hey, sorry for starting another thread, but i couldnt find the info in a search. i just bought a daystar 1.5" leveling kit for my '98 2wd and am gonna start installing it soon. the instructions say to "disconnect the upper ball joint from the top of the spindle using the propper tools." i need to know if i have to run out and get these tools before the stores close. thanks in advance.

 

it should just be a nut on a ball joint

 

After you get the nut off the ball joint, smack it with a big frickin hammer(BFH to the layperson) and itll pop off

 

ok. thanks. i just realized that it doesnt list anything on what tools you are gonna need. so im just gonna play it by ear. ill use the writeup from the AS level kit here and figure it out. ill try to remember to get pics and post up my own "how to". thanks. ill let everybody know how it goes.

 

yeah it should be pretty basic.

dont jack it up from the control arm, do it form the cross member, take the wheel off take the upper ball joint nut off from the spindle hit it with a hammer till it comes loose, take out the coil set up, bolt the spacer to it, put it back in. you may need to take off the tie rod end too. i dont remember exactly.

 

Why not use a Ball Joint Fork ?

 

wont work you need a big a$$ one. easier with a pitman arm puller or just smacking it

 

when you do it, do not hit the bottom of the ball joint with a hammer, all you need to do is hit the side of the knuckle where it is tappered for the ball joint, it wont damage the knuckle or the ball joint this way;and buy some PB blaster.

 

it worked for me and my friend when lifting his front a bit. we rented one from advance auto, it worked great.

 

I know I've done many using a Ball Joint fork . Maybe He doesn't know they make different sizes of Forks .

 

Way too easy to tear up the boots with a pickle fork. If you're replacing the balljoints/tie rod ends/etc then pickle forks are fine. If you need to save the boots it works better to pop them loose with a hammer. And like somebody said, you want to smack the knuckle where the balljoint goes through, not the end of the balljoint stud.

 

when i installed my lift i used a pickle fork not really thinking about it and ruined a boot on my upper control arm. BIG mistake!

 

i can definitely see the chance of ruining your ball joints, we did it without destroying them. and have they ever been replaced before? couldn't hurt to go ahead and replace them now

 

ok well, an update. im done now, and it was really simple. it was a good bit different on the 98 than the 2004 FX4 used in the write-up i took the directions from. same general directions, but slightly different. on mine, the strut actually comes out, then you remove the spring. there is one bolt holding the top of the strut in place and the spring isnt bolted in place. and when you said to use a big freaking hammer to separate the ball joint, you werent kidding! i didnt get the message to hit the side of the ball joint, and we didnt have a sledge hammer here, so we were using an "engineer's hammer"(a mini sledge). i must've spent 20 minutes pounding on the first one before it came loose. i took a few pics and i'll post them up in a new thread when i get a chance. so glad i didnt waste the $300 they were gonna charge me for the shop to install it!