Remove/Replace Jeep/Dodge Ball Joints - Tips & Tricks
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- Опубліковано 8 чер 2020
- It is no secret that the solid front axles found on Jeep and Dodge vehicles can - if not properly maintained - lead to loose steering and poor ride quality. One of the often neglected components on this steering system are the ball joints.
What you have here is a method I use to remove and replace ball joints on a Dana 30 front axle. I have included several tips and trick that I have picked up along the way to make this easier and quicker.
The vehicle in this video is a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee, but this will be the process for almost all Wranglers, XJ Cherokees, and WJ and ZJ Grand Cherokees as well as Dodge trucks with a solid front axle
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We hope you enjoyed this video and will keep in mind that all information included is intended to be purely academic and in fact is only the opinion of D&E. We are not professionals, nor are we qualified to knight you a professional. D&E want to ensure that anyone modify or fixing their own vehicle does so in a safe manner which leaves the vehicle in a legal, roadworthy state. In short, DON'T BE A MONKEY WITH A TOOL BOX! If you don't know what you are doing, leave it the professionals! - Авто та транспорт
A little grease on the theads of the press helps a bit. Turns easier and the threads wear less. Good job bud! 👍
Spray Fluid Film on the threads= A+
Looking forward to this project next weekend... Thanks for the video
Thank you for your video it was a big help. Especially using a Screw driver to take up the space of the Angel Difference to press in the upper joint ball. Thank you
I just bought a 99 wj yesterday and i have a ton to learn. thanks
ThatGuySpot you came to a good channel
Thanks man. Very helpful 👍
Good tip with the screw driver with pressing them in also . Thx
There’s a Jeep specific ball joint kit you can buy. I think it was 50 bucks or so. It was mentioned on bleepinJeep. I bought it a while back and it made a world of difference.
By the way the Dana 30 is a non c clip axle so you can leave the axle shaft connected to the hub and just slide it out if you can’t break that axle nut loose
Good point, bud. It does make putting the axle back in a bit more cumbersome, but I have definitely been there. haha
This was so helpful. Hello from Maine, where orange locktite is a real fun time. Thank you. I will say even my jeep from the south still has some quirks and stuck nuts and bolts. But the impact takes care of that.
screwdriver to make up press displacement. genius work
Great video w lots of good tips! Ever think of a tool box tour of your BFH selections? Keep on 'jeepn"
Never occurred to me, honestly. Think folks would want to see that
'Bout time one of 'em worked out! Congrats!
We used to be a Ford family. Now Jeep!
Thanks bud! I have now attempted a revival on each of the big 3 and Ford came out on top??
@@DEInTheGarage Happens. Clyde (of Bonnie and Clyde) once sent a letter to Henry Ford to thank him for making such good cars to steal. They always started without hassle when he hotwired them.
Now if only they still mostly did..haha! Stupid keyless crap.
I get a bunch of that orange lock tight up here in NH
Great Job Doug! Thanks for the shout out 👍. Orange locktite LMAO 🤣. I also hate when my down below is crusty 😂😂😂
Sure does get crusty, aye??
@@DEInTheGarage 🤣🤣
Cool video. It's good to know I'm not the only one that gets hurt. We keep liquid stitch at home. My wife knows the routine. I mostly hurt myself at work. Had a truck up on a lift and a lower ballpoint slit my head open. I had my beanie on so I didn't realize just how much I was bleeding until I finished the job. Apparently I looked like I got shot in the head. I thought I was sweating....nope, I was bleeding everywhere. Add one more scar to the collection. My boss said that when I hurt myself... I seriously go all out.
Will Turner, proper application of leverage... dope Pirates of the Caribbean reference lol
So far you are the only one to catch that one. Thank you for that :-)
A little late to the show but three things I have learned are: 1) when you remove the brake pads you can hook your caliper on the control arm and not have to worry about it falling down, 2) to remove the hub gets some sacrificial bolts that are the same as the installed bolts, thread them in the lower two positions several threads leaving a quarter inch showing and striking them will bring the bottom of the hub out, then use a cold chisel at the top seam to separate it, 3) using the cap from your ball joint press put it on top of the ball joint no zirk fitting and strike it with a 3lb hammer circling the ball joint to get a good straight start and then use the ball joint press to finish, no angle adapter necessary.
Coat the new joints and housing with anti seize then press them in so next time is smoother....also that universal joint press wont work with heavy duty ball joints cause they dont have the right sleeves but harbor freight has a kit by Maddox that has what you need...i got a 2000 WJ with a 4 inch lift and learned the hard way 😆🍺
PB blast everyrhing!!!
@D&E In The Garage
As often as you say it, You should definitely make some shirts with the phrase “Jimmy Jam” on them, lol. New merch idea??
Not a bad idea at all! Thanks bud
I took a shot each time he said "Jimmy Jam", I passed out by 2:00 in...
