OT: Need help with 92 Dakota 4x4 front end asap

[shadango]

Hey guys

Hope someone here has done this before and can help with some good advice.

Changing the upper and lower balljoints on the right side of my 1992 Dakota 4WD.

The two manuals I have and the manual pages at autozone seem to contradict.

The upper BJ  on the vehicle  "appears" to be a screw in type (similar to what I have on my 72 Barracuda).  The manuals say it is a press in.  But the replacement part clearly has the threads like the Barracuda did and uses a similar tool (square socket with rounded edges)....which I do not have.  Was going to try using a pipe wrench or crescent wrench to remove.

The lower replacement part has a snapring and appears to be a press in...but one manual says it is a press and the other says it has some sort of a retaining ring that needs to be pryed back, the BJ changed and then the ring repeened over it....how does the lower BJ come out and go in?

Sort of driving myself nuts here.

Any help? Thanks guys.

[72cudamaan]

:ower ball joint is press in with a snap ring as an additional measure.  I thought the upper was press in as well but cannot confirm that positively!

[shadango]

Thanks man

Turns out: The upper is a screw in type just like our e bodies.....but a different socket (of course).

After searching all the auto houses, found that advance auto rents out there $180 ball joint kit.....it had the socket I needed.   Tell ya, the BJ in my fish came out in 30 seconds with the socket....I fought the one on this truck for a half hour....and its half the age !!!! LOL

Scary putting th new one in....thought the control arm threads were toast bit all seems ok now.

The lower is, as you said, pressed in with the clip.....that was a piece of cake with the rented kit once I figured out what adaptors to use......

Right side is pretty much done....just have to put the new tie tod ends in and R/R the pitman arm and reassemble...hopefully the pitman comes off easy.

The fish was much easier overall I think....LOL Fun stuff....LOL

[shadango]

I've been defeated.   

Got everything done that I wanted....all the tie rod ends, idler arm, u/L balljoints on right side.....but failed on the pitman arm.....spen a few hours fighting it, trying to pull it off the steering box.....even broke the puller.

Put it back together as-is and I guess that I will have a shop do that...hopefully they have some hum-dinger of a puller that will do it.

I feel like I was beaten..... 

[brads70]

Did you try a little heat? A little trick is to get it "warm" then use a birthday candle to melt some wax on it. This works good on rusty studs.

[shadango]

yeah, I thought about it....someone here gave me that wax trick when I was doing the exhaust studs on my fish.....

Was afraid to heat it....dont want to toast anything like the seal at that shaft or anything...... 

[ntstlgl1970]

You need to have a "good" puller to get many pitman arms off, the 2 jaw ones usually aren't strong enough or break on you.

[ShelbyDogg]

Even with a good puller, sometimes you have to tighten them down to apply pressure, then tap the center bolt with a hammer.  Other times, you apply pressure, spray it with pb-blaster, then walk away and wait for it to pop.  I've had to do that with shop presses too.  Apply pressure, spray it, then wait, sometimes checking or adding more pressure as time goes on.

Wear safety glasses in case something breaks!