Just did the balljoints on one side of my rig, and thought I'd share a few tricks I learned along the way since I didn't run into them when I did searches before doing mine.

First, PORTAPOWER IS YOUR FRIEND. Beg borrow or... well maybe not steal, but the 10 ton short ram makes quick work of pressing them out. Appx 1" wide (between forks) pickle fork knocks the knuckle off pretty easy.

I used the short ram to smash the top one apart (shaft through the top) and then pressed it out. Hammering on the flange with pressure on it makes it a little smoother. Penetrating oil doesn't hurt either.

But the big trick I found was for putting the bottom balljoint in. As far as I can tell, most folks just bludgeon them in, sort of a pain. I set a longer ram in place under a socket so the stud would pass through the socket (3/4" drive) and into the pocket of the ram. The other end sat on a block of wood to not ding up the concrete and pushed up at an angle.

I set up a floorjack under the axle gently applied so that if things went sideways the axle would be supported if things shifted. I then used the ram to just barely take the axle off the stand. Other side had the wheel on the ground.

Then I sledged on the axle flanges around the hole for the lower balljoint and it slipped right in about 1/4" at a time. SOOO much easier! Brain required. If you don't understand, take the time to figure it out before trying. Don't want a truck parked on your chest.

Having said that, it made installing the lower a LOT easier.

Anyone feels like adding any tips, that'd be great. It wasn't as tough as I thought it would be, but the porta power was a MUST.

 

Or you could just rent a ball joint press, haha. I'm about to do mine actually, you have any ingenius ideas as to getting the hub off? I have heard the trick with the extension and using the power steering, but it was still a pain last time I changed my hub out.

 

I have the screw presses, and IMO the hydraulics work way better/easier.

As to the unit bearing, I have been really lucky and they popped right out. Penetrating oil and time seem to make that sort of thing a lot easier though. I was ready to use a 10 pound splitting maul like a nine iron on it, but the driver's side came out with a few taps with a plastic dead blow, and the passenger with light taps with a 5 pound sledge. Had to bust out plasma on the axle nut though. 3/4" drive breaker and jumping up and down on a huge cheater wouldn't get it loose.

BTW one other thing; The top is actually not a balljoint. This was something I was concerned about since if there is a ball top and bottom like on old school knuckles, setting preload is somewhat critical. Too loose and it's sloppy. Too tight and your steering is "jerky". The uppers on mine were sleeve joints. Looks like delrin (plastic) against a cylindrical stud with a soft bushing around the perimeter.

This means that since the upper can slide freely up and down, preload is irrelevant, just push them in.

 

wait, so there is up and down play in the upper joint??? Thats the ones they wrote me up for when I got it inspected... I'm gonna have to crawl under there and have a look, might be goin back to dispute the failure

 

uppers do move in and out, problem is the lower is not susposed to so if the spindle moves up and down the lower is really the only culprit, you are allowed 50thou movement up and down, no lateral movement.

I find it easiest to jack up under the axel (taking load off of tire) and use a pry bar under the u-joint and pry up or down depending if you have a 00-02 or 00 and earlier, doing this way allows you to observe the spindle movement.
this is stud compressed on a new and old BJ

this is stud extended

 

All right, thanks Nick. I always just jack up and pry up under the tire, but your way helps determine which one is bad.

(sorry for the threadjack, I'm done now)