EXACTLY what I need to do on the same vehicle. The Haynes manual made it seem like a daunting task. After watching your video it isn't anything I'm not capable of doing. And every time a question popped into my head, you answered it. GREAT job. You saved me a gang of cash. And major props for not cursing. I did it for you while watching. LOL
This was a long DIY video, but well worth it. Some videos say they will show how to replace a part and cut to the part sitting on the ground and say replace in reverse order. What? I didn't get to see the part being removed!!! I'm glad you mentioned to get a professional alignment when done. Thanks Dr Shock!
Thanks, many creators on UA-cam make videos for _entertainment_ primarily, so they tend to be on the short side and edit out a lot of detail to prune the length down. Myself, I'm more interested in capturing all the little details of a _by the book_ repair regardless of the footage length.
thank you for this video. i was able to successfully drill and punch out the rivets for the upper ball joints yesterday. i just punched the middle. started with a small drill bit, and worked my way up until i had the entire rivet part detached from the rivet cap. then i punched it out. i did not even have to chisel it apart with this method, it just fell off. i really thought i would need a grinder or an air hammer for this job, but you showed that it is possible with a drill and persistance. it took me less than 30 minutes on each side. THANK YOU!
Really thorough job I'm Going through the same process on my 99 sub I'm missing first few pages of my manual Which of course had the torque specs. So I'm glad I ran across your videos.You covered any questions I may have had. I did this several years back, an remember What a pain staking job it is up down up down round the other side find the wrench that isn't there round the truck up down & away it goes. Lol I been crawling in an out from the sub last 3 days Putting in New transfer case.same thing in out up down in out where is that wrench. This tool that tool drive way is full of tools at 65 this ain't getting any easier, just longer. But ya know, I still love it. Great job thanks for posting.
Dude, I just cannot thank you enough for this video. I've probably watched it / re-watched certain parts - maybe 10 times. Mine is a '94 Z71 - with the FREAKIN rivets, but I almost done with the 2nd side. Straight up - THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!! - Your voice & the way you simply take it one step at a time is very impressive !!!!!! SOOOOOOOO HELPFUL ! 😬
I cannot thank you & your camera man enough for making this video. My 1994 Z71 needs all of these exact things done to "her"... I love my old truck ! - the shop told me right around $3000.00 Guess what I'll be ding once the parts arrive. Thanks for your tips, tricks & wisdom.
@@andrewwolf8652 Sorry for the late reply, but yes. I pretty much think they simply did not want to do it - but whatever. I made another comment above - but I am almost done with the 2nd side.... What a bitch.... I do (now) understand why they quoted me so much. That said, I'm in to it for maybe 250 bucks.... Saved around 2700 bucks....
May God bless you....as God blessed me through your video...just what I needed to get this '96 k1500 Tahoe to trackin' straight again! Such a good detailed(thorough) instructional video. Thank you!
Thanks, this vid solved a mystery for me. I took apart my 97 k3500 almost a year ago, pulled the ball joints, and bead blasted and painted all the arms. Now I'm trying to put it together and don't remember how it came apart. I could not get the upper ball joints to fit. A Haynes manual and even a factory service manual showed the ball joint going on top of the arm. There was no way that would work on my truck. I remounted a joint on the underside of the arm for a test and it suddenly worked. Yours has it on the underside, so I'm confident that is the right way for mine too. For some reason they go both ways and even the factory service manual doesn't mention it.
Thanks, the upper ball joint placement does vary between 1500 and 2500/3500 chassis types for GMT400 class trucks. The GM service manual does point this out, but only in the text as a passing comment. The only illustration provided by GM in the manual is for the 1500 orientation so alot of folks miss that detail.
UA-cam needs more videos like this very detailed and it's from the standpoint of the regular everyday Joe that doesn't have every tool known to man I would have probably use the air chisel a little bit more but other than that you just saved my day man
Just did this on my ‘94 4x4 and wish I had seen this video first. Not sure why it didn’t show up in my you tube search. My only advice would be to forget about drilling and chiseling and pounding the upper control arm ball joint and bushings and just buy the entire upper A arm (that includes the ball joint and control arm bushings already installed). Only about $120 and you save two to three hours of drilling and chiseling and pressing out and in the bushings and you’ve saved the cost of the ball joint and control arm bushings. The lower control arm is another story because those are not as readily available. Good video though!
@@DrShock I speak that language too. Thank you for the video.. I've got a '92 project I'm working on.. just got done swapping in some seats from a '04 suburban, dyed the carpet and deep cleaned the interior. Looks good! Ready to move on to more important things such as the front end :)
Thank you Dr. Shock, you produce excellent videos inclusive of all important details, excellent camera work, and articulate dialogue! Watching this, I've got renewed confidence that I can accomplish this job on my '98 Tahoe 4x4. I'm going with new UC arms complete with new bushings and ball joint. The extra $40-$50 are worth my time and frustration dealing with rivets and that dang C-clamp press...lol
I’ve got a 1994 Chevy Z 71 and my lower control arm is made out of stamped steel welded together not a casted lower control alarm. On mine the upper ones and the lower ball joints are bolted in
Stamped steel lower arms were all that was available in 1994. But both upper and lower ball joints been riveted on since 1988 from the GM factory. So bolted on type indicates replaced previously by the dealer or aftermarket.
Love the vid, really helpful. I have to question GM's decision to use the large spline on C/K1500's. The end of the lower control arm being forged, it was a fight to get it started straight. Had to use a 3 foot breaker bar to get it seated. Thanks for the vid.
Very thorough and complete with the why and how explained very well. The alignment cam part is very good to know. I may pawn this job off but I can know better what needs to be done exactly. I will have new arm assemblies for my top ball joints as I am in Ohio and rust is an issue. The rivets are too rusty to drill. I have a 1996 C2500 so yours is a little different setup with a torsion bar vs. coil spring.
at 1:36:30 the placement of the upper balljoint is above the control arm you have installed it below the control arm??? Same as it was removed?? Does it matter?
Yes, it does matter. I likely mentioned this in passing elsewhere in the video, but 1500 trucks are on the only ones mounted on top like that drawing shows. The 2500/3500 trucks (which this video is about) are mounted on the bottom (as you see in the videos thumnail photo e.g.). In all cases, what I was quoting at that time index from the service manual was that the bolts go head facing road, nuts facing sky.
Thx the video, was helpful for referencing things I forgot to pay more attention to, lol. Btw forget PB Blaster, use Liquid Wrench, I used to use PB too, never felt like it did much though, started watching Project Farm(Also a great and helpful channel), and apparently it didn't seem to do much because it really wasn't...Liquid Wrench did perform well in his test though, and I've definitely had an easier time since switching, and now everytime I see someone using PB I tell them, lol.
Most automotive shops are hacks & do it as quick as possible. I would not trust them on drilling out the rivets. I have aircraft rivet guns & bucking bars. You can punch out the rivets shanks using a punch set with the rivet gun once u drill the head off. Aircraft rivet guns have slower harder hits then air hammers. Using a 4x or larger if available. Also back it up the rivet gun with a heavy bucking bar next to the rivet tail on the opposite side. If u put back the original rivets don't try using a air hammer it will work harden the rivets before there bucked. I recommend a 6x rivet gun & heaviest bucking bar u can find. You did a great job. Thanks
Thanks. That watch concern though is unwarranted, Apple watch sensors are not damaged by shocks from using hand tools in mine and others experience since 2015 (first watch series 0 release). It's the sapphire screen that can't take too much. But scratched watches and skinned knuckles are part of the lifestyle. ;-)
I had to do this job (minus upper bushings) on my '95 last summer. 190k and still the original ball joints. I wonder if I will get anywhere near that mileage on the replacement moogs.
