Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Ball Joints...... Some Helping Advice Please

RaDiAn · 02-15-2004, 07:06 PM

93 Chevy Blazer 4x4 4.3V6 Vortec

Sorry this is so long.......I wanted to fully explain the details

I've only had this thing about a year, It started out with a simple brake job last weekend. 45-60mins tops OK right. As I'm taking out the caliper bolts they had been really tight kinda odd, I sprayed them with pen oil before I started . I finally got the first one out and it had this funny spring on it...O no Helicoil all but one on both front brake calipers.... DAM. My options, I talked to a couple of people....some said find some donor parts, another said take steering knuckles off and have it machined, have a plug inserted and retapped. I researched oversized bolts one place (autozone) had them in the computer but couldn't order them for some stupid reason or another. I could use the over sized ones due to the helicoil ID is larger than the Oversized bolt. Now what....

I will have to take off the steering knuckle, and considering the ball joints are bad (well almost) I would like to replace them all while I'm putting the effort into ripping everything apart.

I had a hard time just getting the lower one to release, and the top forget it. I've used a air pickle fork, manual and both, I've heated the ball joint and tried. Someone told me with the bottom on off I should be able to get the CV out of the way and get the top to get the steering knuckle off.

I 've had the jack in pushing up on the bottom A to help move it in different places so I could try remove the bottom ball joint, as it had been replaced before so it had bolts inplace instead of factory hardware. I havn't had a lot of time to work on it, maybe a couple of hours, as I'm very busy and I have another car to drive for now. I'm just having a hard time getting these ball joints out and the steering knuckle off..........Thank You!

02-15-2004, 07:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
RaDiAn Addict	Ball Joints...... Some Helping Advice Please 93 Chevy Blazer 4x4 4.3V6 Vortec Sorry this is so long.......I wanted to fully explain the details I've only had this thing about a year, It started out with a simple brake job last weekend. 45-60mins tops OK right. As I'm taking out the caliper bolts they had been really tight kinda odd, I sprayed them with pen oil before I started . I finally got the first one out and it had this funny spring on it...O no Helicoil all but one on both front brake calipers.... DAM. My options, I talked to a couple of people....some said find some donor parts, another said take steering knuckles off and have it machined, have a plug inserted and retapped. I researched oversized bolts one place (autozone) had them in the computer but couldn't order them for some stupid reason or another. I could use the over sized ones due to the helicoil ID is larger than the Oversized bolt. Now what.... I will have to take off the steering knuckle, and considering the ball joints are bad (well almost) I would like to replace them all while I'm putting the effort into ripping everything apart. I had a hard time just getting the lower one to release, and the top forget it. I've used a air pickle fork, manual and both, I've heated the ball joint and tried. Someone told me with the bottom on off I should be able to get the CV out of the way and get the top to get the steering knuckle off. I 've had the jack in pushing up on the bottom A to help move it in different places so I could try remove the bottom ball joint, as it had been replaced before so it had bolts inplace instead of factory hardware. I havn't had a lot of time to work on it, maybe a couple of hours, as I'm very busy and I have another car to drive for now. I'm just having a hard time getting these ball joints out and the steering knuckle off..........Thank You!