My upper ball joints has some play in em. This is on my 2wd, 1998 F150 super cab.

I know they are pressed in , my question: How tight are they, can they they be knocked out with a heavy hammer and good size punch. I replaced em on my chev trucks that way. They were hard to knock out but I got em. I never worked on a ford's ball joints.

I went to O'Reilly auto parts store to price the upper ball joint assembly and asked if they had a tool type press to remove the upper ball joints and they showed the one they had. The tool looks like it was made to remove the lower ball joint but not the upper because of its size. It was c-clamp type of tool and to large to fit in the tight spot where the upper ball joint is located.

Any info on this will be helpful, thanks in advance.

 

Just poke a small hole in the boot and add grease to it via a needle fitting.

 

Did you find ball joints available?
I think that you have to replace the whole control arms to get removeable ball joints.
From Ford the ball joints come with the whole arm.

 

Yeah I know they are different when it comes to chev and ford. On ford you have to replace the A-assembly with the ball-joint.

What I asking is, did anyone here ever replaced em without using a press or did anyone here ever removed em with a press,,, Is it a C-clamp type press or etc.

O'Reilly auto parts will let me use theirs if I put $200 down, then when I bring it back they will reimburse me. I don't think they are sure what type of press I should use. So I'm trying to find out here or do I even even need to use a press.

I would like someone to answer this that has done this job before.

 

Oh, you mean to get the ball joint stud out of the steering knuckle... I used a large punch and hammer, someone borrowed my pickle fork and didn't return it. The stud popped right out with moderate effort.

 

A ball joint pickle fork should separate the ball joint from the spindle. Then you can just unbolt the control arm from the chassis and reinstall a whole new assembly.
Jimmy

 

heatwave did you replace your balljoints?

 

Not yet, I was hoping to get some info on this site. Hoping someone's done this job.

They have to much play. Grease won't help.

I'll probably do em in a month or so.

 

Thanks hugeprettyfan and lxman1 on your replys.

I've done several chev trucks but never a ford. On the chevs I beat em for about an hour before they popped off, lol. I figure there's got to be an easier way. Like a press. Maybe a ford will go alot smoother. Thanks again

 

An added bonus to replacing the whole arm assembly is that you will have new control arm bushings too.
Jimmy

 

i used a pickle fork on mine, but just do what i did, go get ya a fabtech performance lift kit. comes with the ball joints. that was my excuse for buying a lift.