I can't imagine any commercial business wanting to do work on a two decade+ old truck. For the shop the risk of something breaking or going wrong is high due to age, corrosion, and parts discontinuation. And for the owner just about any repair quote would exceed the book value of the truck! Today you really have to do the work yourself on these classic trucks for it to be affordable.
DrShock, First off, EXCELLENT VIDEO SIR !!! To you and your crew !!! I’ve got a 2000 Chevy K3500, I didn’t think any of it was going to be easy. And I don’t know “yet” if you have another video of you working on the lower A arm bushings or not. But, I also need to get those replaced as well as everything you shared in this video, sir. I so appreciate all of the information, part number’s (GM, &. other). Getting back to the lower A arm bushings, I was told that the (Don’t quote me on this term ) stabilizer arms had to come off, and the “keys” (???) has to be taken out, for those stabilizer arms to come off. In order to take out the lower control arm out. Does all of this sound correct to you ? I’d appreciate any any all information you might have on this sir.
Thanks, comment is much appreciated. I am doing a lower control arm video very soon. This particular vehicle just didn't need it though. When you do the lowers there's a need to relieve the torsion bar tension with a special compression tool and remove the bar assembly yes. Then you have to do bushings for either forged or stamped arms (similar to the lower ball joints I go over in this video the parts are different for each arm design).
Yep, I explained this in the video with the GM service manual overview. Trucks that are 1/2 ton have to have the ball joint mounted differently than for 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. The truck shown in the vid is a 3/4 (K2500) truck. As long as the ball joint was riveted on, you know it was done the factory way. If it's bolted on, you cannot trust that it was not installed incorrectly by someone uninformed, so use the service manual guidance to correct past mistakes.
1999 Denali still have original front end steering & suspension Checked ball joints few months back they do need replacement not because there is play but the rubber on ball joint disintegrated. Correction I did have to rebuild my steering box seals.
I went through the grinding and pressing thangs on a 1980 but on my 96 I'm going to just buy new upper a lower with it dunn and just do the r&r This time.
Where the upper control arm eccentric bolts go through I have seen that the brackets have a metal piece that can be punched out which turns the hole for the bolt into an oblong slot allowing for more camber adjustment. In your opinion would that be beneficial or can the alignment be done adequately with just using the existing hole that is there?
Most GM trucks of this era would have had the factory camber knock outs done very early in their life, around the second tire replacement. Its required to stay in front end spec once the wear sets in so I would suspect very few are still intact.
You could certainly go that route, and it can make for some extra working space. But when working on these old trucks though you have to weigh the risk of creating new problems. This truck had the original shafts in there from 1998, they were not leaking despite the age of the seals and I choose to leave them alone as much as possible to keep it that way. Sometimes they can get quite bonded in place after multiple decades as well. We were only in here to swap out the ball joints and upper bushings afterall. ;-)
@@DrShock thanks! I always appreciate your willingness to reply to these old videos. It's a big help for those of us who have recently gotten into the GMT platform.
I presume you're referring to the stabilizer bar link. And if so that's because it wasn't worn or due for any scheduled service. We don't incur unnecessary additional costs by firing a _parts cannon_ here. Only replace the parts that are confirmed defective, obviously worn, excessively corroded, or otherwise due for regularly scheduled mileage service per the GM service manual. A stabilizer bar link has no scheduled maintenance interval and is straightforward to replace separately, at a later time when it's actually necessary. Here's a video on doing that if needed - ua-cam.com/video/BCRgnikYAHE/v-deo.html
Hey Dr. Have a clunk on take off on my 2500 suburban. Replaced all suspension parts but the bushings I think they are shot I’ll replace the uppers with the gm part you said any ideas on the part numbers for the lower bushings for that forged control arm?
Forged lower rearward bushings are discontinued from GM for a few years now so in the realm of unobtanium outside NOS, but they were ACDelco 45G11076. The forward ones should still be available as ACDelco 45G9213. Only fits the forged lower control arm, stamped arms are different.
Thanks. Your jack stand point is the standard jack point area on the frame rail, just like when jacking up in changing a front tire. But you'll want to keep your floor jack under the lower control arm as I showed. The main reason is that if the stabilizer link is rusted thru, there's nothing else preventing the torsion bar on a 4WD vehicle from flipping that arm down (can be a nasty surprise). If the link is intact, it will hold it the arm up and you can use the jack as necessary to help with getting the lower ball joint separated instead.
How much good does that dust cover even do if you mostly drive on the road. On my 97 c1500 with 280k it's about gone but a bit hanging on. And here's a question. I'm watching because I think my ball joints are ok but I need new dust covers. So want to know how to take these apart to be able to replace them. Can you just take one lose at a time, replace it's dust cover, then do the other, then put everything back together? I'm guessing I'll have to take the shock lose to get the upper and lower are to move separately.(maybe not just saw the top get unbolted and it dropped down pretty far!)
Those rubber dust boots on tie rods and ball joints serve a similar purpose, to keep road dirt/grit and water out of the joint. Either will take the joint down in a short while, just like with a busted rubber CV axle boot. To replace them you would do all the same work in the video except you can skip the parts about removing the joints and upper control arm. Remember on K trucks the torsion bar takes the place of the front spring, so before removing the lower ball joint nut have a jack under there like I did. All that will hold it together is either the jack, or the sway bar link if it's still intact. Also those ball joint dust boots are not universal. They typically have to be from the same manufacturer as the joint to fit properly.
If you do the top ball joints, just buy the whole arm and assembly. If not, then the only way to do the rivets is to center punch the rivets head then use to step drill out. If you grind the heads you’ll lose the ability to find center and plum.
The aftermarket complete top assemblies are cheaper, but I prefer rebuilding the upper control arms with genuine GM parts instead just like back in the dealership days. There are a number of ways of approaching the rivet removal after two plus decades, thanks for sharing yours. Manually punching out the rivets after removing their heads is the GM service manual approach, but it's often unsuccessful after so much aging. So I prefer the approach of prying the rivets out instead. Here I'm only resorting to drilling in order to partially weaken the rivets outer diameter, so removing the rivet head is visually helpful.
Didn't need them replaced on this vehicle. The lower bushings for the rear of the forged type lower arm that this truck uses are discontinued by GM, so I only would only replace them when absolutely necessary.
Would you (or anyone) suggest replacing the upper ball joint and control arm as an assembly or just replacing the ball joints if the control arm is good? Seeing how locked in that upper joint was got me thinking..