In that 03 Dodge Dakota. Water pump, thermostat and heat censer. Had two block test. Everything seemed to be fine. Checked the radiator it was hot on one side but not the other. Found out radiator was clocked. New radiator and 1000 dallors truck is running just fine
Jimmany Christmas! Glad you found it finally bud. Shame you had to go through so much to get it figured
As an Ex Jersey Boy myself, you have to move south my friend. No rust, cars last forever I have 200+ on two of my trucks that look brand new underneath. Plus lower taxes on the homes (I have a 2800sq ft house and pay around $1400..... a year).
Hint, don’t move near the coast as there is NO OFF-Roading !!! Did not look that up before I moved near Hilton Head SC. Closest parks are 3’ish hours away :(
I spent some time in York, SC as a younger man. I do know the glories of the South, but sadly my roots keep my in Dirty Jersey. The wife and I hope to make it South later in life for sure though
Nice job Douglas.The adapters for the Dana 30 is part #OTC 7894.You can get them for about$40 on the internet.
If I can find one for $40 I would scoop it up. All the ones I have seen were $80+ I will have to keep my eye out bud. Thanks!
With that amicher hours gig , yeah it's always a safe bet to laugh at yourself keeps the ball in your court. Anyway one of the reasons I'm subscribed most of the time, that one bolt is the point of find another way. My next project is to replace u joint with broken cv
Good luck bud!
What up Buck...I mean Doug. Ive done the wife's ball joints on her 99 WJ with the Astro (# 7897) Master Kit like you have (bought 2-3 yrs ago) and it includes the same 4 adapters that OTC sells specifically for Jeep at $90. Where you put that screwdriver- the piece from the Astro kit should fit right in...its cut to an angle as well. Atleast mine is.
Also, Astro sells a smaller drive screw(# 78100-01), that is about half of the screw you have (comes with the Goliath C clamp # 78100) alone for 20 bucks or so. I cant remember what I paid. It gives you more space to stack adapters..or room to fit under wheel well.
Interesting... my kit definitely did not have the angled cup. I have used kits like that before and they are way easier. I will look into the other stuff for sure. Thanks!
Tip on the upper bushings on the axle side. Find a piece of metal that is the width of the opening of the metal for the passenger side mount and jam it in there to keep the two sides from pressing in while you are cranking on it with the ball joint press. You are more than welcome to hit me up on facebook messenger if you need more explanation on what I mean.
Nope, that makes sense. thanks bud!
And don't heat suspension/steering components - causes some crystalline change in the metal, apparently, and can cause the heated item to fail. I mean, they're cast iron, (usually), and they don't appreciate random applications of localised heat.
That's my belief, and maybe I'm wrong, but it'll fail a roadworthy test if they see any evidence down here at the bottom of the world.
Otherwise, you guys are full of great practical advice, so thank you.
10-4 bud. good advice
Doesn't matter if you're ditching the old knuckles.
I’ve always been hesitant to tackle the ball joints like these on my jeeps. I guess mainly because I don’t have a press/puller kit. And because there wasn’t a d&e video to watch on how to do it! Question tho, do they make a lower ball joint that’s greaseable? I’m trying to think if I’ve ever seen one on my jeeps that you could grease
Yea bud, the ones I installed are greasable, you just screw the zerk fitting in after you press them in. Go for it bud! It is a PITA, but satisfying to complete
Last weekend I was trying to cut some giant zip ties off the top of the jeep with a pocket knife and sliced my hand. (Amateur hour!) I got 3 stitches and a tetnus shot. Feel ya, bro!
Jeez bud! Been there done that. Glad you are ok
I learned a really good way to do ball joints, have your rich buddy come over to your house and when he goes wheeling have him break both ball joints and basically snap the wheel off, then ypu can tell him you can only fix it if he buys you the snap on ball joint press. It works really really good, you might also get a bungee tow rope out of the deal.
HAHA.. I wish I had just done that!
@@DEInTheGarage dude it happened 2 weeks ago. Took me 2 days to get him out. Trying to talk him into a 44 crate axle. Dude, you where so right about the steering in that other video. Ive wasted so much money trying to get it right. Good video
Man I’m sorry to see it but you and I have the same luck at times. My buddies always say there going to mount a GoPro to my head so they can see the injuries as they happen. At least you got your stitches in your ankle not to fix the extra hole you punched in you face. Another good vid with some good info.
Shoot bud... hope you are alright! I rarely get out of these projects without losing a little skin and blood to the grease monkey gods
Leave the tie-rods on, it will hold the knuckle from turning away from you. The press cups for Jeep and RAM axles are sold separately, good things to have, makes the top balljoint go in and out super fast.
Good suggestion bud. thanks!
@@DEInTheGarage As Silver Moisar said, You can buy the angled Piece seprately for Jeeps. I think Amazon sells them, " WORTH EVERY PENNY ".
Yes you can get a decent set ( presser and receiver for removal and a slanted receiver and cup to press in ) for just over $30 on Amazon. As said before WORTH EVERY PENNY! mine came out easy and new ones went in even easier!
