anyone have the procedure for replacing them?

 

Well, I just did it and that's the way it went for me.

-Raise truck and remove wheels, brake calipers (be careful not to cut rubber line), and caliper holder.
-Remove the 4 round clips that hold rotor on studs and remove it.
-Take cotter pin out and remove center nut (very tight).
-I removed tie rod from assembly so it can rotate it freely.
-Loosen the 4 bolts on back of bearing hub, but leave them at least 1/2 way in.
-You can but a special tool to do next step I used an impact deep socket (I am cheap) that fits over bolt head but not over flare and pounded with a large hammer alternating each bolt in a cross pattern, this way you can remove bearing hub assembly.
-Remove (slide out) driveshaft completely from axle.
-Using press tool (rented at Napa) I removed upper ball joint, then removed clip from bottom and drove it out (you can hammer it down but be careful not to widen the head section).
-Cleaned surfaces very well with 1000grit sandpaper, cleaned bearing hub mounting area with steel brush.

Installation is reverse of disassembly:
-I started with bottom joint, I used a MOOG , you have to keep grease zerk pointing forward (that's what instructions say and it's very easy to grease later). I drove it in with press tool, then proceeded to install upper joint, using same tool.
-All the other components get re-installed just like you did remove them, but as I said BE SURE the "stupid" rotor dust shield gets mounted correctly, or you will end up installing hub, caliper support and....find out you have to remove them again

That's was the way I did it. I am sure some pro will find an easier way.
One thing I kept thinking ALL THE WAY through was the guy that said he can do both sides in 40 minutes.... you are welcome at my house ANYTIME, especially next time I have to do this, the adult beverages are on me, as many as you want

I am also sure many will pitch in and add some more suggestions, I should have taken pictures, but I didn't sorry.

 

thanks for the help, I have a 2wd so theres no axle up front.

do I still have to remove the hub?

Im thinking on mine I can get away with removing the lower control arm bolts that bolt of the frame, remove the lower shock, remove the cotter pin and bolt out of the lower ball joint and hopefully I can work the ball joint press in there enough to pop it out?

 

Knock the whole spindle off the balljoints and set it aside. Very little disassembly other than that. These rivets must be on the newer models, my 98 were just pressed in and out. Took me the better part of a day to do it, but I work at a leisurely pace, did all four joints as well as all the tie rods. Might want to get an extra set of hands, that knuckle with all the junk on it is a pretty good weight.

 

i think if your bj's are the same as mine they are riveted in, upper have three rivets, lower have four.....grind the rivets off, then drive them out with a punch. i used a home made press.... you need a 11/8 ball joint separator (pickle fork) for the bottom

 

mine are the same, there is 4 rivets at the bottom.
it seems pretty straight forward on my 2wd unless im mistaken,
1 disconnect the shock
2 take the lower bolts out of the control arm to the frame
3 take the cotter pin and the nut off the lower ball joint and separate with a pickle fork
4 that should allow me to take the entire control arm over to my drill press where I can drill the rivets out


am I pretty close to home or is it more involved then this?

 

Can you grind or use a hand drill instead? Seems to me it would be easier that way, depending how rusty the underside of the truck is.

 

I have not done this on a Dodge truck, but I have on 60 chevys. The principle is the same. If you take out the lower control arm, you are gonna have to contend with the spring. I would do it this way on a 2WD.

Raise the front of the truck and put a jack stand under the lower control arm.
Remove the wheel, caliper and rotor. Hang the caliper on a piece of baling wire so the hose doesn't get damaged. Now you can go to town on the upper & lower bawl joints. If the spring is extended too much so you can't work, put your jack under the opposite corner of the truck at the rear to put more weight on the jack stand and compress the spring more.
Be VERY careful working with the spring. If it pops out, it can kill you. I would not do this without a sturdy jack stand under the lower control arm.
I might even wrap a chain around it. Those rented spring compressors look too wimpy to be used on a truck. Don't depend on the shock absorber to hold it either. Do one side at a time and put it all back together before you start on the other side.

 

This is the hardest method..DONT remove the lower arm!! as it is spring loaded, Jack the veh up leave on axel stands under the frame then place the jack under the lower control arm and take up the strain if you don't when the ball joint is seperated from the spindle you will be eating a control arm, and if you try to reinstal it you will not be able to compress the spring enough to get the arm back on.
it is best to leave the arm in place and grind or chizel off the rivit head then drill out the rivit, I usually make a pass with a couple of different sizes, then punch the rivit out with a punch or air hammer.
I've never replaced BJ on on a 2500 2wd dodge, but the same safety rules apply, I've changed many different BJ on many different vehs in my 21yrs as a mechanic, just remember to place the jack under the control arm, after the BJ has been seperated you can lower the jack a bit to help seperate the BJ and spindle.

also I NEVER use a pickel fork, If you hit the spindle where the BJ joes in, with a couple of solid well placed smacks with a hammer it will pop apart. very hard to explain by typing but feel free to PM me your phone number and I'll call and explain it in greater detail

 

everyday - look around for a better price, and have the #, around here O'Reileys will price match if you get a better price.

 

Here I found a pictorial instruction on doing the bawl joints on a 4X4 with a Dana 44 front axle. Maybe help someone!!

http://www.pavementsucks.com/tech/balljoint.php

 

I did it on my 4x4 and all I can say is buy beer and get that guy who can do it in 40min per side over to your place, even if that means a plane ticket! Ive never done the ***** on a 2wd but I would hope its easier than my 4x4!

 

thanks for the help, I took your advice and wound up negotiating 75 each

 

should i do the top ball joints since im already going to have it appart? It should cost me around 150 more to do it since im doing the work myself.

two different shops said they were ok but not great. im just wondering if i should do it while im half way there.

 

I would. Definitely worth the extra time now rather than pulling it apart 10k miles down the road....