ball joint fun

[Rollingrock]

So I got my ball joint parts and headed to a buddies house to get it done....started taking apart the passenger side...brakes off, hub body off and had to call another buddy to bring us a set of Matco Snap Link Pliers heavy enough to pull it out of the hub body....then pulled the that off...realized we didn't have the right tool to put the axle vacuum seal back in so we had to put it all back together.    Chalk that us as 8 hours of in the sun burned. 

[Too Stroked]

Um, having done more than a few SD Ball Joints in my life, I'm a little stumped. What special tool does one need to remove the axle vacuum seal? I'm hoping I missed something here or you tossed it all back together for no good reason. The mechanic I work with can knock off a set (one side) of SD Ball Joints in a couple hours. The real fun is pressing the old ones out and the new ones in. And, if you have the tool, even that's easy.

[Rollingrock]

Tom, to reseat the vac seal on the axle you need this.

http://www.etoolcart.com/ford-axle-shaft-seal-installer.aspx

[GreyMichFX4]

A bolt with a large fender washer makes a great cheap seal installation tool. I have dont it before for when I was in a pinch.

[Too Stroked]

JP,

We have that tool (and would be glad to loan it to you), but have never needed it. Now I should add that only 2 of our 11 SD?s have vacuum hubs because that system just isn?t very reliable up here in the salt, but we?ve replaced ball joints on all of them and still never needed it. I just talked to our lead mechanic and he started laughing when I told him you were 8 hours in and only got that far. ?Wait till he has to press out the old ball joints? was his next comment.

Here?s what we think you might be doing wrong. We pull the wheel and the locking hub like you probably did. We then pull the axle shaft, joints and seal all as one unit. We do that by gently prying evenly from 2 sides (on the back side) with large pry bars through the outer joint. The seal will release and slide right out ? right on the axle shaft. Then you just need to clean and lubricate everything carefully to put it back in. If you do damage that seal, you?ll have to replace it and the tool works quite well there.

When you do get to the ball joints, be careful removing and installing them. They need to be pressed out ? not hammered out. Not only will hammering take more time, but you?ll damage all sorts of stuff. We use a special ball joint removal / installation tool from Mac Tools. It looks like an oversized C-Clamp. Another common error is to press the new joints in from the wrong side. (Ask me how I know that.) Finally ? if you bought greaseable joints ? install the grease fittings before you install the axle shaft. If you don?t, you?ll be pressing your son into service because he?ll be the only one with fingers small enough to fit in there.

Give me a ring if you need anything.

[Rollingrock]

Tom, the reason it took so long was b.c we had to locate a heavy duty Snap Ring Plier set...the Dana 60 axle is very different than a 50....it is much harder to get off due to how deep the hub assembly is.  We have the seal tool for an 04 but in 05 they changed and the diamater is much different.

If you have a 05 and up seal tool, I would love to borrow it and send it back to you.  Can you ask your guys what year they are working on and or which tool they have?

[Too Stroked]

JP, Our SD fleet includes everything from 2000 to 2010. We've replaced ball joints in just about everything up to the 2006 and never had an issue. (Of course you ought to see our Snap-On tool collection!) That snap ring comes out much easier if you relieve the tension on the seal (and thus the snap ring) by prying the axle shaft out just a hair. Then you just use the same pry bars to pop the complete shaft with seal out the end.

I can let you borrow our seal tool, but it will take longer to ship than is probably worth it. You might be able to rent one locally from a parts store. Does that help?

[Rollingrock]

JP, Our SD fleet includes everything from 2000 to 2010. We've replaced ball joints in just about everything up to the 2006 and never had an issue. (Of course you ought to see our Snap-On tool collection!) That snap ring comes out much easier if you relieve the tension on the seal (and thus the snap ring) by prying the axle shaft out just a hair. Then you just use the same pry bars to pop the complete shaft with seal out the end.

I can let you borrow our seal tool, but it will take longer to ship than is probably worth it. You might be able to rent one locally from a parts store. Does that help?

You are so right on the tension on the snap ring...to re seat it we had to use the pry bars so taking it off again we are gonna do the same thing...we fought that damn thing for 2 hours.

As for the tool, I found an OTC  6697 for 57 bucks...think I am gonna spring for it.

Still saving around 1000 bucks.  (2 different shops quoted me 600 per side)

[Too Stroked]

Do you have the ball joint press tool?

[Rollingrock]

Do you have the ball joint press tool?

my buddy does...it is set up to use with the air wrench.

[Too Stroked]

Do you have the ball joint press tool?

my buddy does...it is set up to use with the air wrench.

The only way to fly! Just remember to double check which way you're pressing them in.

[Mike2301]

I've never needed that tool either. I'll add use lots of penetrating oil, take your time and make sure the press is straight as you can get it when putting it back in. I personally put grease on the ball joints when i press them back in.. just makes it go easier. Oh and make sure you clean the holes. A wire brush and drill works great for that.

[Rollingrock]

Thanks guys, gonna probably give it another go next weekend.

[BigSur]

Relative to this topic, how would one know if ball joints are bad.  I've been experiencing abnormal tire wear that may be a result of various things but had someone tell nme to check the ball joints.  I'm no mechanic for sure 

[Too Stroked]

Ball joints are "bad" when excessive play develops between the ball and socket in the ball joint. This can happen due to lack of lubrication, wear, or just plain wearing out. It generally shows up as tire wear because the wheel / tire is no longer tightly controlled by the suspension and wobbles around. A good mechanic can test for the condition pretty quickly by jacking the front end up and moving the suspension around. Bad tie rod ends can cause similar conditions and wear. (They're easier to replace though.) After any work on these components, a front end alignment is a real good idea.