Man I got a 92 dakota and I need to replace the sway bar bushings but idk how
Shouldn't be much hard than unbolting and rebolting. I dont think the sway bar bushings on those Dodge's are anything special. Good lcuk!
Many times if you smack the metal 2 or 3 times with a good sized ball peen hammer the tie rods will just fall out. I have a 5 lb. weight I hang off of the tie rod and just whack the assembly hard 2 wraps and the end drops right out.
Everyone's favorite friend - Orange Loctite! Available for purchase at your favorite junkyard! Unlimited supply...
I'm guessing the raybestos r300 didnt warp or squeal
Tell you what I told DanH, just keep those hub bolts threaded in a wee bit and give them a lil Tanya from behind. They'll come right out. I think Dan actually did a video on it
You are saying just smack the 12 point bolt from behind?? That sounds like it would work just great bud! I never miss the opportunity to pull out the Tonya Harding ;-)
@@DEInTheGarage ya dude. Just tap-tap-tapparoo. Here's the vid below. I'm using this handle now since I thought I'd make some xj vids myself so not posting as Sean MacDonald anymore. Y'all just looked like you are having so much fun I had to try it haha. ua-cam.com/video/YEKLzrW1kgc/v-deo.html
Word of warning. Because of the way the brake hoses are routed on the WJ, you can collapse the hose internally by letting the caliper fall! Been there, done that!
Yea bud... that was a real amateur move on my part
Next time before you start the job put the new ball joint into the freezer, And when your about ready to put the new one in heat the knuckle with a torch. The heat will expand the knuckle and the cold will shrink the ball joint. it will also fall in place and you won’t have to force it that much when installing it!
Now THAT is an idea I can get behind. Why didnt I think of that?? Thanks bud
Thank You! Glad I read this comment before I do this project instead of after.
@@hawaiiknifeandgear5531 if you can let the ball joint sit overnight in the freezer. And then heat the knuckle as much as you can the more you freeze and the longer you heat the better
👊🏽
I always zip tie my calipers to the shock then it usually doesn’t fall.
Yea, anything would have been better than whatever I was doing there...
D&E In The Garage amateur hour lol
You guys are cool, and informative, not to mention capable of lateral thinking, but sheesh - give the "jimmy-jam" a big miss - please! It's doing my head in.
Hope you're not offended...
Cheers, Andy
Sorry bud, I am a fan of my eccentric vocabulary. Our earlier vids are a bit dryer and without the fairytale language
Bro my 12 year old son Jimmy and I we're watching this video together and everytime you said the term Jimmy Jam he looked at me what kind of a crazy look at the end of the video he said is he talking to me or did he name that term after me I just laughed at him and said no son that's just Doug....lol
Haha.. Whats up Jimmy?! This video was particularly "jimmy Jam" heavy.. I am sure at least a few of those were for my California brothers James and Jimmy
@@DEInTheGarage Hahahaa! Hell Yeah!
Put the Jimmy on the jam and thats it
That was 10 whacks of the bfh!! Good job though!!
Yea, I had to lay off the accountant, so math has been a little loose around the garage lately. Thanks for taking the time to count for us!
@@DEInTheGarage dude I love your videos. Putting comedy in with automotive stuff. It's mint!!!
someone is watching AVE ^
Is there anyone who doesn't?? haha
Here for easy..... Get an impact Milwaukee 1\2 .....work smart not hard....
Sir, Next " TREAT YOURSELF " to a 1/2 impact wrench, even if you have to DELAY ANY WORK ON THE VEHICLES THAT YOU ARE GOING TO REVIVE . We can wait for the Dodge truck 318 revival a bit longer, HELL ASK FOR MONEY FROM US ON CAMERA ? YA SHIT IS TIGHT NOW I GET IT, BUT YA NEED AN IMPACT SIR. THEY BE WONDERFUL, I TELLS YA, Henry from PA. I know you have a PATREON ACCOUNT BUT STILL ASK ON CAMERA, IT' SO SO MUCH EASIER TO TAKE SHIT APART.
You just aren't wrong there. To be honest, the cash that went to the ball joint kit was earmarked for the impact. I just get sticker shock every time I go look for one.
@@DEInTheGarage Yes Sir, I know but I bit the bullet saved my arse off for one & it's great. I even have a Mil. M-12 3/8 wrench that I got a great deal on last year. The wrench, drill driver, 1 battery, charger & a bag for $99.99. M-12 NOT THE FUEL THOUGH, SADLY. BUT IT WORKS GREAT. Hell my boots are falling apart, duct tape on them & all but I have me some good tools, LOL.
As usual, you guys are about 6 months too late. Lol. I just went through this on both of my wj's. In true "monkey with a tool box fashion" ended up trimming one of the cups that came with the kit to match the angle of that upper portion of the "C" instead of buying the damn correct tools. Lol
Haha... I considered trimming a cup, but the screw driver adds an element of "you are a friggin hack" that Makes me feel more comfortable
1 minute into the vid, jimmy jam count is x3. oof
Did I go too heavy on this one?