6/10/2018 - Ball Joints

Ball joint removal and installation

I found a set of videos by 9th Delta Concepts that detail the entire process of building a GTM. If you want to build a GTM, I cannot recommend this enough.

I found it while researching ball joint removal. I would have taken my own pictures/videos of the process, but I can't really improve on their video. Take a look: https://youtu.be/Py_jaBpgzvw

How did I know the ball joints should be replaced? They were WAY too loose and easy to move by hand. See video below of my donor parts' ball joints.

It was not easy to remove the old ball joints. Simple and straightforward, but not easy. I actually ended up bruising my palms from pushing on the wrench too hard. The C-clamp press tool didn't allow for a socket and breaker bar, had to use a plain wrench to drive the ball joint out. Tip: wrap the wrenches a couple of times with cloth shop towels to make it easy on the hands.

After cleaning up the hole (vinegar works great, and it's cheap!), I took it to the Pep Boys down the street. It was 40 bucks per ball joint to install. I attempted to install them myself, but I purchased a couple of Moog ball joints. These are WAY oversized for the hole, much bigger than the original ones. It simple wasn't possible to do without a press.

The Moog ball joints I chose have grease fittings. After doing some research, the general consensus is that these types (when properly maintained/greased periodically) will outlast the life of the vehicle.

Time estimate: 8 hours