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I'm installing the knuckles back into my 79 F150 with the dana 44 and am having some troubles that I can't quite figure out.
I pressed out the old ball joints and pressed in the new ball joints without a problem. Then I followed the knuckle installation procedure by torquing the lower ball joint nut to 80 ft lbs., the upper adjusting sleeve to 40 ft lbs., then the upper ball joint nut to 100 ft lbs. Without actually measuring the pull force on the knuckle, it is way too tight. I have to really put some force into it to get it to move. I backed the adjustment sleeve down to 30 ft lbs., and it didn't help much. Just to see what it felt like, I tried 20 as well. It still felt too tight when I torqued the upper nut.
The knuckle moves with what feels like normal resistance when the lower nut is torqued to 80 and the sleeve is torqued. It doesn't get overly difficult to move the knuckle until I torque the upper ball joint nut. Am I missing something here? I will get some means of measuring the pull force tomorrow, but just wondering if anyone else has encountered this.
What brand ball joints did you use? I used some cheap ones once and they were absolutely ridiculously tight. I thought they would wear in but it was dangerous to drive. I pulled they and installed Moog's and it was fine.
What brand ball joints did you use? I used some cheap ones once and they were absolutely ridiculously tight. I thought they would wear in but it was dangerous to drive. I pulled they and installed Moog's and it was fine.
I went with Mevotech, but not the cheapest option I could find. I'll have to actually measure the pull force, but my best guess is that it's close to double the recommendation (25 or so pounds) as it sits.
Sounds like you're on the right track, if all else fails try a couple Moog's or Spicer ball joints and see if it fixes it. I can promise you that trying to live with overly tight joints is something you're not going to live with very long.
I used Mevotech ball joints on my early Bronco w/Dana 44, pretty good ball joint IMO. I like the installation rings that come with them. I too had some initial issues with a too high of a spring scale measurement reading when checking the knuckle turning force. I just lowered the torque to the bottom side of the (torque range window) and it was good then.
I would get a fish or a luggage spring scale and see if it is inside the range, it might feel to tight initialy, but use the spring scale and take an actual reading, you might be surprised. If not, then back off the torque amount to the lowest setting (in the torque range). And then check again with the spring scale.
I do remember having to loosen and then retorque to lowest setting and then loosen and retorque again maybe more than once, that finially worked to get the knuckle movement tention to be inside the req'd range.
What I ended up having to do to get a ball joint OUT.
I ended up needing a complete replacement knuckle because the lower ball joint hole was OVAL.
The ol Bronco and the ball joints take a beating.
I used Mevotech ball joints on my early Bronco w/Dana 44, pretty good ball joint IMO. I like the installation rings that come with them. I too had some initial issues with a too high of a spring scale measurement reading when checking the knuckle turning force. I just lowered the torque to the bottom side of the (torque range window) and it was good then.
I would get a fish or a luggage spring scale and see if it is inside the range, it might feel to tight initialy, but use the spring scale and take an actual reading, you might be surprised. If not, then back off the torque amount to the lowest setting (in the torque range). And then check again with the spring scale.
I do remember having to loosen and then retorque to lowest setting and then loosen and retorque again maybe more than once, that finially worked to get the knuckle movement tention to be inside the req'd range.
What I ended up having to do to get a ball joint OUT.
I ended up needing a complete replacement knuckle because the lower ball joint hole was OVAL.
The ol Bronco and the ball joints take a beating.
Thanks for the response, good to know the Mevotechs have held up on the Bronco!
I love it when projects spiral into more projects, nature of the beast I suppose.
I found a luggage scale and tried pulling the spindle, and it was around 60 lbs. Way too high. Tonight I finally decided to look more closely at the boots to confirm I hadn't switched the upper and lower boots. They were correct, but I noticed the lower boots had a lip that was slightly bunched up. I was able to carefully use a pick to pull the boot lip into the correct spot.
Retorqued the lower nut to 70, adjusting sleeve to 30, and upper nut to 100. It pulled 35-40 after that. Closer, but still too tight. I might try 25 on the adjusting sleeve to see where that gets, but it seems like it's getting tighter than it should with 30 on the sleeve and 100 on the upper nut.
I know I read and re-read the torque instructions and chased the torque amounts around to stay in the torque range window and get the spring scale reading I was looking for. I seem to remember taking the sleeve out and putting it back in a few times. You do have the top ball joint inner sleeve socket, yes?
Plus I was dealing with all sorts of other related come apart issues.
I know I read and re-read the torque instructions and chased the torque amounts around to stay in the torque range window and get the spring scale reading I was looking for. I seem to remember taking the sleeve out and putting it back in a few times. You do have the top ball joint inner sleeve socket, yes?
Plus I was dealing with all sorts of other related come apart issues.
Looks like a fun time! I was at least able to get the old sleeves out in one piece.
I made myself the 4 prong socket out of a 3/4" deep socket, it seems to work fine. I've taken the adjusting sleeve out a few times and put it back in. I also tried the old sleeves, just for grins.
Something that I noticed, which doesn't seem right, is that the adjusting sleeves seem to stick out the top of the yoke a little bit. When I was first taking it apart, the sleeves were slightly recessed into the yoke. With the new joints installed, the sleeves (both old and new) stick out the top a little bit, such that the upper nut would be torquing against the sleeve rather than the yoke.
From what I've read, this usually happens if the lower joint isn't seated all the way. I am 99.9% sure they're seated, since I installed the snap rings on both lowers.