Originally in the 90s and early 2000s the upper arms wouldn't have been replaced unless bent/damaged in an accident or due to deep corrosion concerns. The GM service manual walked mechanics thru drilling out the factory riveted ones as we saw in this video. The flood of inexpensive automotive parts imported from asia in recent years has changed _some_ of that approach. You can often buy a fully ready to bolt on upper control arm _with_ the ball joint _and_ the bushings for less than the OEM GM upper ball joint alone. But you have to shop around, most of those aftermarket upper arm assemblies are just a notch above scrap metal in quality. Maybe a MooG (though they are not what they used to be imo), or an ACDelco (just for the warranty). But I wouldn't consider the other uncommon brands. The phrase _you get what you pay for_ often applies to them. ;-)
@@DrShock Interesting stuff, thank you for the insight. The OEM control arms on my 94 are still perfect, and as you stated probably superior than most cheap parts we would buy today. Hopefully they won't be too much of a struggle, but if they are I can rest easy knowing my control arms aren't bent paper clips!
On my 1989 k2500 Cheyenne - Got tired of beating on the lower ball joint removed (6) torsion bar rear support bolts, nuts adjuster bolts(2) marked the bar alignment ,beat the torsion bar back from the front with a dirt digging bar, removed the 15 mil. cv flange axle bolts to front differential, ground off part of the head of the bolt where it interfered with the differential flange to axle connection so the rear control arm bolt could be removed, then removed the front control arm bolt, installing screwdriver through front control arm bolt hole temporary and was able to pivot control arm down remove axle placing wood blocking underneath rotor/knuckle assembly then removing entire knuckle control arm onto wood landing pad. supporting rotor assembly my bud smote the ball joint 3 times with a 12 pound sledge to free the ball joint control arm. I'm also in process of replacing lower control arm bushings so nothing unnecessary here lost one point on a 6 point 15/16 control arm bolt. Might get another one but it should be fine with a washer under it (pay attention to preexisting alignment special washer in lower control arms with slightly raised inner circle) fits in indent in front of control arm.
This was a great video you demonstrated how to remove and replace ball joints and upper control arm bushings. I had one question though. I see you didn't replace the lower A/arm bushings was that in another video or they were not needing replacement? Great instructional video.
Even though the truck is a 1998, I didn't feel the lower bushings needed replacing. There's some more work to address those if necessary, needing to unload and reload the torsion bars. The Harbor Freight bushing toolsets I showed should cover those though if you needed to go that far in your project.
All of the pictures in the manual show the 'plate' of the upper ball joint is at the top of the control arm while in yours is at the bottom originally. How so? Is it because it's a K2500 and the manual is for K1500? I've got a K1500 and the plate is at the top like in the manual.
That's right, I go over this verbally in the video. 1/2 ton trucks mount the joint differently than 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. The illustration in the manual just shows the 1/2 ton. This is also an obvious difference when viewing the orientation of where the joint was originally factory riveted onto the control arm.
The cotter pin? If it's rusted out you can sometimes just force the nut off and shear that pin in the ball joint stud. If you're replacing it, that would be one way to go.
Another question: On a 1996, K2500, 8600 GVW, are the inner and outer tie rod ends the same on both sides? Rock Auto does not list the number per vehicle in the parts listings. For example, I purchase 4 front anti roll bar/sway bar bushings as it was listed as "bushing" not "bushings" so the one box had the two I needed, but I ended up with four as I ordered "2" bushings (which meant 4). Thanks is advance!
They are not specific to a side no. And they are sold individually boxed by GM. It's been awhile since I did the 1998 K2500 front end rebuild (unfortunately a video that was lost before I could upload to YT due to a technical problem on my MacBook at the time) but looking up the parts to refresh my memory shows: Tie Rod Inner (2 required L & R): GM 26059036 Tie Rod Outer (2 required L & R): GM 26059033 (Optional) Replacement Tie Rod Adjuster(s): GM 26048561 Idler Arm (1 required): GM 26059030 Pitman Arm (1 required): GM 26051896
@@DrShock Thank you so very much (again). I'm off to order. And, as soon as this very strange stuff falling from the sky in Southern California stops, I will begin a complete front end and brake job all with OEM Parts thanks to your videos and parts links!
Humm how's that electric wrench working out for you. I don't have a good indoor place to work so setting up an air wrench on a compressor doesn't seem like the way to go but just having the electric wrench once the bolt is loose(granted you seem to use it to break some loose) seem like a good alternative, assuming it will fit in the space. Have also been thinking about some ratcheting combonation wrenches, but I whish folks would make them as 2 box ends with different sizes on each end so I'd need to buy fewer and a plain hex not the funky ones they claim work on rounded nuts, but to me don't seem to work well on any!.
I've had this Craftsman impact wrench for a few years now, long enough for them to have discontinued it. I haven't used my air wrenches or drills since I got it. The electrics have definitely reached the torque and battery life point that air is only useful still for hammers/chisels and paint guns imo. Now that's a light duty/DIY statement. A professional shop will still find air better due to battery limitations imo. When this Craftsman goes, I'll replace it with a Milwaukee. On the box end wrenches, yeah I've gradually collected ratchet versions of all the popular metric sizes now. And in some cases I've found a need to get the stubbies of same for those limited working room fasteners. But there are still situations where a non-ratcheting box end wrench is perfectly fine just like breaker bars are not rendered extinct by ratchet wrenches.
I haven't worked on a 3500 myself, but it should be very similar if not the same as the ball joint parts are all listed to fit the K3500 also. Please let me know here if not.
@@DrShock ...not sure how you relate to frozen bolts that hold the interior rotor on (15mm) I've sprayed them and let them set for 2 days now and they don't budge..not sure what the next step would be...thanks
More leverage, breaker bar with the exact six point impact rated socket to make the best contact and have the highest strength. I've had to put steel pipes on those breaker bars for more extension/leverage (around 3ft) on some trucks as well. You can bungie the socket end to hold it where it needs to be if it has to get that long. After you get the bolts all out, replace any that have marred heads or corrosion with genuine GM ones.
There's a link in the description, it's the GM service manual. Yeah, you can take the axle shaft off if you want. I don't find it necessary, but it's certainly doable.
The video shows the forged steel version, it's thick heavy metal and typically found on 2500 or higher only. The stamped steel version will be thin metal, having a folded or shaped over arm design hollow underneath it (you can't miss it as it will be totally different appearance than the forged one in the video).
DrShock Thank you. I’m enjoying your videos tremendously. My question was the same; how to accurately ID forged vs. stamped lower control arms to purchase the correct replacement ball joint. I have a ‘98 K1500 and I am leaning toward the stamped version. Snow’s arrived up here in Canada, luckily my truck came from Florida, not too much rust!
@@BusyFingers The best answer I could give would be to take note of the forged arms in this video, they are of a solid _iron_ look and feel. No welding at all in the construction, solid one piece forged. No formed or shaped by stamping metal anywhere. Also note the forged design has a _narrow_ roundish solid metal on one side of the triangle whereas the stamped ones are flat and broad on both sides of the arm. So if your lowers do not look exactly like the ones in this video, they are very likely of the stamped steel version presuming they are original GM ones. They take different lower ball joints because the stamped one actually has the ball joint mount _welded_ on and its of a different design than the forged mount.
@@DrShock Yes, I see it clearly now. Had a look at mine and the upper contour of the lower control arm has a flanged top edge, curving down. Also, as you mentioned, there is a separation between the control arm and the ball joint mount itself, which must be welded on. These are the stamped version. I don't imagine there is an RPO code specific to lower control arms...probably not. Thanks to you again for the excellent advice.
What do you recommend if my stud and upper dont meet together the bottom part wont come up high enough to get into the upper where it’s supposed to go.
