| Ball joint replacement, how big of a job? [message #341855] |
Wed, 20 March 2019 13:48  |
Justin Brady
Messages: 769
Registered: April 2015
Location: Bell Buckle, TN
Karma: 11
|
Senior Member |
|
|
I've got a trip coming up on Friday and I'm considering changing my ball joints tomorrow, anyone have an estimate on how long this takes? Don't want to start a 10 hour job right before a trip, but a couple hours should be fine.
Justin Brady
http://www.thegmcrv.com/
1976 Palm Beach 455
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Ball joint replacement, how big of a job? [message #341881 is a reply to message #341859] |
Wed, 20 March 2019 21:40  |
jimk
Messages: 6734
Registered: July 2006
Location: Belmont, CA
Karma: 9
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Do it after the trip.
If you have the origional, it is not a fast job.
Alex Ferrara will back me up on this.
Loose lower joints are under compression, so it does not wander.
On Wed, Mar 20, 2019 at 3:36 PM Todd Sullivan via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
> More than a couple hours as you will also need to perform an alignment. The
> alignment alone is more than 2hs
>
> Sully
> Bellevue wa
>
> On Wed, Mar 20, 2019 at 1:50 PM Justin Brady via Gmclist gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
>
>> I've got a trip coming up on Friday and I'm considering changing my ball
>> joints tomorrow, anyone have an estimate on how long this takes? Don't
> want
>> to start a 10 hour job right before a trip, but a couple hours should be
>> fine.
>>
>> --
>> Justin Brady
>> http://www.thegmcrv.com/
>> 1976 Palm Beach 455
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
jimk@appliedairfilters.com
http://www.appliedgmc.com
1-800-752-7502
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC
jimk@appliedairfilters.com
www.appliedgmc.com
1-800-752-7502
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Ball joint replacement, how big of a job? [message #341900 is a reply to message #341896] |
Thu, 21 March 2019 09:47 |
lqqkatjon
Messages: 2324
Registered: October 2010
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Karma: 5
|
Senior Member |
|
|
every ball joint swap I have done and witnessed, ended up taking a bit of time and was a fight start to finish.
The original one's are riveted in, and are a real pain to drill out and get the old one off. Then you have to make sure the new one's fit properly flat. Make sure you get some guidance in using the correct bolts, and how to make sure the new ball joint is sitting correctly in the lower arm.
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: Ball joint replacement, how big of a job? [message #341925 is a reply to message #341855] |
Thu, 21 March 2019 18:58 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
|
Senior Member |
|
|
You might want to look at the lower control arm bushings. I have not seen an original set on a GMC that really did not need to be replaced. While you have the control arms off replace the ball joints then. Use Energy Suspension bushings. They will never wear out and you do not need any special tools to remove and install the.
Jim K. probably sells them. I got mine from a non-GMC source about 12 years ago. Uppers really were not bad but I replaced them any way. Problem is Energy Suspension does not make the upper offset ones.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: Ball joint replacement, how big of a job? [message #341930 is a reply to message #341926] |
Fri, 22 March 2019 00:36 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
|
Senior Member |
|
|
What you really need to install them is a vice and a propane torch. You heat the old rubber basically burn them until the rubber lets loose then clean up the remaining steel cylinder and then just press the new ones into the cylinder in with a vice. I got carried away and bead blasted the whole a-frame and painted it with black rustoleum before reassembly. It is not a bad job.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
|
|
|
|
GMCforum
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
