Ball joints
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New User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Lansdowne
Ball joints
I'm having the ball joints on my 92 f-150 super cab replaced on mon. I'm not up on the cost of the job can somebody let me know what kind of price I'm looking at? Best case and worst case cost.
Thanks
Thanks
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Nova Scotia, Canada
I did all 4 of mine at work and it only took me 1.5 - 2 hours. I didn't have any trouble getting anything apart though and I had the proper Ford ball joint tool too. I paid $115 CAN for 4 cheap ball joints to get my old truck safety inspected, I'll replace them with better quality ones when they wear out.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: DE
Originally posted by Manwith3fords
I did all 4 of mine at work and it only took me 1.5 - 2 hours. I didn't have any trouble getting anything apart though and I had the proper Ford ball joint tool too. I paid $115 CAN for 4 cheap ball joints to get my old truck safety inspected, I'll replace them with better quality ones when they wear out.
I did all 4 of mine at work and it only took me 1.5 - 2 hours. I didn't have any trouble getting anything apart though and I had the proper Ford ball joint tool too. I paid $115 CAN for 4 cheap ball joints to get my old truck safety inspected, I'll replace them with better quality ones when they wear out.
Later,
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
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From: New Jersey
The 150 is fairly easy to do... and if you have patience and a pair of good jackstands you can do it yourself.
I couldn't on my F350 because I don't have a jack capable of living an F350 crewcab and my driveway is too soft to put 7000lbs of truck on a pair of 6-ton jackstands, which I have.
Been meaning to fix both issues
If you're new to ball joints, the F150 should take you about 6 hours to do all four, and have it aligned afterwards. Its not that bad of a job actually
I couldn't on my F350 because I don't have a jack capable of living an F350 crewcab and my driveway is too soft to put 7000lbs of truck on a pair of 6-ton jackstands, which I have.
Been meaning to fix both issues
If you're new to ball joints, the F150 should take you about 6 hours to do all four, and have it aligned afterwards. Its not that bad of a job actually
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: fairbanks usa
if i remember right for all 4 the book charges 4-5 hrs even though a good tech can do all 4 in about 2hrs. if you do this job yourself get some grease seals and clean& repack all 4 bearings since the hubs are off anyways. have fun .. this is one of my favorite jobs if everything goes smoothly. call a few shops to get quotes if your not up to it, i'd guess somewhere around $400.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2002
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Big O in Utah wanted to charge me $768.00 to change the passenger side ball joints and my radius arm bushings plus alignment.
I said no thanks and will be doing the job myself. I will end up putting about $500.00 of my tax return money into the front end but everything except the bearings inside the differential will be new including all the ball joints, u-joints, spindle bearings and seals, rotors and pads, poly radius arm bushings, wheel bearings and seals and camber / caster bushings for better alignment.
Thats one thing you might ask before they start - if they are going to want to use alignment correction bushings they should install them when they replace the ball joints the first time.
Just some thoughts about my situation that may or may not help - let us know how it turns out...
I said no thanks and will be doing the job myself. I will end up putting about $500.00 of my tax return money into the front end but everything except the bearings inside the differential will be new including all the ball joints, u-joints, spindle bearings and seals, rotors and pads, poly radius arm bushings, wheel bearings and seals and camber / caster bushings for better alignment.
Thats one thing you might ask before they start - if they are going to want to use alignment correction bushings they should install them when they replace the ball joints the first time.
Just some thoughts about my situation that may or may not help - let us know how it turns out...
Last edited by wick246; Feb 28, 2004 at 11:57 AM.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
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From: New Jersey
I had to pay a shop to do the work because I didn't have anything suitable for lifting the front of my F350 crewcab, and my driveway is soft.
So, $1300 later, four new ball joints with Zerk fittings, alignment, tire balance and rotation all around.
Was painful to swipe the card through, but I didn't have a suitable jack or a strong driveway.
So, $1300 later, four new ball joints with Zerk fittings, alignment, tire balance and rotation all around.
Was painful to swipe the card through, but I didn't have a suitable jack or a strong driveway.
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: fairbanks usa
i would've got some 3/4" plywood to save the driveway. probably even bought a new jack & stands if i had to. . those radius arms can be a real pain.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
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From: New Jersey
Originally posted by 77redf250
i would've got some 3/4" plywood to save the driveway. probably even bought a new jack & stands if i had to. . those radius arms can be a real pain.
i would've got some 3/4" plywood to save the driveway. probably even bought a new jack & stands if i had to. . those radius arms can be a real pain.
I was underbudget on the engine fund anyway
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
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From: New Jersey
Originally posted by 77redf250
hey theres always next time!!
hey theres always next time!!
About three years ago i was hoisting an engine out of the truck bed, and after pulling the truck out from under the engine, I left the engine hanging for about 10 minutes while I went inside to get another cup of coffee.
Came out, found the strap had snapped and the engine landed square on the oil pan, split, and I introduced a huge oil slick on the driveway. Actually, it landed on the cement part right by the house, which was nasty to clean up. Kitty litter, then a wire brush with bleach. Took a long time to go away.
That was one of about 37 incidents that caused her to make the "no messes outside" rule. See, often I don't finish stuff when the sun goes down, and I get distracted, so things sit a while if its not mission critical to be running.
Heck, I had my 93 Continental on blocks for about six months before I put it back together.
Unhappy wives are bad.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
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From: New Jersey
Originally posted by Manwith3fords
Aren't we always under budget on our engine projects?...LOL....Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?
Aren't we always under budget on our engine projects?...LOL....Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?
Though these days I'm not really into building any more fast cars... I have enough "toys" that shred tires. This particular build will be for high torque way down in the rpm band for towing.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Originally posted by 94F150-408
frederic, like your oil pan story, That was good. Yes, we dont want unhappy wives!
frederic, like your oil pan story, That was good. Yes, we dont want unhappy wives!
One time, I was getting ready to chuck out a bunch of aluminum beach chairs, and eyed my 451 stroker (mopar) sitting on a tire on the garage floor. Good excuse to practice aluminum brazing, no?
So, I brazed together with my oxy/acl torch a complex, highly triangulated engine run stand using straight sections of the aluminum beach chairs and chucked the webbing and the corners and the rest of the junk I didn't need.
Craned the engine up, swung the engine run stand underneath, carefully lowered it to the mounts, bolted it on. Very nice. Released the crane completely, still held, very nice.
Drained the torch and took it off the tanks, took a shower, went to bed, got some much needed sleep.
Came home from work the next day to find the 451 sitting on its side, the engine stand crushed like a rotten banana.
It was more work removing the crushed engine stand from the engine than making it in the first place.
*sigh*
Like I said, one of many stories to share over a beer.
Though, the mopar stroker was cool. It two turbos and GM EFI, and an HEI dizzy