If you do the bottom ball joint first it will be easier. Remove shock and sway bar link and put jack under lower control arm. Get some pressure on it and then swing away with your hammer.
I mention each of the bolt and nut sizes in mm as I go thru the disassembly, and the torque values at the end of re-assembly. I don't recall them all off the top of my head but they are all in the video.
Great video but where did you find those exact replacement lower ball joints? I can't seem to find any and the second design replacement ones don't seem to work.
I mention in the video you have two kinds of lower control arms for the K2500/K3500. One is stamped steel, one is forged steel. The forged style is what the truck in the video has. Each takes a different ball joint design, I give both part numbers in the description. I usually use eBay for GM parts that are discontinued, but these parts are still sold so you can go there or Amazon too. Links in the description for both.
Just a comment on your "ghetto" method of torqueing the nut. If you put the torque wrench in line with the wrench, you are increasing the length of the moment arm, so you should reduce the setting on the torque wrench. For example, if the wrench and the torque wrench are the same length, you should halve the setting.
Yep, there will be a _somewhat_ over specification torque situation resulting with the _inline_ improvisation I showed. As you highlight, this is because by lengthening the wrench the built in torque setting mechanism inside the wrench is no longer accurate for the force being applied. If the improvised extension could have been done at 90 degrees instead though, then this concern would not be applicable as the overall length of the wrench would be unchanged. One formula to calculate this, for those curious about precision, is to take the length of your torque wrench and multiply it by the torque specified in the service manual. Then divide this value by the sum of the length of your wrench plus the length of the _inline_ extension. So, *for example* , if you have a 20 inch long torque wrench and you need to apply a fastener torque of 40 foot pounds, and you have to extend it 3 inches _inline_ from the fastener attachment point for access and arc of travel, then you would set the torque setting on your wrench to 35 foot pounds instead of the service manual specified value. (20in X 40ft lbs) / (20in + 3in) = 35 ft lbs. For the average DIYer, the goal in showing the improvisation was to encourage being creative to apply a torque to the particular fastener vs leaving it without _any_ torque applied at all. Thanks for highlighting this.
1:34:05 I mention that the ball joint installation position varied depending on whether the truck was a K1500, K2500, or K3500. The K1500 it mounts on top, the other two it mounts on the bottom. There are different torque values for the different class trucks as well. The drawing in the manual that you see is only for the K1500. GM doesn't bother to draw everything out, remember the intended audience are dealer mechanics who would have attended several classes and got all these details outside the manual.
@@DrShock okay thanks for the reply. I am doing the upper now on my 1500 and didn’t catch that the 2500 and 3500 are underneath. Thanks for the video too it was helpful. I was watching to make sure I wouldn’t have an issue pressing out the upper ball joint without a tool but it’s just bolt on which is nice. Still have the original on my 1995 k1500 and it actually feels fine no play moving the wheel up and down at 12 and 6 but going to change it now while I’m doing other stuff since my brother had already bought one before he sold me the truck. Have a good day
The original should actually be riveted on, not bolted as I showed on the video. That's the same for the K1500 as well. If it's bolted, you're in an easier situation to replace as someone already replaced it once. While the video of my K2500 is mostly the same, that upper ball joint position is the one difference to catch. I believe I mentioned earlier in the video also about the top vs bottom mount difference verbally as well.
@@DrShock Ya it's still riveted so it should be the original. Other side has been done before as it's bolted on. I am kind of hesitant to change this one since it has no play in it but the boot is torn and I have one already so I might as well. Thanks again for the video
The axle shaft assemblies didn't require replacement yet, and like the lower control arms there's no reason to spend money replacing parts that are not in need of it. If the CV boots were worn, I would have rebuilt the shafts with new boots but not replaced them. If I did replace them I wouldn't have went with aftermarket. I recommend genuine GM quality for such chassis parts, as I'd be looking for another 20 years of service from them.
@@DrShock well my 94 stepside has the bolt/riviet on lowers, so it was at the very earliest 95.I would guess that it was when they changed the interior over, 96 if I'm correct.
Nah, unless you have it up on a lift it's really unnecessary extra labor unless you're having to repair/replace it for some reason (like if you found a CV boot was torn). You just have to be careful to protect and inspect the shaft end section as I went over. With these trucks over 20 years old now, I'm from the camp of disturbing the least number of fasteners possible to complete the op successfully.
Possibly, on the forged type of arm shown on this K2500 check for torn or missing sections in the outer rubber of the bushing that is visible. This particular truck was fine, so I didn't include it. But I have another that needed it that I'm making a video of shortly to post on how to release the torsion bar tension in order to do that job.
I believe that would be necessary for removing the lower control arm, but that wasn't in the scope of this video as I only needed to replace bushings in the upper.
EXACTLY what I need to do on the same vehicle. The Haynes manual made it seem like a daunting task. After watching your video it isn't anything I'm not capable of doing. And every time a question popped into my head, you answered it. GREAT job. You saved me a gang of cash. And major props for not cursing. I did it for you while watching. LOL
This man calling out wrench sizes, socket sizes, AND torque values. You're a scholar and a gentleman, sir.
This was a long DIY video, but well worth it. Some videos say they will show how to replace a part and cut to the part sitting on the ground and say replace in reverse order. What? I didn't get to see the part being removed!!! I'm glad you mentioned to get a professional alignment when done. Thanks Dr Shock!
Thanks, many creators on UA-cam make videos for _entertainment_ primarily, so they tend to be on the short side and edit out a lot of detail to prune the length down. Myself, I'm more interested in capturing all the little details of a _by the book_ repair regardless of the footage length.
thank you for this video. i was able to successfully drill and punch out the rivets for the upper ball joints yesterday. i just punched the middle. started with a small drill bit, and worked my way up until i had the entire rivet part detached from the rivet cap. then i punched it out. i did not even have to chisel it apart with this method, it just fell off. i really thought i would need a grinder or an air hammer for this job, but you showed that it is possible with a drill and persistance. it took me less than 30 minutes on each side.
THANK YOU!
Very thorough and concise! Good camera work as well. Thank you for making my repair easier!
I couldn’t agree more! Awesome video and easy to follow. Thanks for making this video.
Great video with very detailed instructions. I like how you show what the manual shows not just going by what you tell you can back it up by the book.
Really thorough job I'm
Going through the same process on my 99 sub I'm missing first few pages of my manual
Which of course had the
torque specs. So I'm glad I ran across your videos.You covered any questions I may have had. I did this several years back, an remember
What a pain staking job it is up down up down round the other side find the wrench that isn't there round the truck up down & away it goes. Lol
I been crawling in an out
from the sub last 3 days
Putting in New transfer case.same thing in out up down in out where is that wrench. This tool that tool drive way is full of tools at 65 this ain't getting any easier, just longer. But ya know, I still love it.
Great job thanks for posting.
Dude, I just cannot thank you enough for this video. I've probably watched it / re-watched certain parts - maybe 10 times. Mine is a '94 Z71 - with the FREAKIN rivets, but I almost done with the 2nd side. Straight up - THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!! - Your voice & the way you simply take it one step at a time is very impressive !!!!!! SOOOOOOOO HELPFUL ! 😬
I cannot thank you & your camera man enough for making this video. My 1994 Z71 needs all of these exact things done to "her"... I love my old truck ! - the shop told me right around $3000.00
Guess what I'll be ding once the parts arrive. Thanks for your tips, tricks & wisdom.
