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I need ball joint help ASAP

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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 10:57 AM
  #1  
Ford4dog's Avatar
Ford4dog
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I need ball joint help ASAP

Hey guys, I'm getting ready to search so don't flame me too much. But I adjusted my torsion bars in order to get new tires on my truck. The new tires and ride height look great. But I took it to get an alignment and it was recommended I need new upper and lower ball joints. The lowers are pretty bad, they took me back and showed them to me. The uppers show a little movement. Both the uppers and the lowers on both sides appear to be the stock joints. The truck has 107K miles on it. Usually when I have projects like this I take my time and do all the research and find the right parts, but I have a hunting trip scheduled for this weekend and I'm supposed to leave to go out of town on Thurs night. So that gives me about 3 days to get my stuff done.

I need the cliff notes version of what ball joints to use?
Truck is 4wd Supercrew 107K miles, auto, 5.4, and is mostly street but does see offroad, has brand new 285x70x17 Kuhmo AT tires.

I also need the ball joint removal/replacement process. The mech told me the upper ball joints have to be replaced with the control arm as one piece which is pretty self explanatory, but do the lowers have to be pressed in and out of the lower arm?

Thanks
 
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 11:15 AM
  #2  
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Ford4dog
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I found the replacement process thanks Racerguy.

And I found complaints on Autozone ball joints. Are those the Duralast ones they have that I should stay away from?
 
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 06:44 PM
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Bobby82490
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Dont get the Duralast, they dont last very long even if you grease them occasionally.

Trust me get Moog or Napa joints and do it right the first time, I have to replace my Autozone ball joints and they only have about 20,000 miles on them.
If you grease the Moogs or Napas every oil change or every few months, they should last a long time.
 
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 10:13 PM
  #4  
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Thanks Bobby

I went with the Moog. I got one side done tonight and the other planned for tomorrow night.

Mods I got the answers to all my questions so this can be deleted.
 
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 10:17 PM
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Surge08
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From: Somewhere In FTE Land
Moog and TRW are the best. Both made by Federal M.
 
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Old Oct 28, 2008 | 10:03 PM
  #6  
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vze2sgxa
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Moogs for sure. They are almost double the size/thickness in metal as the stock lower ball joints, you will be impressed. If you have 4x4, make sure you don't drop the stub axle on the grease fitting when you replace the hub back on the shaft, I broke a grease fitting that way and had to replace the entire ball joint with a new one again. Big PIA. Other than that, Autozone has all the tools you need and will sell you Moog parts, too.
 
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