How to Repair Ball Joints

Raise the vehicle with the floor jack on the ball joint side. Place a jack stand on the side opposite of the side getting the ball joint. Leave the floor jack on the ball joint side. Remove the front wheel using the air gun and socket.

Remove the brake caliper using the 3/8-inch ratchet and appropriate socket. Remove the rotor if front-wheel drive only. Just pull it off by hand.

Remove the lower ball joint cotter pin using the wire cutters. On a rear-wheel drive, remove the cotter pin from the upper ball joint as well.

Remove the outer tie rod end from the steering on the spindle by inserting the ball joint separator between the control arm and the spindle. Hit the tool with the hammer until the tie rod end pops out of the tapered recess. Lift the tie rod out.

Support the lower control arm with the other jack stand. This is the important part. Insert the jack stand securely under the lower control arm, as close to the outside end as possible without interfering with the removal of the ball joint. The spring will want to push down on the lower control arm when the lower ball joint is released. Put it dead-center on the arm and on solid ground.

Loosen the lower ball joint nut, but do not take it off. If it comes off, put it back on with seven or eight threads so that when the ball joint is broken loose, the spring will not be released. On a rear-wheel drive, remove the nut on the upper control arm since there is no pressure on this one.

Install the ball joint separator in between the lower control arm and the spindle, and hit it with a hammer until it pops out of its tapered hole in the spindle. On a rear-wheel drive, remove the upper ball joint from the upper part of the spindle in the same way.

Place the jack stand under the lower control arm on a hard floor and dead-center on the control arm. Make sure the jack stand is as close to the ball joint as possible without interfering with the removal of the ball joint.

Lower the vehicle on the jack stand until the control arm is level and is slightly compressing the spring. Remove the ball joint nuts from the upper and lower ball joints on a rear-wheel drive. Remove the sole bottom ball joint on a front-wheel drive vehicle.

Remove the two large bolts and nuts that run through the top arm of the spindle and the strut on a front-wheel drive, using the air gun and a socket. Once the bolts are removed, push the strut and spindle apart by hand.

Lift the spindle off of the ball joints and lay aside. Remove the lower ball joint. Look for a snap ring that is found on some models, on the top side by the stud that is used to secure the ball joint. If there is one, use the snap ring pliers to remove it. Straighten the stud and hit it hard with the hammer, and drive it out of the arm.

Remove the upper ball joint if a rear-wheel drive. Use the ball joint installation kit. There will be a series of different size pipes, a large c-clamp and two top caps. Since the ball joint is going to come out going upwards, place the large pipe, the one that is larger than the ball joint, on the top as a receiver. Place the smaller pipe on the bottom side to use as a pusher. Place the cap on each pipe and the c-clamp over these pipes.

Using the 1/2-inch air gun and socket, tighten the c-clamp until it pushes the ball joint out. To replace both the top and bottom ball joints, simply reverse the tool. To make the process go easily, make real sure that the ball joints are going in dead-straight.

Install all these parts in reverse order of removal.