Ok, Here it goes.

F250 4x4 Front upper/lower Ball Joints = SHOT!!

Dealer wants 2cnd born + house + etc + etc for the job. From what I've read + looking at my truck this looks to be a fairly involved but not too hard of a job. So I bought all the parts this week - but 1 item has me concerned.

I think I already have (or can borrow) all the tools I need except: the knuckle seal installation tool. From looking around I can buy one for roughly $140. I hate to spend the $$ this close to the holidays. I've already dropped $280 for all the parts. I'm planning on doing this the week btw Christmas & New Years while I'm off.

Local Ford Dealer said no to borrowing one, said they could press the seal into the knuckle for a fee ($75 per) but the price shows they weren't being too friendly about it. No guarantee they wouldn't trash the seal either - mech I spoke with says its best to do this installation on the vehicle to avoid having problems.

My question is- Do I have to have this tool or is there another way to press it on? Is it possible to borrow one from a another FTE member? Anybody have a drawing of this tool - I have access to a full up machine shop - just need to know how to make it. Need to get to this before I start tearing stuff apart as once I start I will only have a motorcycle to ride.

The ones I've found on line look to be fairly simple to make but w/o dimensions it'd be tough.

DG

 

Have you seen this .......

The $10 worth of pipe from the hardware store ...
1. 1 1/4" x 8" galvanized pipe
2. 1 1/4" flange
3. 1 1/4" cap

The assembled tool ....


If I remember right, I needed to grind down the OD of the flange just a bit to make it work on my 2002 F250. It would depend on the individual flange, as the outer diameter is not criticial for its intended plumbing purpose. But, this tool worked perfectly on my truck.

Hope this helps.

BTW ... I will be doing the driver's side upper and lower ball joints Christmas week. Did the other side during the summer, and now I see I should have done the whole truck back then. Hoping for not too bad weather that week, I'll be working in the driveway. lol

 

Thanks - I Knew someone had to of come up with a simple solution.

I'll be joining ya in the driveway - same thing - hoping for good weather. I've debated on whether or not to do just one side and leave the other side for a little later on. Only my driver's side is truly shot - the pass side has a little play but it's liveable ( I think) till spring.

DG

 

Do the bad side first and if it works out, have a go at the other side. If you do one side now and the other next spring you're paying for 2 alignments. I just had both sides done with alignment and a new stabilizer for $875. Not cheap, but 2/3 the price the dealer wanted.

 

Mmmmm ..... I never did an alignment. I just popped the tie rod end out of the knuckle, and slipped it back in after I pressed the ball joints.

Truck tracks straight, and no un-even tire wear.

 

The seal gets whammed onto the axle not the knuckle. I would gladly send my tool in the mail to anyone who needed it if they wanted to pay shipping..


Dick

 

I made a similar tool a few weeks ago when I did my ball joints. I was thinking "It's just a seal, how much force could it take?" So armed with this overconfidence, I made my press tool out of PVC/ABS. Big mistake!!! I ended up not using it, after about an hour of trying. The plastic just couldn't transmit the necessary force.

I ended up locking the axle upright in a vise, and very gradually tapping the seal around the perimeter where it contacts the axle, using a wide blunt punch. This worked pretty well and went pretty quickly, and only left minor surface dings in the metal part of the seal (I was being very careful to not deform the seal at all).

The other hard part of this job is popping the axles out of the housings, since that big hub seal wants very much to keep them in place. It's hard until you know the trick, which is to slip a couple of prybars into the end of the axle housing and grabbing the lip behind the dust seal. If you pry out there, the axle and hub seal pop right out. I'm telling you about this up front becasue of the huge amount of time I wasted until I figured this out.

 

I'd gladly pay the shipping if someone could loan me the FORD "OEM" style tool. I'd even be willing to pay a deposit if it'd help.

