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Jimmer
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
11/21/2004
20:41:22
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 Subject: Upper Ball Joint Replacement
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I am in the process of repairing all the problems that have cropped up on my '00 R/T.
Ball Joints are next.
I have read/heard several different procedures for removing the old joints.
What is your recommendation.
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Kory
GenIII
 
11/21/2004
21:10:55
| RE: Upper Ball Joint Replacement
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Message:
Actually, that's funny...I just did my upper ball joints last night! I used my angle grinder to grind the heads off the rivets, and grind the rivets down a bit. Then I punched the rivets out with a hammer and a punch. Worked pretty good, but I had to grind a little more than I planned-on...still only took me a few hours. Not a bad job. If you have the tools and know how to use them, I highly reccommend saving yourself the $200 in labor and doing them yourself. ($200 was the labor price I was quoted when I went to get my alignment done and found out they were bad).
~Kory
1998 Dakota Sport, 4X4, 5.2L, 5-spd, Rancho 3
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HSKR
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
11/21/2004
21:39:34
|  RE: Upper Ball Joint Replacement
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As Kory said, grind off the heads of the rivits,, but if you want to save some time,instead of using a hammer and punch to tap the rivits out, just smack the crap out of the balljoint and it will come off(after you grind down the rivits) then the rest of the rivits will come out fairly easy.
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Jimmer
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
11/22/2004
08:14:34
| RE: Upper Ball Joint Replacement
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Message:
Has anyone used a air chisel to remove the rivets?
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99dakota
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
11/22/2004
08:20:00
| RE: Upper Ball Joint Replacement
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Message:
I just did all 4 balljionts on my 99 4x4 the uppers were easy like said in the earlier posts but the lowers suck on a 4x4 you have to remove everything on the streering knuckle to get the cv shaft out of the way. everything was rusted on on my truck too luckly you can unbolt the hub assembly from the backside or I never would have gotten my right rotor off.
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Figols
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
11/22/2004
09:37:27
| RE: Upper Ball Joint Replacement
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I just did mine on my '00 QC yesterday. They weren't making noise and still seemed nice and tight, but once I popped them off the spindle they just about fell apart in my hand! Once again WAY TO GO DODGE!! In anycase, it took me about 20 minutes on each side to replace them. I used an angle grinder to cut a groove in the center of the rivit head(slicing it in half)and then my air chisel to knock the heads off. I tired knocking the heads off with just the air chisel, but it just wasn't cutting in effectivly. Once the rivit heads were off I used the air chisel to pop off the ball joint fromt he control arm. After the ball joint was off I was able to just tap the remainder of the rivits through the holes with a hammer. Piece of cake with the right tools.
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Tom M
GenIII
11/22/2004
12:43:28
| RE: Upper Ball Joint Replacement
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Message:
Here's a repeat of a post I put on the members board:
Changed out balljoints, shocks & pads last weekend. Make sure you have sockets big enough to fit the larger nuts, such as wheel axle nut, upper & lower ball joint nuts, and a torque wrench for at least 150lbs. I also have an air compressor, air chisel, impact wrench, and a good selection of wrenches.
Don't forget to back off the torsion bars first.
Getting the wheel hubs off were a problem. I resorted to a large brass punch and machinist's hammer to gently bang on the hub sections from three different directions, alternating after each hit so not to bend anything.
I used an air chisel to remove the rivets holding the upper ball joint. Originally started with a grinder (and new disc)but that took 10 minutes per rivet and lots of sparks. Air chisel, start at low pressure to raise the lip of a rivet then gradually raise pressure. Took 3 minutes per rivet. Then used "pickle" fork in the air chisel to separate the spindle & ball joint. Bottom ball joint requires a ball joint press kit (I got one from Harbor Freight for $50). Be careful when aligning the "drop down" for the ball joint. There is little lip between the edge of the lower arm and the ball joint edge. Again used an impact gun to press out the lower joint. Pressed in the lower using the "c" press and air gun.
Shocks were a problem. Used a channel lock on the top to hold the shaft from turning while yanking on a 9/16ths box wrench. On the other side the nut would budge. Had to use a chisel to split the nut. In retrospect I will go buy the special shock removal socket. I think Eastwood sells it for around $10.
The diffence is incredible! Between the shocks (Monroe Reflex) correcting the "jumpiness" over every little bump and the tightness of the better ball joints (Moog) I'm gonna keep this pig !
02 RC Sport Plus 4x4 4.7L 5spd 3.93 LSD
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