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BJ help...

Mr Stubs

Taste my rainbow, bitches
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
101
Messages
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Land of liquid sunshine
Quit hanging out in chit chat so much you sick fucks...:flipoff2:

My 99-04 Ford SD upper ball joint is giving me fits. last time I took them out (when I installed my DYI JHF hy steer kit) I got one of those rental kits from the auto parts store and played hell removing them.

So this time I built a deal to press them out with my 20t press.... and of course no Bueno.

Everyone tells me how easy these things are to replace... what the hell am I doing wrong???


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Is the under, support of the upper flange square to the hole?
all I got
 
Is the under, support of the upper flange square to the hole?
all I got
It’s like a 3”? piece of tube that I cut and used as a spacer when I got the rental tool.... because the rental tool didn’t have the right sized cup.

So to answer your question.... it’s as square as any cup would be.
 
:beer:

Thanks for making me look and feel real stupid :homer::homer:

I looked at that in your other thread and was trying to figure out in my head what was going on there.:grinpimp: Been there done that myself on wheel bearings on my sons car. I have the same press with air over hydraulic. Full pressure waited for shit to explode. He turns to me and says....dad I think you’re pressing it in not out?
 
I looked at that in your other thread and was trying to figure out in my head what was going on there.:grinpimp: Been there done that myself on wheel bearings on my sons car. I have the same press with air over hydraulic. Full pressure waited for shit to explode. He turns to me and says....dad I think you’re pressing it in not out?

I've done that too, get it all setup and ready to put the beans to it... look at it for a minute... WAAAIIIT a second, it's backwards. :lmao:
 
Use EMF ball joints and you will never need to replace them again.
 
Well, if it is still a bitch after setting it up properly, apply torch heat to the ball joint itself until it is dull red in the day time and it will press out more easily. lower risk than heating the knuckle itself and lower mass to heat so it doesn't take as long, same effect.
 
Stubborn ones I’ve always put some pressure on the press and tap the knuckle/C with a hammer. Pops loose after a tap or two. Same for pulling pitman arms. :smokin:
 
i prefer the c clamp style BJ remover/installer as i can tighten it down a bunch then tap/hit it with a hammer, tighten it up and do it again. its never failed me, but then again i dont live where they use salt on the roads
 
i prefer the c clamp style BJ remover/installer as i can tighten it down a bunch then tap/hit it with a hammer, tighten it up and do it again. its never failed me, but then again i dont live where they use salt on the roads

Works just as well in the rust belt.
 
Ill hammer on the plate of the press and it gives a good shudder to it as well.

I figured he could t get it to seat cause he trapped the bottom or had rust/crud on The seat for the bj.
 
DOOD







Get rid of those press plate bombs

very first time i used my HF press back in 2010ish a chunk of the shitty cast plates exploded off(14b crush sleeve), from that point on i kept a piece of plywood to place in front of it when pushing it :laughing: his looks like the newer version with the better steel plates
 
SWAG plates are wwwwaaaaayyyyyyy cheaper than a bunch of stitches or reconstruction or time off or whatever.





Hell even a few pieces of 1x4 flat bar are better than that crap:laughing:
 
Stubborn ones I’ve always put some pressure on the press and tap the knuckle/C with a hammer. Pops loose after a tap or two. Same for pulling pitman arms. :smokin:

This. I've never had this method fail and I live in a shithole where everything rusts. Tap in the thinnest part of the bore for best effect.

DOOD



Get rid of those press plate bombs

The newer ones are just torch cut steel. If his press is new enough to be gray instead of orange he's got the new ones. They're fine.
 
I had Spicer suggested to me, but if they are equal to or better then I’ll take them.

I just got through replacing bent uppers, I had a spicer set in one knuckle and mevotech ttx in the other. I bought emfs and installed them last weekend, I will see if I can bend these. I also have them making larger upper pins that I will ream out the caster/cqmber bushings to fit, just incase I ever bend the standard ones.
 
So after I figured out that the joints are removed bottom to top of knuckle and installed top down for both it went easy like it should.

Made myself two tools. Nothing more than tube with a strike pad. Easy cheezy now.


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Why?

What are you doing to them?
What the application?

Because it'll be the last time you ever do them. You change/wear enough out, youll eventually whallow out the holes on the knuckles. BJE's will never wear out or break. I have the same axle. 99-04. Mine are set to arrive sometime this afternoon. Coupe different places making them. Usually about 300 for the set. That's uppers only. Lowers are MUCH harder to break. But they make those also.
 
Because it'll be the last time you ever do them. You change/wear enough out, youll eventually whallow out the holes on the knuckles. BJE's will never wear out or break. I have the same axle. 99-04. Mine are set to arrive sometime this afternoon. Coupe different places making them. Usually about 300 for the set. That's uppers only. Lowers are MUCH harder to break. But they make those also.

I’ll look into them when I build my rear steer axle then. The rear axle will definitely have more stress on it.
 
Last few trips drove me nuts... had a squealing alt. belt. Last trip it got so bad that it stopped charging at times.

I relocated my alternator because of upper link issues and you can see the bracket I made. I was using a #7395 belt but it was right at the end of the tension limit. I replaced the belt with a # 7390 (next size smaller). It’s a way right fit, actually have to loosen up the bracket just to fight the belt on but at least it’s got plenty of room to tighten.


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