The local dealer just isn't in the tool loaning mood these days. I think they got burned a some time ago and it ruined it for everyone else. I used to borrow stuff from them on ocassion w/o much trouble - they'd have me leave a 100$ deposit that they'd credit back once I brought the tool back. I just can't justify spending $150 on a tool I'll use maybe twice. (Once on my F250 & Once on our F350 - probably in the spring it'll be due for new balljoints.

DG

 

How about a local machine shop? Just take the knuckles to them, and have them do the seal and the Ball joints with their presses. I did that with another truck I had...cost me all of $12 each knuckle to press out the old and press in the new....and I got to run across the street for lunch while they did it.

 

When you do them joints, GOOD LUCK, you will need it. I don't know how far you are into the break down but I needed a 3 jaw gear puller and an impact to remove my hubs.

As for those ABS sensors, disconnect them from the harness on the frame and don't try to pull them out of the hub bearing assembly. I know that's what the repair manual states, but I broke one off trying to pull it b/c it was rusted in.

Also, make sure to have a ball joint press and a REALLY REALLY BFH on hand. This was key in removing the old joints. Don't forget about the snap rings on them either lol.

The job is a piece of cake if everyhting pops apart as it should. Unfortunately, things dont like to come apart after a while on these SD's and that will be your biggest challenge.

Good luck!

 

Everyone gave good advice, but also make sure you check the threads on the ball joints. Believe it or not I picked up 2 bad uppers with bad threads . Luckly the parts store swapped them out

 

Luckily I've had my hubs off within the last year - (greased the bearings) I'm more worried about the axle seals than anything else. I've talked to a couple of pretty good Ford mechanics and both have told me even with the OEM tool they've both trashed a seal or two during install. Their advice was to buy 3 especially since once I start I'll need to finish pretty quickly.

DG

 

Use moog ball joints they are lifetime warr.. Dag99 if you want me to send the tool PM me..


Dick

 

dagren99,

I've done the ball joints driver side of my '03 F250... got as far as the installation of the knuckle/axle seal and was stopped dead in my tracks. Ended up bringing the axle to the local ford dealer, talking to a couple of guys in the shop, one of them installed it for me. I offered some $ for a 6pack or two but he refused.

I didn't think I could push my luck there again so I found the install tool at westcoasttools.com. Made by OTC, part number 6695. Here's a link:

http://www.westcoasttool.net/servlet/the-22561/OTC-6695-Ford-Vacuum/Detail

I got it the day after I ordered it! Although I have not used it yet.

I still have to do the passenger side... it's making a lot of noise now.

Good luck!

ken

btw it was about $65 with shipping.....

 

The knuckle seal? The large seal that has to be pressed onto the axle?



Dagren99, I can completely understand you wanting to be sure that the job is done right, even using OEM stuff if you have to ...... I'm the same way.

But, I want you to know, that the home made tool I showed you, with the pieces of 1-1/4 pipe, has been used by many people on this forum over the last 2 years, including myself. It is not my design ... someone here on the forum put it together and posted it in a ball joint replacement thread. I have never read of one person having a problem using the tool. I will be using the tool again, myself, over Christmas.

Other forum members have welded together similar tools to do the job.

I really can't understand how the Ford guys trashed seals while installing them. There was nothing hard, or tricky, about doing it. Did they damage the seal while installing the axle back into the knuckle? There must be something I don't understand.

Does anyone have the OTC number for the Ford tool, I'd like to look at the tool.

Watch, I'll probably destroy some seals now, and I'll be buying/borrowing the OEM/OTC tool. Lol

Actually, the only problem I had, was installing the new ball joints into the knuckle. The standard ball joint press kit that I borrowed from AutoZone auto parts, did not have the correct size cup/spacer to install the joints (pressing the old joints out was no problem). Instead of jerry-rigging something, I took the knuckles to the local automotive machine shop and had them press the new joints in for a small amount of money. Now, I found on the internet, a 3-piece kit (about $50) that is used with the ball joint press for SuperDuty's. Its an actual OTC tool .....

http://www.tooldiscounter.com/ItemDi...gle&kw=OTC6731

But, of course, this is only my 2 cents.

Anyway, good luck with the job.