Lower ball joint replacement write up

[Summabish]

Here's a do it yourself for those who need the info and don't want to pay outrageous prices to have someone to do it for you. *

Alright the job is lower balljoint replacement on a 1996 Chevy S10 ZR2, but could give you a general idea for other makes and models. *
First the tools you'll need:

Jack
Jack stand*
Tie rod end puller
10 mm socked
10 mm wrench
12 mm wrench
13 mm socket
19 mm wrench
7/8 in wrench
15/16 in wrench
15/16 in socket*
3/8 in Allen socket
Ratchet
36 mm socket(axle nut)
Center punch
Drill and drill bit set
Chisel
Hammer/mallet(choice of person)
Ball joint separator
Needle nose pliers
Needle nose vise grips(not needed but good to have)
Flat tip screwdriver (cleaning purposes)
Pry bar
1/2 drive impact gun(electric or air)
Case of beer, bottle of liquor, coffee, soda, water, ect

Optional:
Music to entertain yourself with
Fender lizards( Fender lizards are anyone you have, it could be friends, your ol'lady, brother, son, father or equivalent, usually they are the ones watching you do all the hard work and telling you what your doing wrong but have a use of a tool fetcher or drink fetcher.)
Cigarettes of you smoke, in my case put them away from where you are working so you have a reason to get one and take a break if you are frustrated.*

Alright first lift the vehicle and set on stands, Safety first. *Remove tire and support lower control arm with jack(reason is a lot of force is implemented with the torsion bar or spring if not this specific model.)

Remove brake assembly, caliper, pads and rotor.

Remove tie rod end, make sure to remove cotter pin and nut, a hammer can justify if no tie rod end pulled is available. *

Remove axle nut.


Remove upper ball joint.
7/8in wrench after removing cotter pin


Back nut off a good couple of turns until you can see clearance *between nut and steering knuckle
*

Insert ball joint separator and hammer until joint separates sitting on the nut.



Remove nut and put in a safe place to reuse, lift upper control arm.


On the top of the upper control arm is a cable support for the abs sensor remove(10 mm socket and wrench) it will provide you with room to move steering knuckle later.


Now separate lower ball joint from steering knuckle.*
Using a 15/16in wrench to loosen nut after removing cotter pin


Repeat same steps as in upper ball joint separation, loosen but and make clearance, insert ball joint separator and hammer until joint separates from steering knuckle.*
*
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[Summabish]

Nut will sometimes come off with a wrench but if not just use a 15/16in socket and impact wrench and it will come right off, separate axle and pull steering knuckle off lower ball joint, set out of the way(I just set it up on top of the upper control arm.


Next is lower ball joint removal, there is a few ways you can do this, air chisel the head and pry off, drill off the rivets heads and pry off, or the way I did which is using a center punch make a starter mark in the top of each rivet, then using a 1/8in drill bit and drill drill down about a good 1/8-1/4 inch into head, take a chisel and hammer and indent all the way across the head along the drill hole, then chisel off(I used a hammer and chisel which takes longer but easier for me to control and manipulate with out scarring up the control arm.)



Now pry old ball joint out with pry bar, I will put up a fight but if your not a girly man you should have no problem.



Now before you put everything back together and after you have a celebration ensure your old part matches your replacement(some times computers and people make mistakes and you could have the wrong part.).*


Now time to install, light up holes and hand snug the suppliers hardware, in this case it was four 12mm bolts and 4 13mm lock nuts. *Tighten them down until they are good and snug and no movement or play in ball joint housing.


Rejoin axle head to steering knuckle and rejoin ball joint to its location on the knuckle and tighten down, make sure your axle splines mate and no binding. *Then install cotter pin supplied and bend around nut.
*


Repeat upper ball joint procedure in reverse order using new cotter pins(at any parts store or hardware store) don't reuse old cotter pins unless your in a pinch.*

Reinstall axle nut and tighten down using 36mm socket and impact wrench, make sure to reuse all hardware you took off except the old cotter pin.

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[Summabish]

Reinstall tie rod end and tighten down installing new cotter pin as well.


Now reinstall brake rotor, caliper and pads and tighten everything down. *


Everything is self *explanatory.

Enjoy any other helpful tips are more than welcome to be supplied.*
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[Woogeroo]

That is some excellent tech.

Thanks for going to all that trouble, documenting it and posting it.

I know how much work it can be just trying to take pics of it while yer doing it.

-W