Ball Joints/ Knuckles Never dun it

[calkid072]

I am currentley restoring the front end of my 70 chev, found ball joints and knuckles trashed. Question is; anyone got a suggestion on were to start? Sure would appreciate some tips from the experienced crew

[LONGHAIR]

It's a pretty heavy job. You have to be able to strip the entire frort axle, minus ony ring & pinion. You will need access to a press for the actual ball-joints themselves...and a special socket or 2.

[71 super]

Go to quad 4x4 I learned about the site from board members, they seem to have everything needed to rebuild the front end in a package deal, joints and all associated parts as well as a video to aid in the rebuild. Hope this helps.

[cobinder]

The job isn't that hard, it's a matter of having all the special tools it takes. special socket for hub nut, ball joint removal fork, BFH, harbor freight ball joint removal kit, big socket and torque wrench, plus grease, cleaner, gloves,rags, jack stands, floor jack, and other misc garage stuff.

It will take ya all day. The next time will be better then half the time.

[earl87gta]

I would pull the hole axle have it sand blasted down to clean it up then start taking it apart its not that bad after you get the needed tools every one suggested.

[special-K]

You just need ball joints,right?Is there something wrong with the knuckles?They aren`t really a wear part.I`ve damaged them and had to replace,but they don`t typically require any type of service.
All you do is remove the lock-outs,drive the spindle nut around with a drift punch if you don`t want to buy a spindle socket,remove lock ring,second spindle nut,and pull the drum/hub off.
Now remove the spindle and backing plate.(6 9/16 nuts),pull the axle shaft out,Disconnect the tie rod end and drag link on driver side,and remove the knuckle from the axle with a pickle fork(tie rod removal tool).
I just take mine to have the ball joints pressed and go back together with it.It`s a small and simple job really.The first side will take longer,but you`ll fly through the second side.

[LONGHAIR]

All you do is remove the lock-outs,drive the spindle nut around with a drift punch if you don`t want to buy a spindle socket,remove lock ring,second spindle nut,and pull the drum/hub off.
Now remove the spindle and backing plate.(6 9/16 nuts),pull the axle shaft out,Disconnect the tie rod end and drag link on driver side,and remove the knuckle from the axle with a pickle fork(tie rod removal tool).
I just take mine to have the ball joints pressed and go back together with it.It`s a small and simple job really.The first side will take longer,but you`ll fly through the second side.

I can be made to sound simple, but there is more to it than that.
First, if you own a straight axle 4x4, you really should have the spindle nut socket for it.
Second, (now remove the spindle) is very misleading. If it has never been off, it can be a real challenge. There is a press fit stub behind the flange. These are notorious for rusting solid. (frozen) There is a special attachment made to fit a slide-hammer that is used by mechanics who work on these frequently. It is not required in most cases, but it will get the most stubborn ones.
Third, removing the knuckle can be a bit of a challenge too. You are fighting two ball-joint tapers at the same time.
I have never been a fan of the "pickle fork". It usually does more damage than good. For the ball-joints that you are replacing anyway...no harm, but the tie-rods that may not need to be replaced, the boots will not fair well.
Fourth, There is an adjusting sleeve in the top of the "C" on the axle housing. It requires a special socket (4 prongs) and must be torqued down onto the taper of the upper ball-joint after the lower has been torqued. Then comes the upper nut, which also gets a specific torque. All of this obviously requiring a torque wrench.
Fifth, There is more to the locking nut pack on the wheel bearings than it looks. Many a rookie has screwed this up.
All in all, a big job.......stripping and hopefully servicing nearly every part of the axle. You will be in so deep that you should inspect/clean/service everything you remove and replace. (Axle joints, spindle bearings, wheel bearings, tie rods, drag link ends as well as all of the seals involved)

Not impossible by any means, and this is how you learn this stuff, but there is a lot involved. For a novice, I would recommend doing one side at a time and planning for a lot of time. I hope this is not your daily driver

[Old Chevy Mech]

It is absolutely worth investing in the spindle nut and the special socket to torque the upper joint sleeve. I can tell you that if you plan on keeping the vehicle, take your time and replace all the seals, and even if an axel or 2 have to be replaced its absolutely worth taking the time and $ to do it yourself. Some shops (around here) charge over $2500.00 for a D44 rebuild that in many cases never involves a new ring & pinion! So do it yourself, buy the few tools and you will always have the peace of minds & satisfaction knowing you did it and its done!



