Roadside repairs suck!
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 22,415
Likes: 92
From: Denver Metro Area, CO
I had borrowed a friend's Harbor Freight dampener puller last summer, he had used it once
already. The damn thing broke on me, it's as if it was made of pot metal. Since then, I think
of HF as "The home of Chinese, single-use tools." I still buy some things there, but only
things I'll sporadically use or don't expect to last more than one project. I'd be really leery of
using a HF ball joint press, don't think I'd trust it to work.
-ct
already. The damn thing broke on me, it's as if it was made of pot metal. Since then, I think
of HF as "The home of Chinese, single-use tools." I still buy some things there, but only
things I'll sporadically use or don't expect to last more than one project. I'd be really leery of
using a HF ball joint press, don't think I'd trust it to work.
-ct
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 116
Likes: 1
harbor freight ball joint press worked great
put knuckle under tire of car
Put 1/2" breaker bar with 5 foot pipe
Ball joints popped right out
Ready for another use
wouldn't buy harbor freight if my income depended on it though
put knuckle under tire of car
Put 1/2" breaker bar with 5 foot pipe
Ball joints popped right out
Ready for another use
wouldn't buy harbor freight if my income depended on it though
Thread Starter
|
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 342
Likes: 5
From: Wiltshire, United Kingdom
I have three bookmarks set up in my browser aboyut this, I'm thinking of doing my ball
joints this summer.
The first one is text & pictures, the other two are videos:
Bronco Ball Joint Replacement - Trucks 4x4 @ Off-Road.com
How to Press Out a Truck's Lower Ball Joint | Expert Village Videos
How to Install a Truck's Lower Ball Joint | Expert Village Videos
-ct
joints this summer.
The first one is text & pictures, the other two are videos:
Bronco Ball Joint Replacement - Trucks 4x4 @ Off-Road.com
How to Press Out a Truck's Lower Ball Joint | Expert Village Videos
How to Install a Truck's Lower Ball Joint | Expert Village Videos
-ct
Interesting video's, made good viewing with my morning cuppa.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,802
Likes: 1
Jimmy, those videos make it look a bit easier than it actually is - they are removing the ball joint off a stamped-steel control arm, whereas we have those massive cast-iron I-beams, you will need a good cheater pipe and a breaker bar (and not a ratchet) but once you get them going they will move just fine. Also, to replace the upper ball joints you will have to have the lowers out of the way, as your drive screw for the press will go through the lower openings in the knuckles - essentially pull the lowers first, then the uppers, then put new uppers in, and finally new lowers. Like I mentioned it took me about 3 hours per side, but it was slightly below freezing temperatures and there was snow flying around me so every 15 minutes I had to spend 5 minutes cleaning the pavement around me so I can find my tools, and there were plenty of hot-coffee breaks too. I just did the same job on a 4x4 Jeep Cherokee yesterday, ball joints alone took me like an hour per side and were pretty much a piece of cake, too bad I also had hubs and U-joints to mess with.
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 22,415
Likes: 92
From: Denver Metro Area, CO
Heh... it's only early May, still plenty of time for us to get dumped on.
Answer your e-mail, dude
-ct
Answer your e-mail, dude
-ct
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