Money is really tight at the moment and I have bad lower ball joints. 2 questions. Am I going to be able to replace them? Do I have to replace the entire lower control arm? All my research says I have to replace the control arm, but when I called the parts shop they told me they sold just the ball joint. Input would be great.

 

I believe it depends on what type of drive your truck has. If it's 2WD you have to replace the entire control arm. If it's 4x4 you can replace just the ball joint.

 

I have a 4x4. How much trouble is this going to be?

 

That I'm not sure of. I just remembered skimming over that part in the Chilton manual while looking for preventative maintenance procedures. It looked somewhat involved to me, so I figured I'd wait for there to be a problem before I tried to fix it.

-Jeff

 

Thanks for the advice. I called around locally and if I do it myself I'll be able to get away with about 70 bucks, professionally done will cost me in the area of 300. Thanks for the help.

 

Here is my technique for lower ball joint on a 4x4, replacing the lower control arm would have been much easier.

Yes, there is vertical movement when you have the tire off and you push down on the rotor, you will get separation between the knuckle and the lower control arm.

It is an easy job if you have a ball peen hammer and about a 3 pound sledge.

It goes as follows....

Tools----Impact wrench, two jacks (or stack of bricks to put under lower control arm see below), larger size ball peen hammer, 2 pound sledge, AXLE NUT SOCKET!, BALL JOINT PRESS KIT. These are both offered free at Murrays, Auto zone.
I wont include jacking procedure
1. remove wheel.
2. remove brake and rotor and thin metal shield
3. remove bolt to upper control arm (upper ball joint)
4. JUST BANG ON THE knuckle with sledge to get it off the pressure fit bolt shaft.
5. TAKE OFF axle nut and pull CV HALF SHAFT out of the way.
6. REMOVE lower ball joint castle nut and BEAT knuckle free.
7. Now you have access to the lower ball joint safely.
8. Support the lower arm with something to support some pounding.
8a. Remove the C clip that is around the ball joint.
9. Using BALL PEEN HAMMER as a go between, hold the ball side of the hammer on the LOWER BALL JOINT and hit the flat side with the hammer.
10. HIT IT HARD, HIT IT HARDER, HIT IT HARDERER, have a friend hit it harder. You are trying to beat the ball joint out of its extremely tight fit, but make sure you are hitting it the right way, should be obvious. THe ball joint will get a dent in the top from your pounding, but keep on hitting. When the sucker moves for the first time have a big round of applause and take a break, get dinner and beer because you have the new ball joint in the freezer so it shrinks a little so you can press the new one in right?
11. FINISH beating it out.
12. Figure out how to use your ball joint press.
13. Take new ball joint out of freezer and run, put it in and it goes in with several hard turns and about 15 seconds.

Put everything back together.

PS. Check your tie rods by placing the wheels on the ground and cranking the steering wheel left and right. If you see the tie rod ends "jump" they are bad. Extremely easy to do if you have a torch.

p.s. The ball joint is like 32$
Tie rod end is like 30$
Upper control arm is like 30$
Idler arm is like 52$
CV joint is 90$