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Jag
Dodge Dakota
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7/20/2004
22:17:58
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 Subject: Lower ball joint removal?
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Any tips on removing the lower ball joints from the lower control arms? What a pain in the ass! I succeeded in breaking off the heads of the rivets with a chisel, but I couldn't punch them out. There is no way I can get a drill in there without removing the lower control arm. What is the secret/shortcut to these things?
98 Dakota R/T CC
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Relf
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2004
00:50:09
|  RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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Jag, see how much an automotive machine shop would press out the old ones and press in the new ones for. They've got all the tools to do it quick. Relf.
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Jag
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2004
06:57:03
| RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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I guess I will have to remove the lower control arms, right? What a pain in the ass...
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Relf
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2004
11:25:45
|  RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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Jag, just make sure that you mark the ends of the torsion bar thing that runs from the lower control arm to the rear of the truck. I used a paint type marking pen (yellow) to mark the location of the splines so I could assemble it correctly. Don't be discouraged, you'll feel a lot better once you have your ball joints finished. Relf.
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Jag
Dodge Dakota
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7/22/2004
09:19:06
| RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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Torsion bar? ? ? I have the regular spring/shock setup. I have an R/T. The 4WD must have the torsion bars
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emer
Dodge Dakota
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7/27/2004
01:44:54
| RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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leave the lower control arms in place. go rent a ball joint press.
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DSW
Dodge Dakota
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7/27/2004
02:29:16
| RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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Jag, did you get it fixed?
I drilled the rivets 3/4 way through, final pass with a bit about the same size as the rivet. Took a punch and knocked them out with a couple sharp smacks. I had the uppers off at the same time, which probably gave me more clearance for the drill and punch though.
Have you tried to pull the lower control arm down to get more clearance? You might have to remove the sway bar link to get the lower control arm to drop down.
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Jag
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
7/27/2004
07:10:20
| RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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Emer - would the press work with the rivets still in the lower control arm?
DSM - I didn't try removing the link, once I realized it would take me more then an hour a side I put everything back together...I didn't have the time to tackle it then. What ball joints did you go with? How did you get the new joints to seat in the lower CTRL arm?
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Emer
Dodge Dakota
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7/28/2004
00:13:30
|  RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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Jag,
You may not need the press however you will not be able to press the ball joint out with rivets in. you do not have to drill the rivet all the way out. Use a drill bit the same diameter as the shank of the rivet, drill the center of the head.
Then knock the head off with a chisel, drive the rivet shank out with a punch. You my need a angle
drill if room is limited,or you may be able to cut a drill bit in half to gain the clerance you need. Moog are the parts I like
Good luck
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DSW
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
7/28/2004
03:15:25
| RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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Yup, I agree with Emer, go with the Moog's. The Moog's have hardware that fits pretty loose. I upgraded to larger grade 8 bolts and nuts that fit the holes more snuggly and Lock-tited them good. Think they were 3/8" or 7/16", can't remember it was too long ago.
"How did you get the new joints to seat in the lower CTRL arm?"
I was thinking your 98 suspension is the same as my 2000, are there 3 rivets holding the edge of the ball joint onto the control arm. or is the ball joint pressed into the control arm? The ball joints on my 2000 were riveted to the control arm, and the new ones bolted to the control arm. The ball joints just bolted up on my 2000, they didn't have to be pressed into the control arm like other suspensions that have the ball joints pressed into the control arm.
If you have press-in ball joints, take it to a machine shop/auto parts store with a press. I have beat the snot out of press-in ball joints to get them out in the past. Getting them in is much easier than getting them out.
Take the ball joint and pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours to shrink it, then take the control arm and heat it with a torch or pop it in the oven at 200 degrees to expand it (OH, your wife,girlfriend or mom is going to love the oven trick, the smell of baking engine parts wafting through the house, Martha Stewart would have a kiniption fit!) Slide the ball joint into the control arm quickly and hold it in there real tight for a minute. It will slide in easy, but once the ball joint and control arm get the same temp, it's locked in place. This also works good for other press fit items, bearings, races.
