the bottom should be the same as the top. if they are OEM, then you will have to drill out the rivets. should be 4 rivets per balljoint. new ones go in piece of cake.

you'll have to take off the steering knuckle and make sure you always keep upward pressure on that LCA.

 

The lower ball joints are pressed in.
You can try and air chisel them out if u have the tools but it is a pain in the arse. While u r tearing down the front end u should replace the bushings too, if they are worn and cracked.

 

The lower ball joints are pressed in.
You can try and air chisel them out if u have the tools but it is a pain in the arse. While u r tearing down the front end u should replace the bushings too, if they are worn and cracked.

Nope, wrong... On 2wd drives the bottoms are pressed in. 4wd's are rivoted in tops and bottoms.

 

Woops!
I wish mine were riveted on!
Soory

 

I havent even looked at it yet since im chnaging my wheel bearings and u-joints on my X, but the manual does say the bottoms are pressed in. I guess i'll have to take a look at that.

 

my top ones were bolted in. dont remember bout the lowers

 

I see the manual was wrong. They both top and bottom rivit on. Will be bolted on when i put the new ones in.

Wish me luck and i'll let ever one know how it was.

 

ok for one fo pressed one go to auto zone or somewhere to rent/borrow tools they have a tool to get them out and in. i didnt have the tool before so i beat it out and when u go to put the new one in stick it in the freezer over night and take a small tourch to the hole and heat it up it will expand and the ball joint will shrink put another jack under it in the arm after u get it started then jack the jack up and hit the arm with a hammer until it falls into the hole.

 

To change the lower one. First remove the top one but do not replace it yet. remove lower shock bolt to make room to rotate the knuckle later Otherwise the axle will hit the shock and you will not get the ball joint free. remove rivits. (hard to do not a lot of room) Free up the ball joint stud from the knuckle. I used a picklefork but Manual suggests a special tool. I have it but it doesnt work very well. Rotate the steering knuckle clockwise while twisting it intoward the frame. That is the only way to get it free of the lower control arm without removing the axle nut. My nut must be on with about 1000ft/lb of torque or something. Be carefull when rotating it cause it can cause you to over extend the cv-Joint and crack a boot or two. I just did this sunday. Starting to get pretty good at it.
I can do them in about 90 minutes per side now that the mine bolt in. Mine took several hours the first time do to the dang rivits and not having the proper tools. Plus spending 2 hrs trying to get the axle nut off (never did get it off). But did break my craftsman ratchet driver. (love those free replacements)

 

Thanks for the info, did it last weekend. Did it some what different but thats probably due to the difference in vehicles and years. On a 98 Jimmy 4x4 there isn't a spring, unlike the manual said. Also both the top and bottom joints rivet in, unlike the manual said.

I drilled out the top out and that came out pretty easy. Left it out and worked on the bottom out which i drilled out also. I left the hub on, didn't want to mess up the hub bearing at all since i already replaced on for i think $150, $300 at GM dealer, just the part. Any ways disconnected the steering joint so i could move it around better. Put it all back together same way but in reverse.

little secret, use tape over the grease fitting hole on the ball joint and put it in with out the joint ( bottom ), fits hard with it in. Later after putting in the joint us a 10mm socket to put it in and a 7mm wrench to screw back on the nipple of the fitting.


Thanks again for all your help.


X 1999