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1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

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trouter_space

1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

This post was updated on .

I'm in the middle of replacing the ball joints on Granny and having trouble getting this part off. I'm not even sure what it is, or if it's fused to the knuckle. Any pointers on removing this thing? Do I need to remove it to get the ball joints out? It's not a camber bushing, is it?

To make this post a little more useful, here are some torque specs for the job. I dug around in documentation for the service manual section on ball joints but couldn't find it? Maybe I missed it.

Tie Rod Adjusting Sleeve Nuts → 30-42 ftlbs (36)

Tie Rod Stud Nut → 50-75 ftlbs (63)

Spindle Nut → 22-25 ftlbs

First tighten lower ball joint to 40 ftlbs, then upper ball joint to 100 ftlbs, then lower ball joint to 100 ftlbs

Thank you for any help,

─▀▄─▀▄─▀▄─▀▄─▀▄─▀ ▄─▀▄─▀▄─▀▄─▀▄─▀▄─ ▀▄─▀▄─▀▄─▀▄─▀▄─▀▄ 1986 F150 2WD 4SPD 300CU I6 BASE-AF Jemez Mountains, New Mexico

85lebaront2

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

Administrator

That is the alignment bushing (there may be two, one inside the other). As to getting it loose, I would have to look it up, Darth is a F350 and has king pins.

Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

"Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional" Darth Vader 1986 F350 460 converted to MAF/SEFI, E4OD 12X3 1/2 rear brakes, traction loc 3:55 gear, 160 amp 3G alternator Wife's 2011 Flex Limited Daily Driver 2009 Flex Limited with factory tow package Project car 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible 2.2L Turbo II, modified A413

Gary Lewis

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

Administrator

You may be able to get the ball joint out without removing the eccentric bushing. But it will take placing the nut on the ball joint and hitting it with a hammer to see if it will move. Not easy.

I had to destroy the bushings in Dad's truck to get them out. I used a chisel on the "ear" to the right of the slot and made it close a bit and rotate. Then I tried the other side. Broke the ears off but got the bushings out.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

trouter_space

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

I'll put a ball joint press on it; If I can replace the ball joints without messing with the bushing that would be ideal for now. But dimes to dollars says my camber is off and that most alignment shops wouldn't want to touch it. Sigh.

Thanks for the advice,

Rembrant

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

trouter_space wrote

I'll put a ball joint press on it; If I can replace the ball joints without messing with the bushing that would be ideal for now. But dimes to dollars says my camber is off and that most alignment shops wouldn't want to touch it. Sigh.

Thanks for the advice,

I used a balljoint press...the style you use with an impact gun, and everything came out of mine just fine. They took a lot of force, and some persuasion...but they did come. My truck had 0 degree concentric bushings from the factory...I assumed they all did? I don't know. I put the same ones back in, and my alignment was bang on.

I talked to a guy that used to do a lot of twin I-beam alignments years ago, and he said that the 2wd trucks rarely ever needed alignment bushings installed. He said that more often than not, they just needed new coil springs.

I know that the guys that lift and lower these trucks commonly have alignment issues, but for a stockish truck at stock ride height, a front end alignment shouldn't require too much effort imho.

1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

trouter_space

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

Thanks for the great info, good to know. New springs are on the list but I want to get a little lift as it were. So I'll look forward to that problem when it comes, ha.

trouter_space

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

This post was updated on .

In reply to this post by trouter_space

Popping this... having quite a time getting the ball joints out. I've been torching them and following up with liquid wrench, then using a pneumatic impact wrench (with a big, friendly 150psi tank) on the press but they're not moving. Been hitting it with the impact driver and trying different positions for the last couple hours.

Anyone had them in like this? Am I going to have to remove the ibeams and take them to a machine drop to have them drilled out?

Pete Whitstone

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

I recently did my upper and lower ball joints on some 4x4 F150 suspension pieces (1995, but should be the same). I have not tried a little press tool like that one, what got mine out were 2 pickle forks, one on the upper and one on the lower. Beat on them alternatively with a large sledge and eventually they popped out. Your arrangement looks a little different, I think the 2x4 ball joint orientation is different. On the 4x4, both ball joints point "up" so the pickle forks are driving in the same direction force-wise (down). If the 2x4 arrangement has them opposed (one points up and one points down) you might only be able to use 1 pickle fork at a time.