Thinking that I may remove the nuts and upper sleeve, then place a floor jack under the knuckle and start over with torquing everything. It seems like I'm missing something, just can't figure out what.
Yea I am not sure what the PO was doing to the top and bottom of the axle yokes with all the cut and torch marks. For your torque issue it almost sounds like you might have the dimensionally incorrect lower ball joint installed. You should NOT have the ball joint nut, tighten aginst the top of the sleeve.
With the new ball joint installed and reusing the sleeve and it will not go in at least as far as it did with the old ball joint, I would suspect incorrect replacement ball joint. I would get a different lower from MOOG or Spicer and try it.
I spent awhile looking things over again. I pulled the knuckles back off and closely examined the lower joints, they look correct.
Then I decided to grab one of the old lower joints and see how it fit into the axle C. I think I found the problem, I believe that the holes in the lower part of the Axle C are worn such that the lower joints are allowed to pull too far in. The odd thing is that only one of the lower joints was noticeably sloppy, so I'm not sure why both sides seem to have the same problem.
I see Moog makes an oversized lower joints, has anyone dealt with this issue? I am not guessing there's an easy fix to continue using the OEM size lower joints, and I can't think of any other explanation for the problem.
Sounds like you might be heading down the rabbit hole. Maybe try and torque the lower ball joint nut (at the minium) and see if that helps. Yes not fun pressing them in and out. But once you reem/drill out to use oversize lowers.... down the hole you go.
I drilled my knuckles to go to heim joints with grade 9 bolts. Down the hole I go.
The things that PO's do to a rig before you get it.... Like this crazy TRO hack job.
And much better with high angle heims and chromoly rods.
And while I was that deep into it, I went ahead and installed some chromoly 4340 inner and outer axles shafts w/CTM u joints.
That looks like a pretty cool setup, maybe worth going down the rabbit hole for!
I am still puzzled by my knuckle situation. I monkeyed around with the passenger side for a long time, and finally decided to remove the boot from the old lower ball joint and torque it down to see what the actual gap looked like when torqued. There was still a gap that looked appropriate, so maybe the lower holes are not wallowed after all.
After doing all that, I wanted to try putting the driver's side together from the beginning. I finally got the darn thing assembled, I think correctly. It is pulling right around 20 pounds with a suitcase scale now, and the castle nut is seated on the axle C!
What ended up working was threading the adjusting sleeve into the upper axle C, to the point that the top of the sleeve was just below flush with the C. Then torque the lower joint nut to 70, check to be sure the sleeve is at least 40 (it was), then torque the upper nut to 100.
I went back and rechecked the torque on the lower after doing all that. I also gave the knuckle a couple taps with a hammer, near the joint (something I read about doing on a different forum). Now I'm getting the correct pull weight.
Oddly, the hole for the cotter pin is still a bit off. I figure if all else is correct, I can probably just redrill the hole. I still also find it odd that there's no gap between the boot and the axle C for the upper joint, since the videos I've seen show a gap. I guess it isn't necessarily a problem if all the hardware is torqued and I'm getting the correct pull weight.
For the hole in the stud and the castle nut slot (for the cotter pin), IMO do not try and re-drill it, that will just be a nightmare.
You might take the nut back off and just try and drill the castle nut slot bigger. The one for the cotter pin and the opposite one.
How far do you got to go for it to line up? Look at the distance, do you have to tighten it a little bit or loosen a little bit? Go the shortest distance to get Castle nut slot and the hole in the stud to line up.
If you can get it just enough to get half of one of the cotter pin legs through it that'll hold it. It's just a backup safety device to prevent it from untorquing.
Last edited by 77&79F250; May 9, 2026 at 07:49 PM.
For the hole in the stud and the castle nut slot (for the cotter pin), IMO do not try and re-drill it, that will just be a nightmare.
You might take the nut back off and just try and drill the castle nut slot bigger. The one for the cotter pin and the opposite one.
How far do you got to go for it to line up? Look at the distance, do you have to tighten it a little bit or loosen a little bit? Go the shortest distance to get Castle nut slot and the hole in the stud to line up.
If you can get it just enough to get half of one of the cotter pin legs through it that'll hold it. It's just a backup safety device to prevent it from untorquing.
Ah, I realize I didn't specify how the cotter pin hole is "off" and the picture doesn't show it. The cotter pin hole is actually a bit above the top of the castle nut. That is why I originally thought something might be off with the knuckle sitting too high, but given that I got everything torqued and the final pull torque is within spec, maybe it's just something weird with the upper joint.
I guess one other possibility to address the cotter pin issue would be a grade 8 washer under the castle nut, to get the castle nut at the correct height. Since there isn't supposed to be contact between the sleeve and the castle nut, I'm not sure if the washer idea is out of the question.
A high dentisy material washer (?), like a high strength carbon steel, or maybe a F436 structural washer would work. Or some thing that is 304 or 316 stainless steel. would work to get the cottor pin hole back down and in line the castle nut cuts. I suggest a strong material washer to prevent it from letting the torque flatten (deform) the washer over time.
2. Best for High Strength & Vibration: Hardened/Galvanized Steel
Material: Hardened Steel (Grade 5/8) or Hot-Dip Galvanized.
Why: Resists deformation under high torque and prevents loosening in machinery, heavy equipment, and outdoor structural projects.
Finish: Zinc-plated for light protection, hot-dip galvanized for heavy-duty rust resistance.
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