Fun with ball joints
#1
Fun with ball joints
Attachment 1032042001 taco 3.5 Trd supercharger, 5 speed with 130k on the clock. I decided to rebuild the front end. I replaced the inner and outer tie rods 3 years ago when I installed a lift kit. My left hand CV axle boot ripped sometime over the summer. I figured since I had to disassemble the lower BJ to replace the drive shaft I might as well replace the upper and lower ball joints along with the sway bar end link. The boots were ripped. I didn't feel any excess motion in the joints but I have seen the carnage when a ball joint fails so why not. Well that is where the fun began. I could not get the sway bar end link out. I heated it...tried penetrating oil you name it. After an hour of futile effort with the impact, I broke out the angle grinder. I cut the nuts off as close to the bracket as I could then used an air chisel to break off the remnants of the nut and punched out the link. That was the hardest part of the job. Everything else was pretty straightforward.
Got the Left side reassembled last week. I used plenty of anti seize on the threads when I installed the lift kit but rust sets up quickly here in the northeast.
My advice is to use a Liberal amount of anti seize whenever and wherever they can. Well enjoy the photos ...working the right hand side tomorrow...wish me luck.
Got the Left side reassembled last week. I used plenty of anti seize on the threads when I installed the lift kit but rust sets up quickly here in the northeast.
My advice is to use a Liberal amount of anti seize whenever and wherever they can. Well enjoy the photos ...working the right hand side tomorrow...wish me luck.
Last edited by Darryl01088; 11-07-2015 at 06:08 PM. Reason: Photos
#5
When one of my sway bar end links broke and I drove through some dips on the interstate, the truck flopped from side to side like a fish out of water. I had to slow to below 65 in several places when the truck felt kinda -well- fishy. That happened twice BTW. If you like a truck that feels out of control then fine. Until you lose control and injure/kill somebody in another vehicle.
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