Mike M 4
Member
Got it done this weekend. Todd, Chad and Caymen thanks for your posts and Pix...Took me a little longer than I expected, learning curve and all that. Getting an alignment today. Here is my lessons learned list.
1. Get all the tools you need before hand, I had to get a gear puller to remove the steering knuckle from the ball joint. I tried the hammer method, but I think if you are swinging a big hammer around inside the wheel well you are asking for trouble. So tools I got were: ball joint press, torque wrench, 5 ton gear puller.
2. Don't kick the 8mm screws for the abs sensor and the brake shroud under the truck. Get a box to put all the screws in.....
2.1 Don't kick your beer on the screws you just kicked under the truck. Need I say more?
3. After I got the steering knuckle off the 1st side, I had difficulty moving the steering knuckle off the ball joint because of the half shaft, equally hard time putting it back on. With all the pulling and pushing and twisting, the half shaft boot has caved in at a spot and I can't pop it back out. Any thoughts on how to remedy? Hopefully after driving and turning it will pop back out.
4. The ball joint press is a PITA. On the second side, I removed the wheel bearing assembly so it was easier to maneuver the press into position. I just tied up the half shaft kind of out of the way. Saved a lot of time and frustration over the 1st side. Soaked ball joints with WD 40. That being said, there is no way the ball joints would have come out by hammering them out.
5. The cotter pins were rusted and deteriorated on the ball joint castle nuts. Driver side I broke the tails off and drove it out with a punch. PITA and took a lot of time. Passenger side, I cut the head of the pin and pulled on the other side with a vise grip, they came right out. Oh, I soaked it with WD 40 as well.
6. Put the grease zerks on the ball joint before you put every thing back together. 1st side didn't, second side did, I'm a quick learner. Now is a good time to grease them.
7. The tie rod ends come out pretty easy, loosen the castle nut and the jam nut before you disassemble the steering knuckle. Snug the jam nut to the tie rod end. Count number of turns when taking off. Mine was about 20 1/2 turns for each. Hopefully you have enough big wrenches to do this with. One on tie rod end, one on jam nut.
8. If you are going to remove the wheel bearing assembly, you will need a 32 mm deep well socket, standard depth is just about too shallow.
9. Take the pinch bolt out of the steering knuckle before trying to remove it from from the upper ball joint. Use a wedge-yes I used a long screwdriver in an inappropriate way- to separate that part of the steering knuckle, but a couple tiny taps with a small hammer and the thing came right out. I wasted a lot of time trying to figure this out on the first side. Again I am a quick learner.
In position, the pinch bolt passes through a machined section of the upper ball joint , and locks it in place. If the tie rod is off, you have more room to cram the screwdriver into the slot.
10. Tool rental is free at NAPA and O Reilly, you get 48 hours. Make sure you discuss this with the counter guy. When I returned the Torque wrench to NAPA, the counter guy was twitchy. That is ok, I'm twitchy too. Especially when their store hours are not in line with the rental policy. And there was a snow storm here on Saturday. Loser. O Reilly is cheaper and they carry the Moog brand. They will rent all the tools as well. Nicer store.
11. OReilly part number for moog ball joint, 2002 Sport Trac 4wd is K8695T, about $36 or so. $41at napa for their part. I got the tie rod ends from Napa (loser) part number 269-3087 about $30, this is a non stock item at OReilly.
12. The ball joints come with instructions, read them. There is an inboard and outboard side of t
1. Get all the tools you need before hand, I had to get a gear puller to remove the steering knuckle from the ball joint. I tried the hammer method, but I think if you are swinging a big hammer around inside the wheel well you are asking for trouble. So tools I got were: ball joint press, torque wrench, 5 ton gear puller.
2. Don't kick the 8mm screws for the abs sensor and the brake shroud under the truck. Get a box to put all the screws in.....
2.1 Don't kick your beer on the screws you just kicked under the truck. Need I say more?
3. After I got the steering knuckle off the 1st side, I had difficulty moving the steering knuckle off the ball joint because of the half shaft, equally hard time putting it back on. With all the pulling and pushing and twisting, the half shaft boot has caved in at a spot and I can't pop it back out. Any thoughts on how to remedy? Hopefully after driving and turning it will pop back out.
4. The ball joint press is a PITA. On the second side, I removed the wheel bearing assembly so it was easier to maneuver the press into position. I just tied up the half shaft kind of out of the way. Saved a lot of time and frustration over the 1st side. Soaked ball joints with WD 40. That being said, there is no way the ball joints would have come out by hammering them out.
5. The cotter pins were rusted and deteriorated on the ball joint castle nuts. Driver side I broke the tails off and drove it out with a punch. PITA and took a lot of time. Passenger side, I cut the head of the pin and pulled on the other side with a vise grip, they came right out. Oh, I soaked it with WD 40 as well.
6. Put the grease zerks on the ball joint before you put every thing back together. 1st side didn't, second side did, I'm a quick learner. Now is a good time to grease them.
7. The tie rod ends come out pretty easy, loosen the castle nut and the jam nut before you disassemble the steering knuckle. Snug the jam nut to the tie rod end. Count number of turns when taking off. Mine was about 20 1/2 turns for each. Hopefully you have enough big wrenches to do this with. One on tie rod end, one on jam nut.
8. If you are going to remove the wheel bearing assembly, you will need a 32 mm deep well socket, standard depth is just about too shallow.
9. Take the pinch bolt out of the steering knuckle before trying to remove it from from the upper ball joint. Use a wedge-yes I used a long screwdriver in an inappropriate way- to separate that part of the steering knuckle, but a couple tiny taps with a small hammer and the thing came right out. I wasted a lot of time trying to figure this out on the first side. Again I am a quick learner.
In position, the pinch bolt passes through a machined section of the upper ball joint , and locks it in place. If the tie rod is off, you have more room to cram the screwdriver into the slot.
10. Tool rental is free at NAPA and O Reilly, you get 48 hours. Make sure you discuss this with the counter guy. When I returned the Torque wrench to NAPA, the counter guy was twitchy. That is ok, I'm twitchy too. Especially when their store hours are not in line with the rental policy. And there was a snow storm here on Saturday. Loser. O Reilly is cheaper and they carry the Moog brand. They will rent all the tools as well. Nicer store.
11. OReilly part number for moog ball joint, 2002 Sport Trac 4wd is K8695T, about $36 or so. $41at napa for their part. I got the tie rod ends from Napa (loser) part number 269-3087 about $30, this is a non stock item at OReilly.
12. The ball joints come with instructions, read them. There is an inboard and outboard side of t
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