[question]Ball joints and steering linkage

[dieselboy]

Hi all,
I need to replace my lower ball joints and am planning on doing the uppers at the same time. I have the new ones already and would like to attempt this at home. I have a concern that whilst trying to remove the crown nut that it may be stuck with the bolt it goes onto and whilst undoing it will just turn the bolt.
Is there a possibility of this happening? I do not have any air line or electronic impact guns. I just have some basic tool sets and a very large breaker bar.
At worst it is booked in for next Saturday to have this done but if I could sit out in the rain all day and do this myself then I'd probably do that

Also, I noticed whilst investigating the ball joints, that if I rock the front wheel back and forward on the left / right motion; that the steering linkage looks quite slack to me. The main connecting rod can be seen moving with the bushes that connect the track rods as well as the bush that connects the (i think) pitman arm taking up the movement.

I've already had replaced the pitman arm and steering idler which bolts onto the chassis and I think. At the time of this being replaced the difference it made to the steering was immense and the truck felt like a new car. However since the lift and since the wheels being stolen the damage caused that night threw my tracking out and as since caused the steering to wander once again.
Is it possible to just replace the bushes on these parts?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[BUSHWHACKER]

Have you tried removing the nut before jacking the wheel off the ground?

[dieselboy]

Hi Vince havent tried anything yet. I was just planning, or attempting to, in my head before I went out and ran into problems and wanted to ask for some advice.
So I could crack the crown nut using the weight to stop it moving? What about the top ball joint? Same principle? Thanks, Tony

[Ambobeer]

As the ball joints connect into the hub assembly with a morse taper type thing I think the chances of them turning when you try and undo the nuts will be the last of your worries. Getting them to free from their surroundings after the nuts are off will present a much larger problem.

Recently did a top one and we wedged a couple of old brake pads between the top arm and the bump stop type thing before lowering the jack we'd used to raise the arm (wheel and stuff removed). Once the tension was taken up, (as the torsion bar pushes the top arm down it's necessary to take the strain off) and we were happy it wasn't going to go bang and take our faces off; a few good cracks to the edge of the collar where the hub meets the ball joint and it fell apart.

When re assembling, the ball joint is highly likely to turn while being tightened. Try jacking the hub up so you are forcing the ball joint into its morse taper, this usually works; until you run out of jack or the truck falls on it's side?????

Don't forget the split pin!

Might try a bottom one soon, they look much less scary as you can jack up the disc while you bash away at the bottom collar.

[yoshie]

Tony take nuts off as Vince said, use a decent spliter not some cheap rubbish that jaws start to open when hit and it's a simple task mate.

A snap on fork type spilter will cost you £50+ but worth every penny.

[Diezel Weazel]

Done both top n bottom about 18 months ago (old school me) nothing more than a good 3lb Ball pane Hammer n a few good clouts no probs .........
If can......... you can Tony !!
Good Luck

Jess
"Cos short cuts can cost more in the long run"

[tintin]

when my mate (mechanic ) did mine a couple of months ago the hardest part was getting them out after the nuts were off!
Litterally laid on the floor and beat the shat out of the arm til they popped out!

Alan

[KERRSURF]

I did mines with the snapon splitter yoshie mentioned, doddle.
Sometimes just a good hit with a hammer and they pop out.

[Albannach]

2 Hammers. Hold a mash hammer against one side and skelp the other side with a 3lb hammer, it'll pop out no bother.

[dieselboy]

Thanks for all the tips! Seems like it could be okay

Any ideas about the steering arms? Do any companies make poly replacement bushes?

[Albannach]

Any ideas about the steering arms? Do any companies make poly replacement bushes?

For where, exactly.

[dieselboy]

For where, exactly.

You do realise that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to simply provide a link to post #1? But I won't

Also, I noticed whilst investigating the ball joints, that if I rock the front wheel back and forward on the left / right motion; that the steering linkage looks quite slack to me. The main connecting rod can be seen moving with the bushes that connect the track rods as well as the bush that connects the (i think) pitman arm taking up the movement.

I've already had replaced the pitman arm and steering idler which bolts onto the chassis and I think. At the time of this being replaced the difference it made to the steering was immense and the truck felt like a new car. However since the lift and since the wheels being stolen the damage caused that night threw my tracking out and as since caused the steering to wander once again.
Is it possible to just replace the bushes on these parts?

Also, I forgot to mention that whilst rocking one of the wheels left / right (whilst lifted from the ground and the other on the ground stationary) that you can move the wheel what I think is 'quite a bit'. Again I think this is down to the bushes that connect the steering components and has just got worse.
Cheers, Tony

[Albannach]

For where, exactly.

You do realise that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to simply provide a link to post #1? But I won't

Where, exactly, are the bushes you think are worn? I don't recall any bushes (other than the ones in the idler arm and steering box), I was asking for clarification.

You are getting to be an arsey little boy lately...

[slobodan]

You are getting to be an arsy little boy lately...

He went to Egypt, remember, those ay-rabs will punch it up you harder than a two week old pasty.
And don't think Savlon will do any good. He'll need a heli coiling.

[KERRSURF]

If you haven't had the steering recall done and your truck is on the list then Toyota main dealer will replace this free of charge and adjust wheel camber and toe, tracking.