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How difficult is it to do it yourself? I have a '93 GMC Sierra Z71. I was just quoted $530 for one side upper and lower ball joints. I am pretty sure the parts are not that expensive and how much labor am I looking at?
Ball Joints?
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wow thats alot of money. the joints are around 40 a piece. difficulty depends on if they are original joints or not. factory joints are riveted into the control arms and require you to grind the head of the rivet and punch them out. the new ones are supplied with bolts to reinstall them. HOWEVER. depending where you get them from the bolts they supply may be cheap shit grade 5 or less bolts. i have found this mostly with lower grade parts. i always go to my hardware store and buy grade 8 fasteners in the size required as extra insurance even with higher quality balljoints. i typically charge 80 a side for uppers and lowers on gm trucks.
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39 Posts
When you use the bolt in type do you have to have a ball joint press to press them in?
I will gladly pay you $80 to do mine, both side even. $160 for the whole deal sounds more like it. Do you want to come up to Midland and help me out?
I just watched a video on youtube and it looks fairly easy to do. It just takes alot of pounding to get the old ones out.
I will gladly pay you $80 to do mine, both side even. $160 for the whole deal sounds more like it. Do you want to come up to Midland and help me out?
I just watched a video on youtube and it looks fairly easy to do. It just takes alot of pounding to get the old ones out.
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If you drive it down to my house, I'll do it for the 160 + parts.
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Took me 8 hours to do all 4 on the Wifes Bravada a month ago, that involved a lot of breaks, beer, swearing, throwing tools. I had everything to do the job including air tools, some people say you can use an air chisel to chisel of the top of the rivets (BULLSHIT) I ended up using a die grinder with a bur bit and that worked the best. The upper ball joints came out pretty easy however the lower ones was a pain in the ass because the only way to get them out was to stick a socket where the grease zert is and hammer for an hour on each side.
PS: You will need to remove the wheel hub assembly, your ABS sensor is connected to it, there is an allen bolt that holds it in (Do not take that bolt out) instead follow the wire until you find the plug and disconnect it from there...I made the mistake of taking out the ABS sensor right from the hub and now I have an abs light, I don't know if I got shit down in there or if the sensor is sensitive to the distance from the reluctor wheel or what ever the case maybe but it don't work now and I need to replace the whole assembly.
PS: You will need to remove the wheel hub assembly, your ABS sensor is connected to it, there is an allen bolt that holds it in (Do not take that bolt out) instead follow the wire until you find the plug and disconnect it from there...I made the mistake of taking out the ABS sensor right from the hub and now I have an abs light, I don't know if I got shit down in there or if the sensor is sensitive to the distance from the reluctor wheel or what ever the case maybe but it don't work now and I need to replace the whole assembly.
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Eaton Rapids is a little far for my old rusty beater. Is anyone closer willing to do it?
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I figured I'd offer. I've done them quite a few times, and have the process down. Including the beer breaks that Disturban speaks of. oh, and midland is only an hour a 45 minutes away.
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I think I am going to take a crack at it. I might just have a few questions when I get it going. I won't be able to do this until next weekend at the earliest.
Other then basic hand tools and cold beer, do you think I need anything else?
What is one of the best brands for the best price? I like the idea of joints I could regrease. I hear they last longer that way.
Other then basic hand tools and cold beer, do you think I need anything else?
What is one of the best brands for the best price? I like the idea of joints I could regrease. I hear they last longer that way.
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23 Posts
I just put Moog ball joints in my truck and they are greasable and are very good quaility for the price.
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39 Posts
The Moog ball joints look good.
What about tools? I am going at it with a ratchet, wrenches and a hammer.
Do I need anything else before I start?
What about tools? I am going at it with a ratchet, wrenches and a hammer.
Do I need anything else before I start?
Replacing the originals sucks. I ended up drilling out the rivets starting with a smaller bit and working my way up untill it was almost the size of the hole when the remaining "sleeve" caught the drill bit and came out. This was after I cut the top and bottom of the tivets and pounded the shit out of em and said screw it.
you need a better air hammer or air supply then...I have used an air chisel to take out many rivets, and the ones in the balljoints are usually out with just a few hits...frame rivets take a bit more, but I have cut them out with an air hammer and good chisel bit too
wear a face mask though. trust me. go to the hospital once to have the head of a rivet taken out of your cheek and you never do it without a face mask again.
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I was using a Ingersoll Rand chisel with a 60 gallon compressor set at 150psi with a sharp chisel and it would not even dent them let alone cut them off. they was tough rivets, it took 10 to 15min per rivet using a die grinder with a carbide bur bit, there was not enough room to get my drill in there to drill the top ones so that was not an option.
As for tools for the OP you will want a Pickle Fork to go with your hammer and wrenches.
