A arm removal

[skokie]

I was thinking about taking off my a arms, getting them all cleaned up, painted and put them back on. How hard is this to do and are there any special tools needed? Also if I am in there what are the parts I could replace. Figured replace it all since I am taking them off.

Thanks Much...

[COBALT]

I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you want to rebuild your front-end. In other words popping loose your ball joints from the spindle is a lot of trouble to go to just to clean up your control arms, but to each his own.

I would recomend replacing the control arm center bar bushings, the rubber boots, the U-bolts to the cross member for the lower control arms, and the rubber boots on both your upper and lower ball joints (because they're going to get wrecked when you pickle-fork them to pop them loose). Inspect your ball joints and your tie rods. You can do this without taking anything apart, but if you insist...

Uppers are easy. It's the bottoms you need to worry about, but not if you're careful. The big issue with the lowers is obviously the front springs. Some go to the trouble of getting a spring compressor. I don't bother doing that. Depending on how old your lower ball joints are they can be a bear to pop loose from the spindle - especially for 3/4 ton trucks. So I put my jack under the control arm center bar so that it exerted some pressure from below, unbolted the U-bolts in the cross member, got behind a metal shop desk for a make-shift shield, and SLOWLY lowered the jack. My lower control arm hung from the ball joint like a wounded flipper. The spring uncompressed and fell out of the cross member. I repeated on the same side.

So...

You'll need a reliable floor jack and jack stands.

A pickle fork and a hammer can loosen the ball joints. Two different sizes are required. You can pick these up at any parts store.

You'll need a propane torch if your ball joints are too stubborn to come out, and you'll need large sockets for the bushings on your upper and lower control arms to get the center bars out.

...and you'll need a ball joint clamp to push the ball joints out of the lower control arms. The uppers have rivets if they are original, which means you'll have to grind them off. If they've been replaced there should be bolts there.

Have fun.

[skokie]

Thanks for the info Colbalt. I am going to print all that info out and save it when I am ready to do the a arms. Also rebuilding the front end was what I had planned but for some reason my brain wouldnt let me type it. LOL

[Spoof]

I can't add much except I highly recommedend the front suspension rebuild. Let's face it these trucks are pushing 35 years, they need it. If your in the middle of a rebuild this is the time to do it, now your good for 30 more years.

[HerLonghorn71]

Dean made a tool to press the ball joints out.Used a threaded rod with three nuts on it.2 nuts locked together at on end of the rod.The other nut in side of a socket.Put this assembly in between the balljoint studs (in side the back of sinpdle)Tight the bottom nut of the locked two with a wrench and it will pop them loose.No damged threads or wrecked boots on the ball joints too.The threaded stud ia about 4" long.

[dyingdeadman]

i am planning on doing this this next weekend as well. thank you for the much needed info.

[Tx Firefighter]

If you loosen the ball joint nut and whack the spindle ear right by the ball joint stud with a mini sledge, the ball joint will pop right loose.

Every since I learned that trick, I haven't ever used a pickle fork again. This way there is zero chance of rubber boot damage. It doesn't hurt the spindle either.

[COBALT]

That trick did NOT work with me. Heating up the spindle didn't help. Nothing but the pickel fork from hell worked. I had the 5lb hammer and a 3/4" x 1' steel stock bar. Those things would not come loose...

Of course they were the original ball joints....and they were SHOT!

[wyatt-erp]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

If you loosen the ball joint nut and whack the spindle ear right by the ball joint stud with a mini sledge, the ball joint will pop right loose.

Every since I learned that trick, I haven't ever used a pickle fork again. This way there is zero chance of rubber boot damage. It doesn't hurt the spindle either.

This is the way I always do it. Just make sure the nuts are still completely threaded on the ball joint. Just still loose. You don't want to lose your nuts when they pop loose. This has always worked for me.

[crawdad]

Originally Posted by skokie

I was thinking about taking off my a arms, getting them all cleaned up, painted and put them back on. How hard is this to do and are there any special tools needed?

Skokie, how about posting how everything went and any problems you encountered. I'm planning on doing this soon, and would sure like to read your account of it before starting. This will be the first time for me. Thanks man.