Ball Joints on 4X4 - how involved?

[ckhd]

Your front axle is a Dana 44.

If you have a press, there's not too much to changing the ball joints. I didn't even have to take off the steering arm on mine (the '72 'burb). The special tools are the spindle nut socket (a big sucker with four teats) and a socket to take the sleeve out where the ball joints go (a little sucker with four teats). I rented a ball-joint press to do mine, already had the spindle nut socket, and bought the sleeve socket.

Get a manual, if you don't already have one. There are torque specs and procedures that you need to follow if you want it to be right.

While you have it apart, make sure you grease the inside of the spindle (where the front axle shafts pass), grease the u-joint on the axle shafts (replace if needed), check the needle bearings inside the spindle (and grease them), and replace the seal inside the spindle (not just the one in the hub). It's a lot easier to do it while you have it apart already than to have to take it apart again later to fix it.