I need to replace both upper and lower ball joints. How difficult is this? I know I have to replace the upper control arm as well for the upper ball joints and that I need the tool to replace lower ball joints.

Any helpful advice is always appreciated.

Thanks...Scott

 

The best thing you can do is take it in to a front end shop, have them put them on with a caster/camber adjustment kit at the same time and have it aligned. Haven't seen one yet that didn't need it.

I wonder if Ford's published caster/camber is different than factory? That's about the only thing that would make sense because they are _always_ out of spec.

More to the point, no, it's not hard. Autozone should be able to provide the tool. Be sure to check the idler arm, pitman arm, and tie-rods while you're at it. If both ball-joints need replacing, a couple other things are probably near expiration as well. Use a pry-bar to check play. The truck's a lot heavier than you are strong. You can't feel the slack that's there with just arm strength. Just be careful not to pull the truck off the jack stands if you have it up, cause that would suck.

Oh, btw, don't use heat (ie torch) to aid in removal or installation EVER. Heat bad, bad heat bad bad bad. Anybody who tells you otherwise deserves to have their friggin control arm come apart and kill themselves.

 

I bought a kit at Harbor Freight, apprx $30, to remove/replace lower ball joints. Its really just a huge C-clamp with different tubing adapters to fit different diameters of parts. I did have to use an old wheel bearing race to get the right fit tho because the tubing adapters were too long(tall) to fit inside clamp when its placed over ball joint and a-arm, of course, you could always cut one down. Wasn't hard to do with this clamp.