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humpster
Dodge Dakota
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7/28/2004
17:59:53
| RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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Jag,
I just did my 2000 Quad Cab 2WD last week. Yup, they were a pain in the ass!! But, with persistence, I got them done. No, you don't have to take off the control arm. Remove the brake/hub assembly, take a cutting tool and cut an X in the rivet head. Drill down into the rivet with a good strong bit. Use either an air chisel (easiest) or cold chisel and pop the heads off. Then take your drill again and drill into the rivet until you are around the bottom of the ball joint. Stick a strong punch or piece of rebar down in there and beat the hell out of it with a heavy framing hammer or mini-sledge hammer. You might want to wear leather gloves for when you miss....I'm thankful I was and only wound up with a broken thumb!! LOL So, be careful!! I did have a couple of them that gave me fits coming out. One, I broke a punch off in, tried to grind the punch out with a titanium bit and broke the bit off in it....so I ended up putting another punch in there in showing no mercy...it finally came out.
You are luck like me though that you have a 2WD and don't have to press out the old BJ's. Good luck and YES....go with the MOOG's if you can find them. I ended up having to order the lowers from Rock, one of the uppers from Dallas and the other from Kansas. Seems a young employee at the Moog plant wanted friday afternoon off a few months back and started a little fire so that someone would pull the fire alarm and they'd all go home. Ended up burning the whole damn factory down....so parts is a little scarce right now.
I'm not an expert and the guys on here got me through it...but if you have any questions...feel free to email me at hump1@sbcglobal.net. Again...good luck!!
Humpster
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humpster
Dodge Dakota
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7/28/2004
17:59:53
| RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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Message:
Jag,
I just did my 2000 Quad Cab 2WD last week. Yup, they were a pain in the ass!! But, with persistence, I got them done. No, you don't have to take off the control arm. Remove the brake/hub assembly, take a cutting tool and cut an X in the rivet head. Drill down into the rivet with a good strong bit. Use either an air chisel (easiest) or cold chisel and pop the heads off. Then take your drill again and drill into the rivet until you are around the bottom of the ball joint. Stick a strong punch or piece of rebar down in there and beat the hell out of it with a heavy framing hammer or mini-sledge hammer. You might want to wear leather gloves for when you miss....I'm thankful I was and only wound up with a broken thumb!! LOL So, be careful!! I did have a couple of them that gave me fits coming out. One, I broke a punch off in, tried to grind the punch out with a titanium bit and broke the bit off in it....so I ended up putting another punch in there in showing no mercy...it finally came out.
You are luck like me though that you have a 2WD and don't have to press out the old BJ's. Good luck and YES....go with the MOOG's if you can find them. I ended up having to order the lowers from Rock, one of the uppers from Dallas and the other from Kansas. Seems a young employee at the Moog plant wanted friday afternoon off a few months back and started a little fire so that someone would pull the fire alarm and they'd all go home. Ended up burning the whole damn factory down....so parts is a little scarce right now.
I'm not an expert and the guys on here got me through it...but if you have any questions...feel free to email me at hump1@sbcglobal.net. Again...good luck!!
Humpster
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humpster
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
7/29/2004
10:21:39
|  RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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Sorry bout that...I must have hit the "post" button twice!
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bigb
Dodge Dakota
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7/29/2004
11:51:41
|  Ball Joints
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The dealer just replace my Upper Ball Joints, and sway bar busings for the second time in less than 15000 miles................2002 Dodge Dakota 4x4 Quad cab........mileage 15645 miles.
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Jag
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
11/26/2004
08:12:56
| RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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Anyone torched the rivets out? Seems like it would be pretty easy, if not cutting them out with a torch (fine tip of course), you could at least heat them up hot and pop them out. Just an idea. I use my torch everyday with heavy equipment. Can't leave home without it!
Humpster: What hardware did you removed for access>
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Tony
Dodge Dakota
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11/26/2004
15:20:04
| RE: Lower ball joint removal?
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If it's the press-in B.J.'s , you need to rent the tool from Auto Zone for $100. Looks like a big C-clamp. But thats for a 99 Dak 4x4 lower BJ.
You mentioned rivets, so is it uppers your working on? You'll need a center punch & drill to get the rivets out.
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