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My local Advance Auto has ball joint tool kit they loan out. Basically you buy the kit and can bring it back within 30 days and get your money back. Good luck.
Edit: A special socket is needed to unscrew the top ball joint and install the new one. Becareful as it is easy to strip the threads out of the UCA. I had to replace the UCA because the previous owner welded the ball joint in place. If you need specific information send me a PM.
How are you able to go about telling if you have a threaded ball joint? is it only the top that would be threaded?
I'm betting the ball joints on my '89 D150 (spring suspension) have never been done.
How are you able to go about telling if you have a threaded ball joint? is it only the top that would be threaded?
I'm betting the ball joints on my '89 D150 (spring suspension) have never been done.
i think you can tell if they are threaded in or pressed in by the shape of the head on them.
Doesn't the ball joint stud seat in the spindle hole when you torque it to spec? I'm new at this as well and finding most garages don't know as much as they claim on these older trucks. Sounds more like the cat pressed the ball joint out and didn't want to own up to his mistake because if he did it surely ruined the upper control arm. If I understand ball joints correctly it's all about tensile strength of the ball joint when working with something so close to each other. I bought the 3000 lbs ball joints not knowing gvw difference but learned for this vehicle and manufacture of ball joint it didn't matter they were the same.
I replaced all of my steering linkage and ball joints and cam and caster parts and upper control arms and had the garage align it and now it binds on the pavement like a 4x4 and they can't figure out why on top of them calling it good to go and I can't drive it now. Their fall back is I supplied the parts. so anytime I make a hard turn it binds.
I'm thinking when I put the adjusting sleeves on and tie rod ends in I screwed them in to far. so maybe if I take the right side apart re-thread the sleeve on and then the tie rod end maybe I can back it off.
It was actually on the alignment rack when we did this work and sitting at ride height when the final tightening was done.