For all 4 ball joints & upper control arm bushings? That’s ridiculous...
@@andrewwolf8652 Sorry for the late reply, but yes. I pretty much think they simply did not want to do it - but whatever. I made another comment above - but I am almost done with the 2nd side.... What a bitch.... I do (now) understand why they quoted me so much. That said, I'm in to it for maybe 250 bucks.... Saved around 2700 bucks....
May God bless you....as God blessed me through your video...just what I needed to get this '96 k1500 Tahoe to trackin' straight again! Such a good detailed(thorough) instructional video. Thank you!
Thanks, this vid solved a mystery for me. I took apart my 97 k3500 almost a year ago, pulled the ball joints, and bead blasted and painted all the arms. Now I'm trying to put it together and don't remember how it came apart. I could not get the upper ball joints to fit. A Haynes manual and even a factory service manual showed the ball joint going on top of the arm. There was no way that would work on my truck. I remounted a joint on the underside of the arm for a test and it suddenly worked. Yours has it on the underside, so I'm confident that is the right way for mine too. For some reason they go both ways and even the factory service manual doesn't mention it.
Thanks, the upper ball joint placement does vary between 1500 and 2500/3500 chassis types for GMT400 class trucks. The GM service manual does point this out, but only in the text as a passing comment. The only illustration provided by GM in the manual is for the 1500 orientation so alot of folks miss that detail.
UA-cam needs more videos like this very detailed and it's from the standpoint of the regular everyday Joe that doesn't have every tool known to man I would have probably use the air chisel a little bit more but other than that you just saved my day man
Played and paused many times... Couldn't have done it without ya!!! Thanks for making!!!!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and time in such a thorough professional manner.
Just did this on my ‘94 4x4 and wish I had seen this video first. Not sure why it didn’t show up in my you tube search. My only advice would be to forget about drilling and chiseling and pounding the upper control arm ball joint and bushings and just buy the entire upper A arm (that includes the ball joint and control arm bushings already installed). Only about $120 and you save two to three hours of drilling and chiseling and pressing out and in the bushings and you’ve saved the cost of the ball joint and control arm bushings. The lower control arm is another story because those are not as readily available. Good video though!
Great job and thanks 🙏
Been basically rebuilding a 94 gmc Sierra k1500 ‘GT’ only 3000 made i read. Thanks for the detailed video(s)
This was a fantastic video, you actually showed your goof's that alone speaks volumes!!!
GREAT video! About to do this on my 97, this is going to be super helpful.
Nice video! About to replace my ball joint on a 97 K1500
Thank you
Like the videos. Like to see one on 1998 chevy k2500 lower control arm bushing replacement. One video had guy cutting head off bolt to do it
I have been refreshing a 1998 k1500 and your videos have been terrific. Thank you! Subscribed.
you speak like an engineer.. cheers brother.
You nailed my day job. ;-)
@@DrShock I speak that language too. Thank you for the video.. I've got a '92 project I'm working on.. just got done swapping in some seats from a '04 suburban, dyed the carpet and deep cleaned the interior. Looks good! Ready to move on to more important things such as the front end :)
Best video i have ever seen, great info, good voice, using manual and torque wrench :)
Thank you Dr. Shock, you produce excellent videos inclusive of all important details, excellent camera work, and articulate dialogue!
Watching this, I've got renewed confidence that I can accomplish this job on my '98 Tahoe 4x4.
I'm going with new UC arms complete with new bushings and ball joint. The extra $40-$50 are worth my time and frustration dealing with rivets and that dang C-clamp press...lol
Thorough video. You are appreciated
I recommend putting a piece of wood or sumthin under the upper control arm so it dosnt move as much
I’ve got a 1994 Chevy Z 71 and my lower control arm is made out of stamped steel welded together not a casted lower control alarm. On mine the upper ones and the lower ball joints are bolted in
Stamped steel lower arms were all that was available in 1994. But both upper and lower ball joints been riveted on since 1988 from the GM factory. So bolted on type indicates replaced previously by the dealer or aftermarket.
Thank You. Really. You are a good person to supply this to so many.
Great Video !! I ama going to do a full replacement of the front suspension on my '97 Suburban.
Love the vid, really helpful. I have to question GM's decision to use the large spline on C/K1500's. The end of the lower control arm being forged, it was a fight to get it started straight. Had to use a 3 foot breaker bar to get it seated. Thanks for the vid.
Very thorough and complete with the why and how explained very well. The alignment cam part is very good to know. I may pawn this job off but I can know better what needs to be done exactly. I will have new arm assemblies for my top ball joints as I am in Ohio and rust is an issue. The rivets are too rusty to drill. I have a 1996 C2500 so yours is a little different setup with a torsion bar vs. coil spring.
Hello Terry
Very detailed video... And I enjoyed the heavy breathing. 😉
Thanks for the video. I need to do this myself
Awesome video Great work !
Dan Aykroyd as a mechanic,
You love to see it
www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/mechanics-bedtime-story/n8626
Thanks for the video
at 1:36:30 the placement of the upper balljoint is above the control arm you have installed it below the control arm??? Same as it was removed?? Does it matter?
Yes, it does matter. I likely mentioned this in passing elsewhere in the video, but 1500 trucks are on the only ones mounted on top like that drawing shows. The 2500/3500 trucks (which this video is about) are mounted on the bottom (as you see in the videos thumnail photo e.g.). In all cases, what I was quoting at that time index from the service manual was that the bolts go head facing road, nuts facing sky.
Was going to ask the same thing but decided to see if someone had already asked. Thanks for sharing.
Thx the video, was helpful for referencing things I forgot to pay more attention to, lol. Btw forget PB Blaster, use Liquid Wrench, I used to use PB too, never felt like it did much though, started watching Project Farm(Also a great and helpful channel), and apparently it didn't seem to do much because it really wasn't...Liquid Wrench did perform well in his test though, and I've definitely had an easier time since switching, and now everytime I see someone using PB I tell them, lol.
Most automotive shops are hacks & do it as quick as possible. I would not trust them on drilling out the rivets. I have aircraft rivet guns & bucking bars. You can punch out the rivets shanks using a punch set with the rivet gun once u drill the head off. Aircraft rivet guns have slower harder hits then air hammers. Using a 4x or larger if available. Also back it up the rivet gun with a heavy bucking bar next to the rivet tail on the opposite side. If u put back the original rivets don't try using a air hammer it will work harden the rivets before there bucked. I recommend a 6x rivet gun & heaviest bucking bar u can find. You did a great job. Thanks
Thanks for the video. One suggestion though, remove that smart watch so the shocks of your tools don't damage it.
Thanks. That watch concern though is unwarranted, Apple watch sensors are not damaged by shocks from using hand tools in mine and others experience since 2015 (first watch series 0 release). It's the sapphire screen that can't take too much. But scratched watches and skinned knuckles are part of the lifestyle. ;-)
I had to do this job (minus upper bushings) on my '95 last summer. 190k and still the original ball joints. I wonder if I will get anywhere near that mileage on the replacement moogs.
Real mechanics couldn't make a living doing things this way.
I can't imagine any commercial business wanting to do work on a two decade+ old truck. For the shop the risk of something breaking or going wrong is high due to age, corrosion, and parts discontinuation. And for the owner just about any repair quote would exceed the book value of the truck! Today you really have to do the work yourself on these classic trucks for it to be affordable.
