cold day

 

Thanks guys for the help. I have access to a press at work so ball joints should be no problem. I noticed no hex around my ball joints as to suggest them being threaded in, but ya never know. I will check again in better light. What do you call the diagonal rods that go from the lower a arms forward to mounts on the frame? And the sway bar end links connect to them close to each a arm. Thanks
ez

 

Mine were threaded on my upper a-arms but the old one was so trashed from pressing out that i had to get a new a-arm, i got it off a 70's dodge 3/4 ton truck and it was also threaded the old one threaded out pretty easily and the new one was a real deal to get in, i threaded it in and put about 3 3/8" tacks or beads around to hold it, I'd rather have to buy a new a-arm when i need to replace the ball joint which only costed me $25 than not weld it so i can replace it later and DIE in a reck cause it pressed out. I like having the peace of mind driving down the road knowing that it CAN'T press out. It is your choice, i would still weld it and there are a dime a dozen trucks out there to get a-arms off of, but there is only one of you which is unreplaceable.

 

Uppers are threaded, lowers are pressed. BTDT in 4 different trucks. Buy the socket ($30), and get an impact wrench- you will need it to break the old ones loose. The only one I DIDNT have to impact was in my 91, and they had been done before.

Spend the extra money and get the MOOG or Spicer ball joints. I wore out a MOOG thanks to Snider's Alignment (nothing was in spec), so it got replaced with a Spicer. G/F's shop uses them in 4x4s, and they have had VERY few if any comebacks.

After you get them in, grease them monthly, if not more often.

91.5beater- not to be a smart alec, but if you can get diesel control arms for $25 apiece, stock up NOW. I had to travel 250mi round trip and pay $100 for a set for my 90, after looking for 3mo. Get all you can, others will reimburse you for your troubles. Having 2 2wds in the family is why I bought a front suspension cut off at about the fender when I had the chance.

DP

 

ball joint----i say weld it if it breaks again edit it and get a new a arm and ball joint i helped kyle <91.5 beater> do his, it sucked if you have all those awesome tools then do it his way but if ur at home and wanting a perm fix press it in straight weld it up and drive on! good luck

 

maybe its just our town but i could drive 10 mins down the road and get about 4 or 5 a-arms lol pm me for detials lol

 

Now that I think about it, I do think my lower ball joints pressed in instead of being threaded in as I stated earlier. It has been awhile since I replaced them. Memory is a little foggy.

 

Have any of you used the 7226s moog springs? do they ride rougher? if somebody has a diagram of a 2wd front axle i would like to see it. Thanks for all the help.
ez

 

[What do you call the diagonal rods that go from the lower a arms forward to mounts on the frame? ]

I'm not sure what they are called either but you'll need those new rubber bushings.

You should get new rubber isolators for the tops of the springs also.

have you considered polyurethane control arm bushings?