Just did my first ball joint but need pointers on coil spacers for next time.
 

The upper ball joint was very easy compared to what people describe it to be. I would like to swap out the other three then the tie rods. I had a neighbor pull down on the upper control arm to get the nut on the bottom of the ball joint but it seems like if I add the 2" spacer on top of the coil spring like I hope to do it would be to hard to pull down. Should I rig up a ratchet strap or get those spring compressors? It seems like the spacer might add a lot of stress to the system but guys here dont report many problems. Thanks y'all.

I want to come up a couple of inches because this is a work truck that drags the ball mount almost once a week at job sites when loaded. Needs to be higher.

Not sure what you are asking.

A 2" spacer goes on top of the spring and bolts to the tower, its not really near the ball joints.

How is the spring involved in replacing the ball joints?

I'd do airbags on the rear or flip the slip hitch over to get the height you need.

When I am in there for the rest of the ball joint changes I will install the 2" spacers. After you add the spacers you will have to connect the arm to the knuckle and install the nut on the ball joint. It will be very hard to get the upper control arm down far enough.

I have a custom made adjustable hitch along with my pintle set up so it gets flipped and changed all the time. Flipping wont help anything. Thanks for the idea. Work trucks should just not be made this low to the ground.

I gotcha now, the 2 inch leveling kit draws the axle backwards a bit but isn't considered too much to use the stock upper control arms.

There is some issue with the 02's IIRC since the axle sits farther forward than the past 8 years did on the 4X4's.

The bumper pull hitches are always never the right height, are they? Was dealing with this same issue yesterday on a flatbed.

I always liked the idea of running the hitch receiver out at the frame level, through a custom bumper and using an adjustable hitch set up on a pick up. The set up on our C6500 is kinda like this, and is fine till we need to haul a trailer with one of our pickups, then we end up changing the height on the reciever plate....

Spring compressors work great, But i'd suggest getting the internal compressors. They go on the inside of the coil springs and hook on to both sides of the spring. I used the compressors that hooked on to the outside of the spring and it wasn't really safe, they only dray down one side of the spring.

they are tough to get in, axle dropped as far as it could go and spring compressed so far i wore my dirt bike helmet and chest protector as i placed it back in!

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WOW, please share how you got that ball joint out!! I had a shop say they could not aline my truck because the ball joints where shot. they showed me, and they were shot... I hear this helll of a noise and I am thinking I hope that is not my truck. Look out, yep, my truck. he had some thing that looked like a small jack hammer up under there to get them out. there is no way I could have ever got them out at home with my own tools. 850 for 4 of them. I thought I just got screwed.. but then I saw the joints ranged from 150 to 170 each. so like 200 in labor, with the front end alinement. I looked at the old ball joints.. no way could I have gotten them out..

Inside spring compressor, got it. Thanks

I forgot to rent the fork to separate the knuckle from the control arm so I cut the ball joint with the reciprocating saw then used the press to remove both ends. I wish the press was smaller so I could have gotten one of my impacts on it but no dice. I turned ratchet by hand with a pipe on the end. The advanced free rental press with mandrels did great. A single ball joint swap should be a one hour job. I had a helper but it could be done solo.

I hear ya joem......my butt was puckered also!!! haha