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.
![](https://www.google.com/images/icons/product/drive-32.png)
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