How to replace your Super Duty Ball Joints

[ohiomotoxer479]

I got my ball joint kit from powerstroke shop. Their prices were in line with the aftermarket places but they included all the needed seals and "O" rings. Pressed the buy button and in two days the box was at my house, couldnt have been easier. Now I am fighting with the front drive axle U joints...............grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Ohio salt really locks things up....... Not to mention having level 3 degenerative disc problems in my back..so it's easy does it little steps at a time for me.

[jasperger]

Racerguy or anyone else for that matter,

Could you post the "tools required" or at least the "special tools" since there seem to be quite a few that many people would not have in their tool chest? As I prepare to do mine on my 2001 Excursion I have been trying to make sure I have the tools required to do the job so I don't get it half apart and have to search for tools to buy or borrow when no one is open. So far I have come up with:

Special tools:
1. Ball Joint Press Kit
2. Seal driver (made from schedule 40 pipe or purchased)
3. 21mm, 28mm, and 34mm
4. Pickle fork(s)...size??
5. 3 jaw puller??
6. Slide hammer??
7. Torque wrench up to 150ft/lbs
8. ??

Listing even those that may or may not be required or those that could be used to make even a single step easier can go a long way.

[RagingBull2k2]

I had one question:

is it really necessary to remove the hub assemblies if I just want to change out the ball-joints? if I can save 2 hours of time on each side, can I? because for what I'm reading the only thing that retains the u-joints to the axle is the hub assembly... thanks, and great write up

Joey

[FortyFords]

Originally Posted by RagingBull2k2

I had one question:

is it really necessary to remove the hub assemblies if I just want to change out the ball-joints? if I can save 2 hours of time on each side, can I? because for what I'm reading the only thing that retains the u-joints to the axle is the hub assembly... thanks, and great write up

Joey

Yes it is necessary,the big knuckle seal will not let you slip the axles out.
Its pressed on the axle stub with the special seal driver .
Rich

[RagingBull2k2]

hmmm... damn... well, thanks, dude... I guess I'm greasing everything up while I'm at it..

Joey

[Ed Willmott]

Hey ohiomotoxer479

I saw your post about the kit you bought and want to buy the same thing and would like to use a site sponsor but for the life of me I cannot find it on Powerstrokeshops website. Do you have a part no. or page address to reference? I hate to have to buy the part in one plavce and then search all over town for the right gaskets, etc.

Thanks,
Ed

In Cleveland by the way, You?

[troyeds1]

Actually, someone else made the post about the kit. I bought my ball joints from oreiley auto parts and the seals from my local ford dealer. Good luck. the hardest part for me was installing the knuckle seals on the axle shaft. i used pvc pipe but if you can rent the correct installer tool or have your local ford dealer install the seals for you you'll be much better off. Make sure you repack the needle bearing in the hub before reinstalling the hub.

[troyeds1]

if your knuckle seals are in good shape (and mine were not not) you do not have to remove the axle from the hub. You can just remove the 4 bolts holding the hub to the steering knuckle and remove the hub and the axle all togther. you can use a pry bar once you remove the 4 bolts and pry the axle loose using the axle as leverage to pry on the u joint. You'll see what I mean when you get started. The knuckle seal is in there tight but it will come loose and will come out with the axle. Make sure you put some axle grease on the knuckle seal before attempting to reinstall.

[FortyFords]

Originally Posted by troyeds1

if your knuckle seals are in good shape (and mine were not not) you do not have to remove the axle from the hub. You can just remove the 4 bolts holding the hub to the steering knuckle and remove the hub and the axle all togther. you can use a pry bar once you remove the 4 bolts and pry the axle loose using the axle as leverage to pry on the u joint. You'll see what I mean when you get started. The knuckle seal is in there tight but it will come loose and will come out with the axle. Make sure you put some axle grease on the knuckle seal before attempting to reinstall.

No ,won't happen without damaging the the big seal.
They don't come out that easy after they've been driven in.

I'd like to see that trick !
And I have alot of tricks ,but not that one
prying on the u-joint will distort the seal ,let alone the wheel bearing even coming out easy .

Follow the proper procedure in this article ,you'll be much happier in the end.

Rich

[troyeds1]

I had to pull mine right back off after putting it in becuase I wasn't paying attention and had the hub 180 dgress out. I can see where it would be a problem if the seals have been in a while. I haven't tried it after they have been in a while. I'm sure you're right.

[tuke]

Originally Posted by troyeds1

Actually, someone else made the post about the kit. I bought my ball joints from oreiley auto parts and the seals from my local ford dealer. Good luck. the hardest part for me was installing the knuckle seals on the axle shaft. i used pvc pipe but if you can rent the correct installer tool or have your local ford dealer install the seals for you you'll be much better off. Make sure you repack the needle bearing in the hub before reinstalling the hub.

I didn't do the ball joints but I had to do the bearing hub and the seals and I tried the pvc method to install the knucke seal on the axle with no luck. I then took a trip to the depot and bought the 1 1/4 inch black pipe and flange and end cap and ground it down to fit the seal and gave it a few good whacks with the hammer. Piece of cake. Also used it to install the axle in the knuckle also very easy. Invest in the steel pipe it's worth the $9.00. Ed

[Blacksmith101]

For those of you thinking that you can just reuse the old seals, let me share a little with you. I just bought an 04 F250 knowing that the ball joints were bad. I let the salesman talk me into letting him buy the parts if I would put them in. He knew that I used to be a mech. Anyway, having worked on many, many older Ford 4x4s I was sure that I could do the job no problem. He handed me 4 new ball joints along with the keys and away I went home. I pulled the locking hub and the bearing hub off and spend an hour figuring out that what I was looking at was a seal. Of course, it was much to late to get new seals, and I needed the truck on the road the next day, so I put it back together with all the old seals. The very next day I had to manually lock the hubs to get the beast in 4 wheel drive, hubs that had worked fine in auto mode 2 days before when I test drove the the pick-up. Moral of the story? I know that I have a vacuum leak on the big seals or on the bearing hub o-ring. Now I get to take everything back apart and do it right. If you time is worth anything at all, replace those seals and o-rings.

[ohiomotoxer479]

Originally Posted by Ed Willmott

Hey ohiomotoxer479

I saw your post about the kit you bought and want to buy the same thing and would like to use a site sponsor but for the life of me I cannot find it on Powerstrokeshops website. Do you have a part no. or page address to reference? I hate to have to buy the part in one plavce and then search all over town for the right gaskets, etc.

Thanks,
Ed

In Cleveland by the way, You?

Yep West side.

I tired to post the link but it would not work.
Go to powerstroke shop and type in "ball joint kit" under their search.
And to think the dealer wanted $1250 to do the job.........I did it with a bad back no problemo....

[mgf250]

Can the axle needle bearing(s) be replaced? Can it be pulled and a new one pressed or tapped in?

[mgf250]

Using a DYI seal driver, am I safe to assume that the axle seal is pressed in until it is flush with the back edge of the knuckle?