Only thing I do different is put new brake hoses in.
Thanks for the help bubba
DrShock, First off, EXCELLENT VIDEO SIR !!! To you and your crew !!! I’ve got a 2000 Chevy K3500, I didn’t think any of it was going to be easy. And I don’t know “yet” if you have another video of you working on the lower A arm bushings or not. But, I also need to get those replaced as well as everything you shared in this video, sir. I so appreciate all of the information, part number’s (GM, &. other). Getting back to the lower A arm bushings, I was told that the
(Don’t quote me on this term ) stabilizer arms had to come off, and the “keys” (???) has to be taken out, for those stabilizer arms to come off. In order to take out the lower control arm out. Does all of this sound correct to you ? I’d appreciate any any all information you might have on this sir.
Thanks, comment is much appreciated. I am doing a lower control arm video very soon. This particular vehicle just didn't need it though. When you do the lowers there's a need to relieve the torsion bar tension with a special compression tool and remove the bar assembly yes. Then you have to do bushings for either forged or stamped arms (similar to the lower ball joints I go over in this video the parts are different for each arm design).
@@DrShock , thanks for the reply. Much appreciated and looking forward to seeing that video. Really appreciate it.
Great video! Very well done!
Bigger hammer
Thanks!
On my 94, the upper ball is mounted at the top of A arm. Here it is below.
Yep, I explained this in the video with the GM service manual overview. Trucks that are 1/2 ton have to have the ball joint mounted differently than for 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. The truck shown in the vid is a 3/4 (K2500) truck. As long as the ball joint was riveted on, you know it was done the factory way. If it's bolted on, you cannot trust that it was not installed incorrectly by someone uninformed, so use the service manual guidance to correct past mistakes.
1999 Denali still have original front end steering & suspension Checked ball joints few months back they do need replacement not because there is play but the rubber on ball joint disintegrated. Correction I did have to rebuild my steering box seals.
Couldn’t you just Jack up the assembly to match wheel down, to torque the control arm?
I went through the grinding and pressing thangs on a 1980 but on my 96 I'm going to just buy new upper a lower with it dunn and just do the r&r
This time.
Helpful!!
thanks for your contribution... what about lower control arm bushings? Any insight?
I've got a video coming up on the lowers for these forged OBS control arms. The bushings for those are hard to track down nowadays though.
Bought uppers, removed them which took like two hours and the new ones didn’t have the same bolt pattern 😅
Do a video on the pitman arm and steering linkage
Where the upper control arm eccentric bolts go through I have seen that the brackets have a metal piece that can be punched out which turns the hole for the bolt into an oblong slot allowing for more camber adjustment. In your opinion would that be beneficial or can the alignment be done adequately with just using the existing hole that is there?
Most GM trucks of this era would have had the factory camber knock outs done very early in their life, around the second tire replacement. Its required to stay in front end spec once the wear sets in so I would suspect very few are still intact.
@@DrShock Thanks I appreciate your help. My son recently got a 1998 K1500 and it's been a project. Your videos have sure been a confidence booster.
Would removing the knuckle assembly be easier if you first removed the CV axle completely or is that the wrong approach?
You could certainly go that route, and it can make for some extra working space. But when working on these old trucks though you have to weigh the risk of creating new problems. This truck had the original shafts in there from 1998, they were not leaking despite the age of the seals and I choose to leave them alone as much as possible to keep it that way. Sometimes they can get quite bonded in place after multiple decades as well. We were only in here to swap out the ball joints and upper bushings afterall. ;-)
@@DrShock thanks! I always appreciate your willingness to reply to these old videos. It's a big help for those of us who have recently gotten into the GMT platform.
How come you didn't replace the stabilizer spacer
I presume you're referring to the stabilizer bar link. And if so that's because it wasn't worn or due for any scheduled service. We don't incur unnecessary additional costs by firing a _parts cannon_ here. Only replace the parts that are confirmed defective, obviously worn, excessively corroded, or otherwise due for regularly scheduled mileage service per the GM service manual. A stabilizer bar link has no scheduled maintenance interval and is straightforward to replace separately, at a later time when it's actually necessary. Here's a video on doing that if needed - ua-cam.com/video/BCRgnikYAHE/v-deo.html
Hey Dr. Have a clunk on take off on my 2500 suburban. Replaced all suspension parts but the bushings I think they are shot I’ll replace the uppers with the gm part you said any ideas on the part numbers for the lower bushings for that forged control arm?
Forged lower rearward bushings are discontinued from GM for a few years now so in the realm of unobtanium outside NOS, but they were ACDelco 45G11076. The forward ones should still be available as ACDelco 45G9213. Only fits the forged lower control arm, stamped arms are different.
Where exactly did you put the jack stands and jack up point? Great video.
Thanks. Your jack stand point is the standard jack point area on the frame rail, just like when jacking up in changing a front tire. But you'll want to keep your floor jack under the lower control arm as I showed. The main reason is that if the stabilizer link is rusted thru, there's nothing else preventing the torsion bar on a 4WD vehicle from flipping that arm down (can be a nasty surprise). If the link is intact, it will hold it the arm up and you can use the jack as necessary to help with getting the lower ball joint separated instead.
How much good does that dust cover even do if you mostly drive on the road. On my 97 c1500 with 280k it's about gone but a bit hanging on.
And here's a question. I'm watching because I think my ball joints are ok but I need new dust covers. So want to know how to take these apart to be able to replace them. Can you just take one lose at a time, replace it's dust cover, then do the other, then put everything back together? I'm guessing I'll have to take the shock lose to get the upper and lower are to move separately.(maybe not just saw the top get unbolted and it dropped down pretty far!)
Those rubber dust boots on tie rods and ball joints serve a similar purpose, to keep road dirt/grit and water out of the joint. Either will take the joint down in a short while, just like with a busted rubber CV axle boot. To replace them you would do all the same work in the video except you can skip the parts about removing the joints and upper control arm. Remember on K trucks the torsion bar takes the place of the front spring, so before removing the lower ball joint nut have a jack under there like I did. All that will hold it together is either the jack, or the sway bar link if it's still intact. Also those ball joint dust boots are not universal. They typically have to be from the same manufacturer as the joint to fit properly.
If you do the top ball joints, just buy the whole arm and assembly. If not, then the only way to do the rivets is to center punch the rivets head then use to step drill out. If you grind the heads you’ll lose the ability to find center and plum.
The aftermarket complete top assemblies are cheaper, but I prefer rebuilding the upper control arms with genuine GM parts instead just like back in the dealership days. There are a number of ways of approaching the rivet removal after two plus decades, thanks for sharing yours. Manually punching out the rivets after removing their heads is the GM service manual approach, but it's often unsuccessful after so much aging. So I prefer the approach of prying the rivets out instead. Here I'm only resorting to drilling in order to partially weaken the rivets outer diameter, so removing the rivet head is visually helpful.
What about the lower control arm bushings?
Didn't need them replaced on this vehicle. The lower bushings for the rear of the forged type lower arm that this truck uses are discontinued by GM, so I only would only replace them when absolutely necessary.
What is the size of the bearing kit?
Would you (or anyone) suggest replacing the upper ball joint and control arm as an assembly or just replacing the ball joints if the control arm is good? Seeing how locked in that upper joint was got me thinking..
