1984 Front End
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New User
Joined: Mar 2004
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1984 Front End
My 84 f150 w/2wd has loose front wheels. Tooooo much vertical play when I move them up and down. Also you can see some tip in the wheel ( sometimes in and sometimes out). I've read a lot on the front end board and realize I may need to replace the ball joints. My question to anyone who has done this is; Are there bushings in the steering knuckle? Might they be the problem? If anyone has any help it would be appreciated. Any tips, insight, or magic Ford Dust would help... MK
Tuned
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 342
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Sounds like the kingpins are worn. While some replace the kingpins themselves, from what I read, it can be a pain, and some need a torch and press to do it. I haven't attemped it myself, but I'm not sure I want the frustration. I'll probably price having it done before jumping into it myself. Have you taken the truck to a tire/frontend shop for evaluation?
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: GANS
Probably easier, but still a pain.. last time I did ball joints on a 2wd, it required a torch and involved catching a few things on fire (not on purpose, mind you). I much prefer doing ball-joints on a 4wd 
. If you are going to do it yourself, rent a good balljoint press, and soak them down with pb blaster...
. If you are going to do it yourself, rent a good balljoint press, and soak them down with pb blaster...
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 752
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From: Kalispell, MT
i also have an 84, but 4x4...i know that when you back up, the front tires generally "toe out"...but mine toe out whether i drive forward, backward or in circles...ball joints??? or??? also, i'd like to put a straight axle front end under my truck, in place of the independent front suspension system...i just want the strength and durability of the straight axle...which system is better? and just how much work will it be, overall, to do the swap? seems to me that it shouldn't be that hard, but i could be wrong...
MontanaFord
MontanaFord
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: GANS
SA is better, but the ride probably would be a bit worse. If your having trouble with toe-in/out, that can be adjusted by the tie-rods. However, when you are having trouble with alignment, I would check the tierods, draglink, ball-joints, radius arm bushings, and pivot bushings
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Brett Foote
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Kalispell, MT
the biggest thing i don't like about the twin I-beam independent suspension system is the fact that it has so many damn moving parts...something breaks and you hafta go thru the entire thing to fix it....not worth it in my opinion...thus the wanting to swap to a SA front end...ain't worried about the ride too much...
MontanaFord
MontanaFord
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 356
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From: Southwest VA
It was a pain but much better than taking it to a shop as far as $$..there's plenty of info on replacing them on this site, plus check a haynes or chiltons manual. the hardest part for me was getting the spindle off the ball joint had to use a pickle fork which will damage the old ball joints (which if they need replaced it's ok) and for the ball joint press i had to use my breaker bar with a 2 ft cheater bar, made things easier but still took a bit..I'd say it took me 2.5 hrs to do it.