I'm about to do ball joints on this truck for the second time. The first time was a nightmare -- I had to make ball joint press adapters out of exhaust tubing because none in the kit would work.

So, what is the right tool for the job? Is it the one Quad 4x4 sells? Is it OTC 8031? The Amazon reviews said that the receiver cup with OTC 8031 was still about 1/16" too big for the lower BJ.

 

I have the OTC 7249 set, purchased from Amazon. I used the largest adapter in that set when I did the ball joints on my 96.

Chris

 

What about this set from HF?
http://www.harborfreight.com/14-piec...set-66958.html

 

Doing my 99 ind suspension right now using HF cheapo and making my adaptors on the fly. Various pipe nipples/couplings from Home Depot is a lot cheaper than the high dollar sets. You can cut the lengths down as needed. Mine's been up in the air for several weeks now awaiting the rest of the parts. Of course the old computer crashing and burning helped slow progress to a snail pace. (Windows 8 SUCKS BTW!)

 

I just made them out of exhaust tubing again and used a standard ball joint press. It was a PITA, but not as bad as before.

For anyone looking to make their own adapters (for the lower BJ): I went to the parts store and hunted through the exhaust tubing sections and adapters until I found a smaller one that the lower BJ would just fit into. Then I found another piece that would not quite slide over the first piece of pipe. I got them home, cut them to length, and hammered them together with a 3lb hammer. Use blocks of wood on both ends so as not to collapse the tubing. Be sure to leave the smaller pipe sticking out about 1/2" from the larger outer pipe on the end that goes in the recess on the bottom side of the ear that holds the BJ. Otherwise it might not fit up in there.

 

Well, this is how I wound up pressing my lowers after several attempts with the HF cheapo set. The press clamp just wasn't deep enough and the way the A frame is made, I couldn't get a straight inline position on it thus getting the B joint crooked. I was in the yard one day, looked over at my heavy duty bench and the light bulb went off. Set it up and using the adaptors from the HF set and my 20 ton hydro jack, I had them in in no time and straight as an arrow. Being as the bench is pretty long and the square tubing is only 2" x 1/4" I would jack a couple of strokes then hit on top of the bench with my wood maul a couple of licks. Worked great!

 

"Hi Stamey, My name is Humblecowboy and I'm a Stage II Cumminsaholic"

 

mine is a 2wd, forgot to put it on my signature, i checked out the link you put up, mine aren't pressed in they are riveted, 4 on the bottom an 3 on the top, it was alot of grinding and alot of drilling, and i didn't take the control arms out, it looks like someone changed the control arm bushings an one upper ball joint, go figure, anyway, had front end aligned to day, it was wayyyyy off, and i set everything to the old parts, i'm glad it's over, you just don't do old people like that hehe

 

I hear ya on that one! In my yesteryears the ball joints were riveted in and the new ones bolted in. It was a pain getting the old ones out.