I hate ball joints
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 130
Likes: 0
From: Panama Illinois
I hate ball joints
Plain and simple. They suck.
I have never seen the likes of pressing the balljoints in the knuckle, Just for the upper to pull out when you tighten the nut.
Has anyone else ever experienced this or am I just the lucky one?
I have never seen the likes of pressing the balljoints in the knuckle, Just for the upper to pull out when you tighten the nut.
Has anyone else ever experienced this or am I just the lucky one?
Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 8,521
Likes: 16
From: Lost
As for the ball joint pulling out when tightening the nut, did you get the c-clip installed correctly? The tight fit isn't what holds them in place, that's why there's the c-clip near the bottom on the unit.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 8,005
Likes: 7
From: Ottawa, Ontario
X2 on maintaining King pins! The Kingpins on my '87 E350 Motorhome are both original with 157k miles and being on a 12k lbs camper, greased every single oil change (3k miles)!
However I do like ball joints simply cause it takes me about 20min to do per side, upper and lower ball joints. They just don't last long in these Fords, even if you do grease 'em regularly. Their to small!
However I do like ball joints simply cause it takes me about 20min to do per side, upper and lower ball joints. They just don't last long in these Fords, even if you do grease 'em regularly. Their to small!
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,771
Likes: 9
From: Western Washington
If your in the Seattle area and need a good machinist to replace your king pins look up Robbie at Action Machine in Lynwood. They're one of his specialties!
Ok, shamless plug over!
I agree though, ball joints are a pain in the neck, even when you have the right tools. I wonder, could you swap kingpins onto a later truck with ball joints? I think the whole I-beams would have to be changed though, probably not worth the trouble.
Sam
Ok, shamless plug over!
I agree though, ball joints are a pain in the neck, even when you have the right tools. I wonder, could you swap kingpins onto a later truck with ball joints? I think the whole I-beams would have to be changed though, probably not worth the trouble.
Sam
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Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 8,005
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
Yup, you can find an '80 or '81 F150 witch will have Kingpins, unbolt the whole assembly, I-beams, and radius arms, and bolt it right up to any F150 80-96.
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Most of them do not have the smaller sized reamers need for the smaller king pins used on pickups. I ran into this when I needed the king pins redone on the 53 f100 I used to have. There are people around that still do it, but it's not the shops with the big bright letters on the side of the building. It's the small, out of the way shops with the old guy still working in them, that actually know what you are talking about, and never have thrown away all the correct sized tooling needed to do it. It also takes time to do a good job. You want the fit perfect. If they are not careful, you end up with a king pin just as sloppy as when you took it in, or one you have to drive in and then the steering is too stiff.
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