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'95 Sierra 4x4 ball joint replacement help needed

10K views 21 replies 5 participants last post by  sman149 
#1 ·
I've done 2wd ball joints but it looks like 4wd is a whole different animal. I have the caliper and rotor off. I loosened the tie rod but the stud id turning in the ball now. I think I can deal with that. Right now I am stuck knowing what to do next. I think the half shaft needs to come out of the differential but I am not sure. If it does, gulp, I wonder if this is beyond me?
Advice please?
 
#2 ·
Just make sure you have the lower control arm supported. It is under a lot of spring pressure from the torsion bar. I'm thinking you should not have to take the shaft out, but I can't exactly remember how it is set up. If you can take several pictures from different angles I could probably better help you with information.
 
#4 ·
Yea, it looks like it could be possible to do it without taking the half shafts out, but really it would be so much easier if you took them out. That way you could actually get the spindle and the shaft out of the way. I take it you have a ball joint press. You know how to use that hammer to break the joints loose from the knuckle, don't you?
 
#5 ·
I have a press. Looks like a big c-clamp with different attachments. I saw how to use it on youtube. I have not looked at how this particular half shaft comes out but I assume theres 5 or 6 bolts at the differential. When I undo them do the shaft just slide out and go back in the same way or is there ANYTHING more complicated to it? I've gotta have my truck running by Tuesday morning :lol:
 
#6 ·
That should be about it. If the shaft itself will fit through the hole in the spindle you can just disconnect the shaft from the flange at the differential and take the 3 nuts loose that hold the bearing hub to the spindle. That would be easier than taking the big nut off the axle shaft at the hub and trying to get the shaft out of the hub.
 
#9 ·
I have the Haynes manual for your truck (I used to have a '97 Z-71), if you pm me your e-mail address I'd be happy to scan the pages you need & e-mail them to you. My ball joints weren't too bad but mine wasn't quite as corroded as yours.
 
#10 ·
If you want, send me your address & I'll mail you the book, it comes in handy from time to time & it's of no use to me anymore since I moved up to an '07. It's got a few grease spots here & there but she's all yours if you want it.
 
#11 ·
If you are referring to the Haynes "chevrolet & gmc pickups 1988-1998" I have that. Its not real clear to me on this subject. Although it does say, for removal of the drive axle, "using a puller, push the axle out of the knuckle". So I guess that is doable.
Thanks for that offer.

Most of what you see is not rust, it is dirt and grease. The ball joint nuts truned quite easily. And by the way. I just read about putting the jack under the control arm. Whoops. I already have the upper ball joint nut REMOVED!!! I better go out in the dark and put it back on the prevent it the knuckle from seperating from the upper control arm and allowing the lower to drop.

P.S. did you ever use the compnine.com website. They used to have exploded views for everything on all cars. They no longer exist. I wonder if there is anything like that around somewhere?
 
#12 ·
No, I never knew of that site. What I would do is thread the upper ball joint nut on about 3-4 threads then strike the knuckle where the ball joint goes through it with that hammer to pop the joint loose. You can do the same with the lower after you loosen it's nut. That works a lot better than a pickle fork. You may have to really swing hard. But don't worry, you will not hurt it if you hit it in the right spot. What you are trying to do is slightly egg shape the round hole the joint pin goes through the knuckle in so it will release. Well, I've got to get off here for now. I'll probably not be on again tonight. Good luck.
 
#14 ·
Ok, I got the ball joints loose. I then disconnected the drive axle at the flange. That ain't gonna work. You can't pull the knuckle out away from the truck without getting the knuckle off of the ball joint studs. I don't even see how it can be done by removing the hub nut. Maybe I need to raise the lower control arm (or lower the upper control arm) to remove the knuckle from one stud and then tilt the knuckle outward or something.
Someone please chime in.
 
#15 ·
I removed the hub nut. It should have a torque of 180 lbs. It probably had a torque closer to 80 or 90. It was EASY to loosen.

I got the knuckle off. I disconnected the shock for more room or something...I don't know. Anyway, the control arm sprung downward a little. O CRAP!!! I see what they mean about the torsion bar and supporting the lower control arm. So, I loosened the torsion bar as much as I could.
I wonder how much trouble I am going to have getting this thing back together?

I pressed the lower ball joint out. O MY GOSH!!!!! I have never worked that hard. Used a 3 ft extension on a 2 foot breaker bar and it was all I could do to tighten the ball joint press. It turned as far as I could take it and when I took the press off I could see no progress. I then beat the hell out of it with a 3 lb hammer and it popped out.
Am I going to be able to get the new ball joint back in?

If I get this thing back together, and I am not to confident about that, I think I will take it in to have the other side done. This is unreal!!!
 
#17 ·
i changed the ball joints on my 93 in half hour first you must take the big axle nut off than the other 6-8 bolts holding the half shaft on than take the top ball bolt nut off and get a fork in there and wack it really hard it will fall down than take bottom nut off and do the same with it...... it may take a few trys but it will pop off than pull knuckle out far enough to get axle out than take the knuckle off than you can get at the 4 rivets/bolts that hold lower ball joint in. took me a hour to do all 4 on my truck
 
#18 ·
Thanks for your comments and encouragement.

I see that the splines on the press in joint are very fine. And the fit is so tight that it appears that it won't even fit, so I wonder if the splines will readily line up or if they will be a problem.
I did measure the diameter of the old and new splines. They are identical.

I did start to insert the new joint with the press. It looks slightly crooked so I stopped until tomorrow when I am not as stressed. If it starts crooked, being such a tight fit and being such a hard material, will it likely straighten itself or more likely receive damage, from binding?
 
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