Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Replacing front ball joints on 85 dodge pickup?

I have an 85 dodge pickup 150 that i need to change the ball joints on. how do i change the lower and upper ball joints and what special tools will i need to get. any help will be greatly appreciated. thanksReplacing front ball joints on 85 dodge pickup?there a few tools needed



basic hand tools ( a good soket set and wrenches)

a hammer

there is a %26quot;puller tool%26quot; available that you can rent from the autoparts store

or a tool called a %26quot;pickle fork%26quot;



if you can afford it have a shop do it but if not rent the tools and good luck



you have to separate the ball joint from its mount (there is a tapered shaft%26quot; that should POP apart then re install



IMPORTIANT you may or should have the alignment checked/adjusted profesionally after replacing the parts



if not you will be go throught many tires and possibly have steering issuesReplacing front ball joints on 85 dodge pickup?you forgot to mension if it was a 4 wheel drive or a 2 wheel drive.theres a difference.Replacing front ball joints on 85 dodge pickup?I'm not that familiar with that truck,however I would highly recommend that you go to a parts store and get a maintenance manual for that vehicle as it could save you from getting hurt or worse.Those ball joints on some vehicles are very hazardous to replace,especially for a novice.Good luck and hopefully its an easy project.Replacing front ball joints on 85 dodge pickup?HI..... I am always down for trying to repair vehicles yourself. In the case of ball joints I would have a shop do that for you. No Not the dealer -- they will overcharge you.... Its not rocket science to change them but you will need some specialized tools like spring compressors forks and other stuff.... I dont know what state you are in but I am here in the northeast. They use lots of salt and sand on the roads in the winter. because of this there is usualy a bit of rust under the vehicles and bolts have a tendency to snap off instead of screw off. It can be really frustrating to deal with parts that dont want to come off.... I changed my shocks, water pumps exhaust -- even a fuel tank once -- Ball joints? to heck with that!! Why buy tools that you may never use again when the same money can pay a mechanic....... While your at it change the shocks and any bushings that might be bad while its apart!!