81 F150 Flareside, Edelbrock Pro Flow4 FI, hydraulic roller 351W, E4OD, 4x4, BW1356
92 F150 RCLB 351W E40D BW1356 mostly stock

trouter_space

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

On this one, both of them seat in from the bottom, so they both point "down" and need to pressed downwards to come out. The problem is there is nowhere to wedge a pickle, they have a rim they sit in from on the bottom.

Pete Whitstone

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

I went and took a pic of my old 2WD stuff (I'm converting it to 4WD). Here is where the pickle forks would go.

Seems like plenty of room to get the point of a fork in there. Is yours different than that?

81 F150 Flareside, Edelbrock Pro Flow4 FI, hydraulic roller 351W, E4OD, 4x4, BW1356
92 F150 RCLB 351W E40D BW1356 mostly stock

trouter_space

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

So when you took them out you left the knuckle on? I took the knuckle off since you have to to fit the way the press on. But the press isn't moving it. Just burned through the rest of this propane bottle trying to heat it up, all the grease melted out of the old one. It might have moved a millimeter but it's hard to tell.

Pete Whitstone

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

Not sure which part you are referring to as the "knuckle". If you use the double pickle fork thing, the entire hub assembly, disk brake and all, should drop off the suspension arm. Basically everything on the right side of my picture... but I see the concern. On the 4x4 stuff, the ball joint is in the hub assembly, on the 2x4 stuff, the ball joints are pressed into the suspension arm it looks like.

With the 4x4 stuff, you take off the hub assembly and then you can take it over to the shop press and press the ball joints out.

Looks like with the 2x4 stuff, you would need to take the suspension arm out to get it on a shop press. I had not noticed that difference before. You might have to take the suspension arm off... it's only a couple bolts from where you're at. You're sure there's no circlips/snap rings you're fighting against?

81 F150 Flareside, Edelbrock Pro Flow4 FI, hydraulic roller 351W, E4OD, 4x4, BW1356
92 F150 RCLB 351W E40D BW1356 mostly stock

trouter_space

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

Unfortunately the snap rings are definitely off. Big progress for me was that the top BJs on both arms have depressed enough so you can no longer see the indention where the snap ring fits. It's gnarly and frustrating.

Wish I had an oxy/acetylene torch handy. Propane isn't getting it hot enough.

Pete, I appreciate your thoughts. I might go crack a beer now. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Gary Lewis

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

Administrator

Try MAPP gas. It gets a bit hotter than propane. And hit the side of the knuckle nearest the ball joint's stem while you have the press on and TIGHT. I had to install the press, heat the knuckle, bang the knuckle, tighten the press, heat, bang, tighten, etc.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

trouter_space

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

In reply to this post by trouter_space

Here's where I left it for the night. Ended up getting some help from the neighbors but all we did was successfully break a ball joint press and put a hole through the middle of one. Tomorrow we're going to try to borrow an oxy/acetylene torch to remove them.

Yar,

Gary Lewis

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

Administrator

Bummer! Hope the oxy works.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Pete Whitstone

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

In reply to this post by trouter_space

If something really bad happens (hope it doesn't) and the suspension arm gets damaged, you are welcome to my take-offs. It probably won't come to that, and shipping might be killer anyway. Hopefully O/A will persuade it. Can't be tight if it's a liquid, right?

81 F150 Flareside, Edelbrock Pro Flow4 FI, hydraulic roller 351W, E4OD, 4x4, BW1356
92 F150 RCLB 351W E40D BW1356 mostly stock

trouter_space

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

I missed your post about MAPP gas. Will keep that in mind in case the oxy/acetylene doesn't come through.

Thank you, Gary!

trouter_space

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

In reply to this post by Pete Whitstone

Thank you, Pete. That's a very kind offer. If the truck wasn't my "daily" driver at the moment I would love to be doing a 4wd conversion like yourself. I'll keep your offer in mind. I looked you up on the map, if shipping is nuts it's a great reason to visit Texas. I have a buddy in Abilene I'm overdue to visit.

Currently waiting to here about the O/A.

TS

trouter_space

Re: 1986 F150 Ball Joint Replacement Question

In reply to this post by trouter_space

Happy to report that the ball joints were all removed and replaced. The trick to get them out was taking a flap disc to the top of the ball joints that were protruding above the i-beams. I had chiseled around the edges and even clipped them with a cutting wheel to try and ensure nothing was catching, but working it a bit with a flap disc did it. Hammered right out.

Next up, a brake rotor and replacing some of the steering linkages.

Thanks Pete & Gary!

TC