Heatin' anna beatin' ball joint replacement

OK, did my ball joints this weekend, used the OTC press and service kit, everything went well EXCEPT..... The first lower I took out I had a brain twitch and tried to press it out "up" instead of "down". Let me tell ya, the OTC press takes a beating - I had a 24" breaker bar on it, with a four foot length of pipe, pulling with all of my 220 lbs against it. Needless to say, the lower joint would not come out, but I was not discouraged - nothing a little heatin and beatin can't fix - an hour with an acetylene torch and a 3 lb lump hammer convinced me to stop and rethink.... Which is when I took the press off to readjust, and the lower fell out. I mean, fell out. Great, I thought - until I went to put in the new one and it fell out as well. I've stretched the ear on the lower drivers side to the point where the lower joint fits snug, but it's no press fit any more. I did a "temporary permanent" fix by tack welding the new joint in while clamping in place (a couple tacks on top, a couple on bottom, ready to reassemble!).:firedevil

Now the real question - I can get the new joint out, nothing more than a few minutes with a grinder, I've spent the last 15 years around boilermakers, no big deal, but did I just buy another front axle? I mean, it's only a D30 in a 1997, but hey, I'd just as soon run it for another 100K if I can without putting another front in there.

Comments? Oh, by the way, I did get the OTC press to distort, but it sprung back!)

Thanks,

Mark