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ball joint weekend


abbie
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planning on doing my left lower ball joint this weekend if anyone has some pro tips or good links i would much appreciate it because i have not done one before ......THANKS ALL!!

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i havent done it but it doesnt look hard nissan like to make ball joint easy its not pressed in its bolted on so just take off the brakes unbolt the spindle from the strut pry the spindle off with a pickle fork and its three bolts unbolt it give a lil whack with the hamer and should pop out thats what i did with my hardbody and looks like the same exact part. hope this helps

Edited by shoesandsocks
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To remove the ball joint, you don't need a pickle fork, nor do you need to remove the brakes or unbolt the knuckle/spindle from the strut. However, you do need to partially remove the CV axle.

 

PREPARATION

1. Jack up the front of the truck and support its weight using jackstands.

2. Remove the front left wheel.

 

REMOVAL

1. Remove the safety pin (by straightening it with pliers) from the ball joint castle nut and remove the nut.

2. Put some hearing protection on. Seriously. What you're about to do is really REALLY loud and could cause hearing loss.

3. Using a BFH (such as a 2-lb sledgehammer; a regular hammer won't have enough impact), repeatedly whack the side of the knuckle really hard where the ball joint inserts. Don't be timid. If you don't have enough clearance to do this, rotate the steering wheel full left. Be careful not to whack your brake rotor! The repeated impacts will cause the ball joint to pop loose from the knuckle - without the use of a pickle fork. You can also try partially threading the castle nut back onto the ball joint and whacking the bottom of it, but that is sometimes not as effective, and if your new ball joint didn't come with a new castle nut, don't do this.

4. Using a 17mm socket, remove the 3 nuts securing the ball joint to the A-arm.

5. While applying downward force on the A-arm, wiggle the ball joint studs out of the A-arm.

6. At this point, the ball joint should be loose in the knuckle and free from the A-arm, but you'll note that you cannot pull it out because the CV axle is in the way.

7. Pry or twist off the outer hub cap (if you have stock hubs). You can use vise-grips to apply rotational force to the hub while you use a putty knife or large flathead screwdriver to pry off the cap. Insert a screwdriver through the brake caliper and rotor vents to keep the hub from rotating while you remove the cap.

8. Using snap-ring pliers, remove the snap ring securing the CV axle to the hub.

9. Tap the outer end of the CV axle with a hammer as you pull the knuckle/hub/brake assembly away from the vehicle. This will cause the CV axle to partially slide out of the hub and give you enough clearance to fully remove the ball joint.

INSTALLATION

1. Place the new ball joint into the knuckle and hand-thread the castle nut onto it.

2. Re-insert the CV axle all the way into the drive flange, and reinstall the snap ring.

3. Place the ball joint bracket (the part with the three studs on it) into the ball joint and insert the ball joint into the A-arm.

4. Place the three 17mm nuts on ball joint and torque to 18-25 ft-lbs.

5. Tighten the castle nut to 45 ft lbs, then tighten a little more so as to allow the safety pin to be inserted.

6. Replace the hub cap.

7. Re-mount the wheel.

8. Lower the truck to the ground.

You're done!

Edited by XPLORx4
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:yeahthat:

 

Dat be how I did mine.

 

You do have to slide the CV axle out a little as XPLORx4 says otherwise you can't get the ball joint out. Took me about 30 mins per side (with my buddy helping).

 

(by the way, really nice write up XPLORx4)

Edited by theexbrit
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unbelievable.....I love this forum. Thank you for all the replies and the intructions I will let you know how I make out.

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so the reason i was changing the ball joint was because i was told by the nissan dealership that i should while they were checking out the strut recall thingy, once I got to it I decided to look up things about how to check if they are actually worn and I can't seem to find any indication of wear......should i do them anyways because of almost 200k kms on the truck or just leave them be??? some other tips on checking them might be good too, I tried all the different wiggles and prying i think

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Have you had alignment problems? Suspension clunking? Uneven tire wear?

 

After the tires are in the air, try wiggling the tires in/out, left/right, back/forward and watch for any movement in the lower ball joint. If there isn't any, you're probably still good.

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seems like i am still good then, thanks for the info anyways i will save this for the future. well the next thing on the nissan list was the trailing arm bushings so I was looking at them last night and the bars are a little rusty but don't rattle or anything they just roll a little side to side....i will look around on the internet here for ways to find out if they are shot or notand once again if anyone on here has some hot tips let me know. one day I will know some stuff and be able to help the next person right!

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To test the condition of the rear trailing arm bushings, you put the tranny in park (or 1st gear on a manual) with the parking brake released, then roll the rear tires forward and back while watching the position of the link relative to a part of the body (such as the wheel well). If you see the link move forward/backward relative to the body, the bushings are worn should be replaced.

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Do this while the the vehicle is on its tires on level ground:

 

To test the condition of the rear trailing arm bushings, you put the tranny in park (or 1st gear on a manual) with the parking brake released, then roll the rear tires forward and back while watching the position of the link relative to a part of the body (such as the wheel well). If you see the link move forward/backward relative to the body, the bushings are worn should be replaced.

Edited by XPLORx4
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Replaced my ball joints this past weekend. I bought a pitman arm puller for like $15 from Autozone. Worked like a charm. My ball joints weren't making noise or anything, but I had new ones and thought what the hey, might as well do them while I do the CV axles.

 

Edit: And no BFH or banging required with the pitman arm puller.

Edited by drewp29
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... one day I will know some stuff and be able to help the next person right!

 

That's where I am. I can't change engines quite yet but, I can help with timing belt, alternator, power steering rack and pump, and even inner and outer tie rod changes! Oh, I can change entire shock and strut assemblies (spring lift) and even inflate a flat tire! :wackinit:

 

 

*edit .. had enter a better pronunciation (yeah, it was that bad)

Edited by devonianwalk
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tell me more about this "death wobble".....i remember getting one on a skateboard as a kid and still have a few scars i think

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were the arms on the puller adjustable or fixed??

 

Fixed. I didn't know if it would work before I bought it so I bought a pickle fork too. Turns out the pitman arm puller was just about perfect.

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  • 1 year later...

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