Originally in the 90s and early 2000s the upper arms wouldn't have been replaced unless bent/damaged in an accident or due to deep corrosion concerns. The GM service manual walked mechanics thru drilling out the factory riveted ones as we saw in this video. The flood of inexpensive automotive parts imported from asia in recent years has changed _some_ of that approach.
You can often buy a fully ready to bolt on upper control arm _with_ the ball joint _and_ the bushings for less than the OEM GM upper ball joint alone. But you have to shop around, most of those aftermarket upper arm assemblies are just a notch above scrap metal in quality. Maybe a MooG (though they are not what they used to be imo), or an ACDelco (just for the warranty). But I wouldn't consider the other uncommon brands. The phrase _you get what you pay for_ often applies to them. ;-)
@@DrShock Interesting stuff, thank you for the insight. The OEM control arms on my 94 are still perfect, and as you stated probably superior than most cheap parts we would buy today. Hopefully they won't be too much of a struggle, but if they are I can rest easy knowing my control arms aren't bent paper clips!
Spray clean
On my 1989 k2500 Cheyenne - Got tired of beating on the lower ball joint removed (6) torsion bar rear support bolts, nuts adjuster bolts(2) marked the bar alignment ,beat the torsion bar back from the front with a dirt digging bar, removed the 15 mil. cv flange axle bolts to front differential, ground off part of the head of the bolt where it interfered with the differential flange to axle connection so the rear control arm bolt could be removed, then removed the front control arm bolt, installing screwdriver through front control arm bolt hole temporary and was able to pivot control arm down remove axle placing wood blocking underneath rotor/knuckle assembly then removing entire knuckle control arm onto wood landing pad. supporting rotor assembly my bud smote the ball joint 3 times with a 12 pound sledge to free the ball joint control arm.
I'm also in process of replacing lower control arm bushings so nothing unnecessary here lost one point on a 6 point 15/16 control arm bolt. Might get another one but it should be fine with a washer under it (pay attention to preexisting alignment
special washer in lower control arms with slightly raised inner circle) fits in indent in front of control arm.
This was a great video you demonstrated how to remove and replace ball joints and upper control arm bushings. I had one question though. I see you didn't replace the lower A/arm bushings was that in another video or they were not needing replacement? Great instructional video.
Even though the truck is a 1998, I didn't feel the lower bushings needed replacing. There's some more work to address those if necessary, needing to unload and reload the torsion bars. The Harbor Freight bushing toolsets I showed should cover those though if you needed to go that far in your project.
Hello @daddyoh
Good but kinda repetitive on the torque, otherwise good an informative
All of the pictures in the manual show the 'plate' of the upper ball joint is at the top of the control arm while in yours is at the bottom originally. How so? Is it because it's a K2500 and the manual is for K1500? I've got a K1500 and the plate is at the top like in the manual.
That's right, I go over this verbally in the video. 1/2 ton trucks mount the joint differently than 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. The illustration in the manual just shows the 1/2 ton. This is also an obvious difference when viewing the orientation of where the joint was originally factory riveted onto the control arm.
That's my bad, I was scrolling through the video because I needed to get her back on the road quickly :)
I cannot get this pin @6:29 out for the life of me....Im about to drill it out tomorrow
The cotter pin? If it's rusted out you can sometimes just force the nut off and shear that pin in the ball joint stud. If you're replacing it, that would be one way to go.
Another question: On a 1996, K2500, 8600 GVW, are the inner and outer tie rod ends the same on both sides? Rock Auto does not list the number per vehicle in the parts listings. For example, I purchase 4 front anti roll bar/sway bar bushings as it was listed as "bushing" not "bushings" so the one box had the two I needed, but I ended up with four as I ordered "2" bushings (which meant 4). Thanks is advance!
They are not specific to a side no. And they are sold individually boxed by GM. It's been awhile since I did the 1998 K2500 front end rebuild (unfortunately a video that was lost before I could upload to YT due to a technical problem on my MacBook at the time) but looking up the parts to refresh my memory shows:
Tie Rod Inner (2 required L & R): GM 26059036
Tie Rod Outer (2 required L & R): GM 26059033
(Optional) Replacement Tie Rod Adjuster(s): GM 26048561
Idler Arm (1 required): GM 26059030
Pitman Arm (1 required): GM 26051896
@@DrShock Thank you so very much (again). I'm off to order. And, as soon as this very strange stuff falling from the sky in Southern California stops, I will begin a complete front end and brake job all with OEM Parts thanks to your videos and parts links!
Humm how's that electric wrench working out for you. I don't have a good indoor place to work so setting up an air wrench on a compressor doesn't seem like the way to go but just having the electric wrench once the bolt is loose(granted you seem to use it to break some loose) seem like a good alternative, assuming it will fit in the space. Have also been thinking about some ratcheting combonation wrenches, but I whish folks would make them as 2 box ends with different sizes on each end so I'd need to buy fewer and a plain hex not the funky ones they claim work on rounded nuts, but to me don't seem to work well on any!.
I've had this Craftsman impact wrench for a few years now, long enough for them to have discontinued it. I haven't used my air wrenches or drills since I got it. The electrics have definitely reached the torque and battery life point that air is only useful still for hammers/chisels and paint guns imo. Now that's a light duty/DIY statement. A professional shop will still find air better due to battery limitations imo. When this Craftsman goes, I'll replace it with a Milwaukee. On the box end wrenches, yeah I've gradually collected ratchet versions of all the popular metric sizes now. And in some cases I've found a need to get the stubbies of same for those limited working room fasteners. But there are still situations where a non-ratcheting box end wrench is perfectly fine just like breaker bars are not rendered extinct by ratchet wrenches.
AWESOME VIDEO...curious how different is the information for a 98 k3500 1 ton 4x4?
I haven't worked on a 3500 myself, but it should be very similar if not the same as the ball joint parts are all listed to fit the K3500 also. Please let me know here if not.
@@DrShock ...not sure how you relate to frozen bolts that hold the interior rotor on (15mm) I've sprayed them and let them set for 2 days now and they don't budge..not sure what the next step would be...thanks
More leverage, breaker bar with the exact six point impact rated socket to make the best contact and have the highest strength. I've had to put steel pipes on those breaker bars for more extension/leverage (around 3ft) on some trucks as well. You can bungie the socket end to hold it where it needs to be if it has to get that long. After you get the bolts all out, replace any that have marred heads or corrosion with genuine GM ones.
What brand service manual do you use? Would it be an option to fully remove the axle then reinstall after ball joints are attached?
There's a link in the description, it's the GM service manual. Yeah, you can take the axle shaft off if you want. I don't find it necessary, but it's certainly doable.
Awesome video dude! I have just 1 question. How do I verify if I have a forged or stamped lower arm?
The video shows the forged steel version, it's thick heavy metal and typically found on 2500 or higher only. The stamped steel version will be thin metal, having a folded or shaped over arm design hollow underneath it (you can't miss it as it will be totally different appearance than the forged one in the video).
DrShock Thank you. I’m enjoying your videos tremendously. My question was the same; how to accurately ID forged vs. stamped lower control arms to purchase the correct replacement ball joint. I have a ‘98 K1500 and I am leaning toward the stamped version. Snow’s arrived up here in Canada, luckily my truck came from Florida, not too much rust!
