Well, I just replaced my driver's side ball joints, both of them. Holy cow, was that a chore. The only tool I could find was that silver C-clamp looking thing that comes with the cups, every company seems to make one of them. The adaptor is huge and thick and the whole thing is just slightly too big for a '96 F150 2wd. I had to come up with some creative stuff to pop them out and then get the new ones in again.

So I'm asking anybody out there who's done this... what tool did you use? I still have to do the other side eventually!

 

that same tool lol

its pretty much the only thing out there.

 

Pickle fork, hammer, sockets, impact, wrenches, pry bar, side cutters and ball joint press is all i need. Well maybe a beer or two just for good measure

 

Well, I guess that's that.

I'll try and cut some thick pipe at work and weld up some "custom" cups. Hopefully those will fit better.

 

Not on my truck, but I've used a socket, floor jack and chain. Plus the BFH.

 

I have the exact same truck and the exact same tool. You just have to do it backwards from the way the manuals say to do it. I couldn't figure out how to take whichever one they said to do first out of there first. lol. I did have to put an impact wrench along with an open ended wrench on that press...mine were rusted solid in there. Anyway, I thought the adapters fit perfectly.

 

My adapters fit great. Just wanted to say that I took my entire hub assembly off. It could be the way I'm reading your post, but it sounds like your doing it with them on the truck?

 

you guys (all but Sean) are wimps....

all you need is a couple of SIMPLE tool... BFH (mini-sledge) and a diameter of standard pipe to knock the ball joints out and then tap them back in...

pull the spindle assembly off...get a BHF (mini-sledge) and a piece of pipe... I think I used 2in pipe 22inches long it could have been a less diameter but it was such that fit thru the ball-joint hole as I had it laying in the shop...

take out the pinch bolt on the top and caster bushing. Pull the snap rings... use the hammer and pipe and drive them out...

reverse order and its easier to do one first then the other I just dont remember if it was the top one first usin the pipe thru the bottom hole or bottom first...

either way i did all 4 ball-joints in my truck, spindle off and ball-joints replaces and spindles back on the truck ready to tighten 45 minutes flat...


its not that big of a deal... simple as heck on these trucks...

 

I agree thats all you really need to do, but most shops and customers don't like it when they see you wailing with a sledge hammer on a steering knuckle to get ball joints out