How to replace lower ball joint?????

[LittleBeast]

Ryan did you get this finished? I just noticed that I've got a torn boot over my lower ball joint. any advice would be much appreciated!

Yeah, but replacing the CV boots does not require replacing the ball joint, but if you do want to remove and or replace the ball joint it requires removal of the HUB, which is no big deal once you know what you are doing, but it does add about 30 mins removal and 30 mins to replace if you take your time.

I'll be doing my uppers/lowers and CV boots as soon as my parts come in, I'll take pics for yall. I was just planning on removing the brake caliper and storing it out of the way, popping the hub off and taking the c-clip out, popping all the joints loose and just removing the spindle all together. It sounds like a pain but did it in my Rodeo and was 10 times faster. I did one side by trying to find a way to AVOID doing it that way and afterwards decided to just pull it all off, made things SOOOOOO much easier. Figure it'll make doing the boots alot easier too.

The instructions on this site for replacing the CV boots is all you need. Tom4Bren has digital copies if you cannot find them:

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=9031

[RamAirZ]

I've done them on the Rodeo and a Trooper before so shouldn't be any different. The Mecatech's don't even need you to remove the joint at all (supposedly with their special cone tool). That thread doesn't have any pictures anymore by the way lol. Thanks for the link though, since I am doing the upper and lower joints as well as boots, figure I'll just give myself plenty of room, alot easier that way, at least for me.

[etlsport]

well I need to replace the lower ball joint on the passenger side, the rubber boot on it is torn (not the CV boot, sorry for the confusion) im trying to decide if its worth just getting 4 new ball joints and replacing them all in one shot along with pads, rotors and hubs. i figure if one went, the others probably arent too far behind at 96k.. pads/rotors have about 50k on them, still look ok though, but since i have the hub off..

i've got some time to think about it

[RamAirZ]

I would just do em' all so you can get it done at once. But that's me, because you never know, you could always damage the other boot by a stray screwdriver or something while working (I know I know but ti COULD happen) and you'd be really pissed lol.

[sindarin]

Dude I am about to go through this nightmare atm... Uppers came off with a 3 foot pipe used for leverage on a 1/2" Drive 14mm with a wedged box end on the nut (Thank God the Ball joints come with new bolts/nuts) What is this "Upper Ball Joint FLIP" I missed and didn't do.. Am I screwed in the next 5 years for not doing this and replacing it in factory style!?!?!?!

Will it snap loose, hit the fuel line and send me down a Denver road in a flaming ball of death before long!?!?!?!?!

[tom4bren]

Nah, it just gives you some additional camber adjustment if you're lifted.

[sindarin]

Ok so in the next week or so, I'm goin for a Rocky-Road 3" lift with new OME Shocks/Springs (I despise Rancho-y Air shocks.. unreliable, leaky things in my universe... gas is Godly)

Looks like I just need to unbolt the top 3 nuts/bolts and juke it UNDER that flap it bolts into.. Whats with "the spacer" and Tom, looking for an update on the trailer hitch if u got one man! All the best

[Lizardmen3477]

Tom them pics are kinda hard to see so for a ball joint flip your not actually flipping it just mounting it underneath the control arm instead of on top?

[tom4bren]

Tom them pics are kinda hard to see so for a ball joint flip your not actually flipping it just mounting it underneath the control arm instead of on top?

I shamelessly stole the How2 so can't take blame or credit for pic quality.

I also didn't come up with the term 'ball joint flip'. I agree that the term is misleading but it's caught on now so ...

Actually even though the ball joint isn't being flipped, you are flipping from the upper side to the lower side of the mount.