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9,445 Posts
I used a grinder to grind off the top of the rivits on my 91 chevy 1500, then drill a couple holes through the rivit, and I used an air chisel with a punch to pount out the rivites. and yes Disturban, you can use an air chisel to chisel off the top of the rivites, you just have to be using a decent chisel.
It should only take about 4 hours if it's your first time doing a set of ball joints, after that you'll have it down to an hour or so
Your tools list should be as follows - Drill, drill bits, a punch, beer, BFH, grinder, regular ballpean hammer, more beer, pickel fork, large wrenches to take off castle nuts, ***** (side cuttes), and the general assortament of screwdrivers, rachets/sockts.
Steps-
1. Jack up the front end
2. Take off wheel
3. Use ***** to remove cotter pins from upper and lower balljoints
4. Use wrench to remove castle nut from upper and lower balljoints
5. Unplug the abs sensor wire (if applicable)
6. Loosly attach the steering nuckel to frame or other sturdy spot with mechnics wire or whatever you find (I use a spool of old welding wire)
7. Use pickel fork and BFH to remove the upper ball joint from the Steering Knuckel
8. Use pickel fork and BFH to remove the lower ball joint from the Steering Knuckel
9. Once both ball joints are seperated from the knuckel, the move the knuckel out of the way. It make take some finesse to actually get the ball joints free of the knuckel, completly remove the top one first then you will have enough down movement to remove the bottom one
10. Use the grinder to grind off the tops of all the rivits, bottoms as well if you feel ambitious.
11. Starting with the bottom ball joint first- Use a small drill bit to drill a hole in the center of each rivit, and continue working up to larger sizes of bits until the drilled holes are more than half the diameter of the rivit
12. Use the punch and BFH to punch out the rivits, if they are not moving then drill the center holes a size or two larger, basically the larger the drilled hole the easier the rivits will come out
13. Once all the rivits are removed, use the regualar ballpean hammer to remove the ball joint
14. Use the same procdure to remove the top ball joint. You can firm up the upper A arm by using a rachet strap to tighten it down so it does not move, that way you can get a good solid hit on the rivits with the hammer and punch.
15. Install new ball joints, rachet/hand tight will be sufficent on the nuts (about 35-40 ft/lbs, depending on your strength)
16. Replace tire
17. Lower truck back to the ground
18. Torque lug nuts to 120 ft/lbs
19. Eat some bacon
20. Finnish beer
It should only take about 4 hours if it's your first time doing a set of ball joints, after that you'll have it down to an hour or so
Your tools list should be as follows - Drill, drill bits, a punch, beer, BFH, grinder, regular ballpean hammer, more beer, pickel fork, large wrenches to take off castle nuts, ***** (side cuttes), and the general assortament of screwdrivers, rachets/sockts.
Steps-
1. Jack up the front end
2. Take off wheel
3. Use ***** to remove cotter pins from upper and lower balljoints
4. Use wrench to remove castle nut from upper and lower balljoints
5. Unplug the abs sensor wire (if applicable)
6. Loosly attach the steering nuckel to frame or other sturdy spot with mechnics wire or whatever you find (I use a spool of old welding wire)
7. Use pickel fork and BFH to remove the upper ball joint from the Steering Knuckel
8. Use pickel fork and BFH to remove the lower ball joint from the Steering Knuckel
9. Once both ball joints are seperated from the knuckel, the move the knuckel out of the way. It make take some finesse to actually get the ball joints free of the knuckel, completly remove the top one first then you will have enough down movement to remove the bottom one
10. Use the grinder to grind off the tops of all the rivits, bottoms as well if you feel ambitious.
11. Starting with the bottom ball joint first- Use a small drill bit to drill a hole in the center of each rivit, and continue working up to larger sizes of bits until the drilled holes are more than half the diameter of the rivit
12. Use the punch and BFH to punch out the rivits, if they are not moving then drill the center holes a size or two larger, basically the larger the drilled hole the easier the rivits will come out
13. Once all the rivits are removed, use the regualar ballpean hammer to remove the ball joint
14. Use the same procdure to remove the top ball joint. You can firm up the upper A arm by using a rachet strap to tighten it down so it does not move, that way you can get a good solid hit on the rivits with the hammer and punch.
15. Install new ball joints, rachet/hand tight will be sufficent on the nuts (about 35-40 ft/lbs, depending on your strength)
16. Replace tire
17. Lower truck back to the ground
18. Torque lug nuts to 120 ft/lbs
19. Eat some bacon
20. Finnish beer
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39 Posts
That sounds like a fun day!:bdr2: Thanks for the step by step directions. I like it that you included some beer breaks for me.
i used to do them every day the rivets come right of with my air hammer
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