Upper Ball Joint Replacements
 

Hey d00dz,

I'm fairly new to this site, having only recently purchased my truck. Anyway, i took my truck in to the shop for some front end work and it was precisely as i had feared--ball joints.

Anyway, they said it looks like it needs new upper balls joints to properly correct the camber. Thus I pose this question: should i just swap in some replacement ball joints or should I go with some adjustable ones? Further, what are some quality replacements that you would recommend? Future upgrades include a mild 2" lift and 33" tires. I was thinking quality aftermarket here, but I've been out of the off-road scene for a while now, so i'm not sure what has developed, or if it even makes a difference since i'm not going to be using this as a serious off road machine.

The truck is a 72 K-10 LWB backed by a 350.

thanks, and let me know if i've left out any relevant information.

daniel

Re: Upper Ball Joint Replacements
 

The only "adjustable" ball joints (for 4x4s) I have seen are lowers for Dana 60s, but you shouldn't need anything like that. Just simply replacing the stock style ball joints should fix it. It is a rather labor intensive job that you really don't wnat to have to do again, so stick with a good name brand. I like Moog parts, but they are pricey....

Are you doing this yourself? If so, pay attention to everything along the way. Axle-joints, wheel bearings, spindle bearings, etc. should all be inspected very carefully "while you are in there". On a truck this old, I would probably just replace the axle joints, since there really is not good way to visually inspect them w/o taking them completely apart.....at which point you might as well go new.
I would also replace the lower ball joints at the same time as the uppers, once again because you already have it apart.

Re: Upper Ball Joint Replacements
 

thanks for the reply. i'll do some research on Moog. i wasn't planning on doing it myself as all the research i'd done up until this point indicated it would be a job that i would be ill-suited for as far as equipment and space.

i'm of the same mindset about replacing parts, though, so thanks for letting me know what else to look for. i really appreciate it.

Re: Upper Ball Joint Replacements
 

I was just asking because this could get pretty expensive. It might "pay" to shop around and get a few quotes.
It should not, for example, cost as much to change an axle joint if you are already paying for a ball joint installation....They have already had to remove the axle to do the ball joint work. Many places have a specific charge for certain operations like this, just don't let them "add-up" these charges. You should not have to pay the "usual rate" for the axle joint install.

Re: Upper Ball Joint Replacements
 

i just noticed where you are from.. that's cool your kinda close.

im not sure what the shop would charge, but the job isn't as bad as i first thought to do it yourself.

I did it about 5 years ago in my driveway at my old apartment. took about two weeks but i had no idea what i was doing. and i didn't have internet access at my apartment so i would research at school and then go home and hopefully i remembered.

i used the cheapest autozone parts, and i think i am going to have to do the job again, not too happy with them.

Re: Upper Ball Joint Replacements
 

ah, this is good to know. sort of a flat fee sort of thing where if they finish earlier they make that much more net profit. i'll definitely shop around the labor.

haha. this is kinda what i want to avoid. i'd rather not have everything apart in the driveway--the truck doesn't fit in the garage. i'd hate to have a project out there vulnerable or upsetting the neighbors. if i can't find a satisfactory quote then i'll seriously look into doing it myself. these old trucks are great.

good to hear from another NMer. Are there meet and greets often in these parts?

Re: Upper Ball Joint Replacements
 

LongHair is spot on for sure. If the truck is at the shop, let them replace the ball joints. It will be so much easier since they need to be pressed out/pressed in. I carried my knuckle to a shop to do since I had the front end apart already.

Plus, it's nice to have someone else eyeball those front end parts and let you know if they need replacement. I replaced "everything" since I was already in it.

Re: Upper Ball Joint Replacements
 

Thanks for all the help guys. I'm going to go ahead and shop around the labor and see what I come up with.

Re: Upper Ball Joint Replacements
 

i've seen a few others from around nm and el paso on here, but never heard of a meet and greet in state, but im new to the forum so i really can't say.

good luck on the shop estimates.