Hey guys I have a 2006 F350 PSD 6.0L. Today I installed a new track bar or panhard bar, bushing and ball joint. I have read that the specs to tighten at the bushing is 400 lbs of torque does anyone know the ball joint specs are? I have yet to find a torque wrench that had 400 lbs either so, my plan is to put a snipe on the end of a johnson and give'er anyone have any suggestions.
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PS - this is was difficult for me im not sure about any of you other guys out there but it was a pain in the a$$. Better than the 750 dollars the mechanic quoted though.

 

I don't know the answer to your question, but while learning how to handle the ball joint replacement myself, I spent a lot of time on YouTube, and there's a few excellent videos, and one in particular where I believe the mechanic may discuss torque specs. Search YouTube for "F-350 ball joints" and the video specifically I'm talking about is by srmastertech. Another dude on YouTube, 31pockets, has an excellent video showing a 1999 F-250 2 wheel drive ball joint replacement, and when it comes to torquing the bolts, he says 'torque them real good.' So that's not much help, but it seems, perhaps common sense too, that the nuts should be tightened down hard enough so that it's possible, with some effort, to turn the knuckle assembly by hand. That's not a real great answer, but hopefully it helps somewhat. Maybe someone knows the true OEM torque specification.

 

I'd go to a tire shop that works on 18 wheelers, they'll have a torque wrench that will go to the 400+ pounds that you need.

 

The mechanic who posted to YouTube wrote regarding the torque specs for the F-450 of 69 ft/lbs for the upper ball joint nut, 150 ft/lbs for the lower.

 

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There's an initial torque for the lower ball joint (somewhere in the 30's lb-ft IIRC) before going to the upper then back to the lower. There should have been instructions with the ball joint. I'm not sure if the ball joint torques are all the same but I think the Moogs I used to have were somewhere in the neighborhood of 69 ft-lbs for the upper and 150 ft-lbs for the lower (but don't quote me on that). I don't remember what I did for my XRFs. I just followed the instructions.

 

I know in 2005 they changed the track bar monting locations. and I don't think the torque specs of 05 and earlier are the same as 05 and on. can someone confirm this and get us the correct specs of they have them??...the ball joint I don't think has the torque specs I have a after market icon adjustable track bar and called icon and they said they recommend doing factory torque specs they didn't know what they where.

 

anyone have a good link to a step by step video....got one I need to replace.

 

Track bar 550nm (406 lb-ft)
Ball joint 250nm (183 lb-ft)