OK, I need to replace the lower ball joint on my 4x4. My question is do you have to remove the 4x4 axle to loosen the lower ball joint nut. Or how does one get in their to get it loose?

Thanks.

 

One of the few jobs that I had a shop do, so no first-hand experience.

However, looking at the shop manual - to get the tool press in place to push the old one out - it looks like things will go MUCH easier if the axle is out of the way.

Judging by their (Chilton's) procedure, it seems that they suggest to do both upper and lower while you're at it.

 

Same here. I know the shop owner so he let me watch him do it. He did remove my front axle to get to it. I only needed the lower, but like wde3477 said, better off doing the upper as well.

I had the Moog upper and lower installed, nice to have grease fittings now.

 

I did this job on my 92. The problem is that you have to take the steering knuckle out to press out the ball joints. I used a vice and some bushings to do mine. My dad has an old shop with a lot of loose stuff lying around, brass bushings from equipt., pipes fittings etc. I found a bushing and piece of exhaust pipe that I used to press mine out.

I did it myself because I had some other problems to fix, rusted splashguards, u-joints, mismatched hubs, bad tie-rods, etc. My alignment was bad and I wanted to do this and get it right.

The Haynes manual had good directions. I don't think it would be a big deal to take it all apart and take the steering knuckle to a shop to get them pressed out and replaced. The directions call for a c-clamp with collars. I made do with what I could find, but messed up a ball joint and had to buy another.

Be prepared that opening this up will probably show more stuff that needs fixed. I didn't expect the u-joints but I'm glad I found them. One thing I missed was putting new axle seals in the differential housing. I should have done that, but didn't think about it.

 

But this procedure is very well explained here:

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/36...ght=ball+joint

Sorry, but I dont know how to hyperlink!