toobsluver
Full Access Member
Can you post a link? Maybe the seller has more up on ebay? I would just hate to get a ball joint press and it not work, break, and/or not have the right fittings need to press my ball joints out.
Help Needed Ball Joints on 2WD Excursion (replacement)
- Thread starter toobsluver
- Start date
police stroker
Full Access Member
Autozone also rents out these tools also.
DaveBen
SDD Senior Member
DaveBen
SDD Senior Member
OK, Here is a link to eBay/Automotive parts;
Search results for ball joint press in Automotive Tools
There are 41 ball joint presses here. And No, I won't buy it for you.
Dave
Search results for ball joint press in Automotive Tools
There are 41 ball joint presses here. And No, I won't buy it for you.
Dave
toobsluver
Full Access Member
Ok so for those of you that are interested.....
Here was my excruciating fight with the "X" last night! UGGGHHHH!!!
So work began at approximately 1PM I didn't finish until 12AM! I started on the passenger side. I also had a HAYNES repair manual just in case. Everything came apart quickly. I never used a ball joint press (rented from autozone) and it didn't come with directions. Pressed out ball joints with easy after messing around with all the cups and plates. It about 2PM now and I am beginning to press in the lower ball joint. I couldn't figure out how. I was pressing against a plate that was supplied with the kit and it was pressing against the threaded end of the ball joint! BIG MISTAKE. I ****ed up the (excuse the language) messed up the first 2 threads. I didn't have a die to fix the threads, luckily the friendly next door mechanic had a thread file. An hour later, we're back in business and the mechanic showed me how to press them in. Later on in the night pressing the ball joints out and in was a breeze needless to say.
So moving on, I installed the knuckle back on and started working on the radius arm bushing at this point its about 4 oclock, I was trying to use the press to press out the bushing but it just wasnt working. It was a pain in the ass. I didn't get that bushing out till almost 8PM. Mind you I stopped for about 15 minutes for dinner, (Burger King is so good when you are starving).
Anyways, back to the task in hand, so I get the old bushing out and go to work on putting the new one in, not so easy. I basically messed up and knurled the one end of the steel housing of the bushing. So I couldn't press it in or pull it out. At this point I am going crazy, because I am all cut up from the lack of room under my truck, the weight of the press is tiring my arms and nothing was going my way.
So, I sent my girlfriend back to my house to pick up my new D/S rotors that were shipped to my house and a sawsall. She comes back and me being excited to see my new D/S rotors, they're missing the god damn CERAMIC BRAKE PADS!
I payed extra shipping for this to get to me by saturday so I can get my Excursion back on the road. So I sit there pissing and moaning for like 5 minutes and get back to cutting out the radius arm bushing. Eventually with a little help of a grinder cutoff wheel I get it out. I put a new one in and I will explain how in a little bit.
So I get that done bolt it all up and I run over to the driver side of the truck and it's about 10 pm now. I pull off everything do the ball joints slam it back together and walla. It's 12AM in the morning I'm dirty as all hell and I am exhausted. Got home cracked open a beer and watched some TV. Ahhhhhh.
Ok a few morals of the story here. Well not morals but things to help anyone that is going to 2WD radius arm replacement. To help ease of installation of radius arm bushings, the steel shell of the bushing is stepped. Grind off some of the steel at the step so that the bushing gets pushed in far enough through to the other side and it is guided in there and it gets pressed in with ease. Just don't grind to far back towards the lip of the bushing then they wont be pressed in.
Also, why the hell do I have to mark the spot on the camber nut on the upper ball joint? It freaking has a tab on it and it can only go in one way. The Haynes Manual tells you to do this. I did it any ways for safe precaution but there is a tab on that and a slice in the steering knuckle for it to go into with limited movement of about 3/16 of an inch if that. So stupid, oh and my advice on the ball joint press, its like a puzzle figure it out! LOL!
Here was my excruciating fight with the "X" last night! UGGGHHHH!!!
So work began at approximately 1PM I didn't finish until 12AM! I started on the passenger side. I also had a HAYNES repair manual just in case. Everything came apart quickly. I never used a ball joint press (rented from autozone) and it didn't come with directions. Pressed out ball joints with easy after messing around with all the cups and plates. It about 2PM now and I am beginning to press in the lower ball joint. I couldn't figure out how. I was pressing against a plate that was supplied with the kit and it was pressing against the threaded end of the ball joint! BIG MISTAKE. I ****ed up the (excuse the language) messed up the first 2 threads. I didn't have a die to fix the threads, luckily the friendly next door mechanic had a thread file. An hour later, we're back in business and the mechanic showed me how to press them in. Later on in the night pressing the ball joints out and in was a breeze needless to say.
So moving on, I installed the knuckle back on and started working on the radius arm bushing at this point its about 4 oclock, I was trying to use the press to press out the bushing but it just wasnt working. It was a pain in the ass. I didn't get that bushing out till almost 8PM. Mind you I stopped for about 15 minutes for dinner, (Burger King is so good when you are starving).
Anyways, back to the task in hand, so I get the old bushing out and go to work on putting the new one in, not so easy. I basically messed up and knurled the one end of the steel housing of the bushing. So I couldn't press it in or pull it out. At this point I am going crazy, because I am all cut up from the lack of room under my truck, the weight of the press is tiring my arms and nothing was going my way.
So, I sent my girlfriend back to my house to pick up my new D/S rotors that were shipped to my house and a sawsall. She comes back and me being excited to see my new D/S rotors, they're missing the god damn CERAMIC BRAKE PADS!
I payed extra shipping for this to get to me by saturday so I can get my Excursion back on the road. So I sit there pissing and moaning for like 5 minutes and get back to cutting out the radius arm bushing. Eventually with a little help of a grinder cutoff wheel I get it out. I put a new one in and I will explain how in a little bit.
So I get that done bolt it all up and I run over to the driver side of the truck and it's about 10 pm now. I pull off everything do the ball joints slam it back together and walla. It's 12AM in the morning I'm dirty as all hell and I am exhausted. Got home cracked open a beer and watched some TV. Ahhhhhh.
Ok a few morals of the story here. Well not morals but things to help anyone that is going to 2WD radius arm replacement. To help ease of installation of radius arm bushings, the steel shell of the bushing is stepped. Grind off some of the steel at the step so that the bushing gets pushed in far enough through to the other side and it is guided in there and it gets pressed in with ease. Just don't grind to far back towards the lip of the bushing then they wont be pressed in.
Also, why the hell do I have to mark the spot on the camber nut on the upper ball joint? It freaking has a tab on it and it can only go in one way. The Haynes Manual tells you to do this. I did it any ways for safe precaution but there is a tab on that and a slice in the steering knuckle for it to go into with limited movement of about 3/16 of an inch if that. So stupid, oh and my advice on the ball joint press, its like a puzzle figure it out! LOL!