@@BusyFingers The best answer I could give would be to take note of the forged arms in this video, they are of a solid _iron_ look and feel. No welding at all in the construction, solid one piece forged. No formed or shaped by stamping metal anywhere. Also note the forged design has a _narrow_ roundish solid metal on one side of the triangle whereas the stamped ones are flat and broad on both sides of the arm. So if your lowers do not look exactly like the ones in this video, they are very likely of the stamped steel version presuming they are original GM ones. They take different lower ball joints because the stamped one actually has the ball joint mount _welded_ on and its of a different design than the forged mount.
@@DrShock Yes, I see it clearly now. Had a look at mine and the upper contour of the lower control arm has a flanged top edge, curving down. Also, as you mentioned, there is a separation between the control arm and the ball joint mount itself, which must be welded on. These are the stamped version. I don't imagine there is an RPO code specific to lower control arms...probably not. Thanks to you again for the excellent advice.
What do you recommend if my stud and upper dont meet together the bottom part wont come up high enough to get into the upper where it’s supposed to go.
Are you referring to the lower ball joint stud here? Not reaching back into the knuckle during reassembly?
If you do the bottom ball joint first it will be easier. Remove shock and sway bar link and put jack under lower control arm. Get some pressure on it and then swing away with your hammer.
What size of sockets will I need to get the job done please and thank you
I mention each of the bolt and nut sizes in mm as I go thru the disassembly, and the torque values at the end of re-assembly. I don't recall them all off the top of my head but they are all in the video.
Great video but where did you find those exact replacement lower ball joints? I can't seem to find any and the second design replacement ones don't seem to work.
I mention in the video you have two kinds of lower control arms for the K2500/K3500. One is stamped steel, one is forged steel. The forged style is what the truck in the video has. Each takes a different ball joint design, I give both part numbers in the description. I usually use eBay for GM parts that are discontinued, but these parts are still sold so you can go there or Amazon too. Links in the description for both.
Thanks for the reply.
I'd remove the upper control arm and remove the ball joint in a vice.
Just a comment on your "ghetto" method of torqueing the nut. If you put the torque wrench in line with the wrench, you are increasing the length of the moment arm, so you should reduce the setting on the torque wrench. For example, if the wrench and the torque wrench are the same length, you should halve the setting.
Yep, there will be a _somewhat_ over specification torque situation resulting with the _inline_ improvisation I showed. As you highlight, this is because by lengthening the wrench the built in torque setting mechanism inside the wrench is no longer accurate for the force being applied. If the improvised extension could have been done at 90 degrees instead though, then this concern would not be applicable as the overall length of the wrench would be unchanged.
One formula to calculate this, for those curious about precision, is to take the length of your torque wrench and multiply it by the torque specified in the service manual. Then divide this value by the sum of the length of your wrench plus the length of the _inline_ extension. So, *for example* , if you have a 20 inch long torque wrench and you need to apply a fastener torque of 40 foot pounds, and you have to extend it 3 inches _inline_ from the fastener attachment point for access and arc of travel, then you would set the torque setting on your wrench to 35 foot pounds instead of the service manual specified value. (20in X 40ft lbs) / (20in + 3in) = 35 ft lbs.
For the average DIYer, the goal in showing the improvisation was to encourage being creative to apply a torque to the particular fastener vs leaving it without _any_ torque applied at all. Thanks for highlighting this.
@@DrShock I agree. Good analysis.
1:36:28 doesn't that show the ball joint resting on top of the upper control arm?
1:34:05 I mention that the ball joint installation position varied depending on whether the truck was a K1500, K2500, or K3500. The K1500 it mounts on top, the other two it mounts on the bottom. There are different torque values for the different class trucks as well. The drawing in the manual that you see is only for the K1500. GM doesn't bother to draw everything out, remember the intended audience are dealer mechanics who would have attended several classes and got all these details outside the manual.
@@DrShock okay thanks for the reply. I am doing the upper now on my 1500 and didn’t catch that the 2500 and 3500 are underneath. Thanks for the video too it was helpful. I was watching to make sure I wouldn’t have an issue pressing out the upper ball joint without a tool but it’s just bolt on which is nice. Still have the original on my 1995 k1500 and it actually feels fine no play moving the wheel up and down at 12 and 6 but going to change it now while I’m doing other stuff since my brother had already bought one before he sold me the truck. Have a good day
The original should actually be riveted on, not bolted as I showed on the video. That's the same for the K1500 as well. If it's bolted, you're in an easier situation to replace as someone already replaced it once. While the video of my K2500 is mostly the same, that upper ball joint position is the one difference to catch. I believe I mentioned earlier in the video also about the top vs bottom mount difference verbally as well.
@@DrShock Ya it's still riveted so it should be the original. Other side has been done before as it's bolted on. I am kind of hesitant to change this one since it has no play in it but the boot is torn and I have one already so I might as well. Thanks again for the video
1:02:39
Crazy how you did all that just to leave the cv axles there. Six more bolts and 85 bucks for a new axle. Might as well.
The axle shaft assemblies didn't require replacement yet, and like the lower control arms there's no reason to spend money replacing parts that are not in need of it. If the CV boots were worn, I would have rebuilt the shafts with new boots but not replaced them. If I did replace them I wouldn't have went with aftermarket. I recommend genuine GM quality for such chassis parts, as I'd be looking for another 20 years of service from them.
Understandable. My mind set would tell me why mess with all that work again while I’m down there swap the cvs
What year did they switch to the press fit lower?
idk, but if you find out please post as I'm curious as well.
@@DrShock well my 94 stepside has the bolt/riviet on lowers, so it was at the very earliest 95.I would guess that it was when they changed the interior over, 96 if I'm correct.
Don't be so gentle.suspension work is not a game of finesse.swing that hammer with some authority.
Shock damper doesn´t help either. Needed to be loosed.
you should always pull the axil after removing upper ball joint before the lower ball joint
Nah, unless you have it up on a lift it's really unnecessary extra labor unless you're having to repair/replace it for some reason (like if you found a CV boot was torn). You just have to be careful to protect and inspect the shaft end section as I went over. With these trucks over 20 years old now, I'm from the camp of disturbing the least number of fasteners possible to complete the op successfully.
Good video. But I feel like I'm listening to Peter Griffin from family guy.
Do you need to change the bushing on the lower control arm also
Possibly, on the forged type of arm shown on this K2500 check for torn or missing sections in the outer rubber of the bushing that is visible. This particular truck was fine, so I didn't include it. But I have another that needed it that I'm making a video of shortly to post on how to release the torsion bar tension in order to do that job.
Thank you so much for the video
Did you have to take the tension off the torsion bars to do this repair?
I believe that would be necessary for removing the lower control arm, but that wasn't in the scope of this video as I only needed to replace bushings in the upper.
Ok, thank you. I might be getting a similar truck, that needs the same repair
only thing i would add is a pickle fork for those ball joints. would have sped up the process
2 seconds after i wrote that i continued watching and saw you whipped it out lol
Hit it like a man.
What is the name of the dust shield and where can I buy it? Thank you in advance
The metal brake rotor one? Because the rubber ball joint ones come integrated with the ball joint itself.
This isn't the same as a '93 K2500 8 lug or a '93 K3500. The lower ball joints are riveted in and bolted in.
Buy the right tools for the job and it's a million times easier