Frank

[68K20 x Drill]

Grinding a spark plug socket to have teeth is an easy way to make the joint sleeve socket.
You can get around using the spindle nut one, but now that I have one, I wouldn't go back.

[special-K]

I wasn`t giving step by step instructions,but a general outline.But,I just bought my first spindle socket last year after rebuilding several solid axles over the last 30 years.I wonder how I did that?The spindle can be a bear.But,I`ve never seen that special tool you refer to.I use a block of solid nylon and pound my way around to break it loose.Works everytime.Since I service mine annually as they should be,I only have a tough time the first time.I just serviced my Highlander last weekend and just grabbed the spindle and rocked it back and forth and up and down to pull them off with my hands.There are finer ways to remove tie rod ends,but they sell boots for cheap and I`ve never had to buy one.
I just jumped in and did my first one in`77 when a stub shaft snapped and ate out the spindle.I`m being helpful and letting him know it can be done.He has us for support once he starts.

[LONGHAIR]

special-K,

I certainly didn't mean to say that it removing the spindle nut couldn't be done w/o the socket. I have worked on many that have chisel marks from previous work. But, there are at least a couple of good reasons not to...Generally it raises a burr in at least one of the notches, this is rough on your hands at very least. I have seen them split at the notch, from having been over-chiseled. Adjustment of the wheel bearings is shakey at best with the chisel method. Most importantly, most of the trucks that I have seen where the lock-ring was improperly positioned, and the pin smashed, where done by the chisel method.

There are actually two different styles of pullers for the spindle. One is the slide hammer style like I have used. Pic below. The other, which have seen but never used myself, is more of a press. It screws onto the spindle itself and has a center bolt that pushes against the axle shaft. I didn't buy that one for the simple reason that it depends on the axle's integrity. If the axle is broken, especially at the joint, there isn't much to press against.
I did it "the hard way" with a brass hammer and a wedge for the first couple of dozen times. Then I came across the mother of them all....I could not get it to move at all. I call to a buddy, who happened to be a Mac man, got me the slide hammer piece. It works like a charm.

Here is a cut away picture that shows how these work on most trucks where the spindle diameters are different. The other shows it in action.

[special-K]

Not arguing your good point,bud.It`s all great advise.The right tools are always best.I was just trying to encourage the guy to take it on and show the minimum of tools required.I don`t feel it`s a very intimidating or prohibitive job,that`s all.I used a drift punch(round)before I had the socket and it was blunt enough not to gouge/bur.Also,I use a hammer for a living,so never gave that a thought.I guess you could say I`m an expert hammerer.I`ve had some spindles,but nothing that stopped me.I realize now that the ones ive worked on have never had any rust issue to speak of.Napa has the spindle nuts/lock ring pkg.I`d suggest with the scarcity of these spindles to use new nuts to help save the threads.GM used an odd pitch and I could never find a die or thread file in that pitch and have had to use jewelers files to dress flattened threads back to condition.New spindles are not available anywhere that I am aware of.

[Old Chevy Mech]

I dont see why the spindles would be unavailable, however I know the axel sets for the 69 & 70 have been discontinued. I just installed a brang new axel set on the passanger side and it was for a 73 & up and it was a nice fit. Heavier axel & U-Joint so it was a bit of an upgrade at the same time. I got them at http://www.ringpinion.com/Default.aspx

Frank

[6869704X4]

It's been almost a week. Have you done it yet?
First tool you need is a book, a good one.
The spindles can be a pain to get off. I used a hammer with a 2x4 as a cushion. I put the spindle nuts back on to protect the threads and hit the spindle on the area that was not machined for the bearings. It's between where the inner and outer bearings rest.
Before I put it back together I cleaned, painted, and anti-siezed the area between the knuckle and spindle. The next time I needed to take them off I just smacked them with the palm of my hand and wiggled them off.
My fadded memory(thats why I have a book) is telling me there is a snap ring or two involved in getting the ball joints out. Not real sure about that. Its been a year or two.
Oh yeah, I didn't have this stuff the first time I did it but PB Blaster can be your best friend sometimes.

[msgross]

that spindle puller would have been great... I had to resort to an air chisel since it was frozen at the spindle/knuckle joint....