Ball joints install upper and lower

88 xj 4.0 6cyl everything stock 169k on it, and i want to change these ball joints out.
my guess is they never been touched.
Im confused on what needs to come off in order to change them!!!
I remember changing my u-joints on the axel and the hubs were so tightly on I had to just pull the whole thing out attached to the axel!!!
Does anyone know any good write ups on this i love those they make the job easier, and when its not easy at least its expected.

I'm sure there's a writeup on here somewhere for replacing the BJ's but it's pretty simple. Basically you have to pull the brakes and the unitbearing/axleshaft before you can remove the knuckle to change the joints.

These pics I took during my WJ swap may help you: http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/...ake Upgrade/?action=view&current=CIMG3975.jpg
Pics 26-33 show the removal process.

Article on adjustable ball joints, however, the HOW TO is the same procedure and pictures are excellent: http://www.madxj.com/MADXJ/technical/technicalfiles/ARadjustableBallJoints/adjustableballjoints.htm

And a youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3jjPouRdFw

just did this myself the first time on Friday night, took me 4-5 hours to do one side mostly because I'd never done it before, I'd estimate 1-2 hours for the other side max, and that's with hand tools only no power tools.

Best advice I can give you is to make sure you're trying to press the old ones out, not jam them in further :dunce: don't ask how I learned that.

Also plan how you're going to reinstall the new ones because some methods will require that you install them in a certain order since the balljoint tool goes through the open hole for the other one. The way I did it, I didn't end up needing to worry about this.

If they seem stuck, crank harder on the tool and then tap the side of the inner C right next to the balljoint with the biggest hammer you have, then crank more, etc.

too cool~ ntb wanted $562 for upper and lower on one side plus a tie rod end! i dont think so!!! great sites.

Thanks for the video's and write-up it definitely will help
I didnt know i needed to take arm the knuckle i got this tool i seen in the video
hopefully it works for me like it did for him. lol

My biggest recommendation would be to rent the ball joint press and the 4wd adapter set. This made my ball joint job take about an hour. And air tools if you have the option. I've done it before with out the 4wd adapter set and it pretty much sucked. haha and Good Luck!

Thanks but No air tools available cant afford the compressor
though I am tryna save up to get a strong electric impact wrench suppose to b 220 bpm (blows per minute)
I thought I tackle the ball joints yesterday and boy o boy did things go the wrong way
first off my bottle jack is toast because my brother that was helping me loosened it too much and all the oil came out plus for some reason the piece to loosen it is stuck all the way in the whole. like i said its toast
only other jack i had was a 2Ton in my experience its not good enough for the xj.
last one i had bent this one on the other had seemed to lift it ok, so I just made sure I put it on the stands immediately
3 stands and a 1/2 in breaker Me n my brother tryna break the torque on the axel bolt and next thing I know my breaker is broke, snapped right off from the head
only other things i had that stood a chance at breaking the bolt was a old style torque 1/2 inch with the needle to tell the torque and a new style torque the one u twist to the right torque 1/2 also
i didnt wanna break either one but definitely not the new one so I tried the old one couldnt find nothing to use as leverage (like a pipe or something). So i use the sticks for my bottle jack and it bent my old torque wrench tryna break the torque on the bolt....
I didnt wanna risk my new one but i set it to the highest torque point which was 150 and with a little leverage only thing that happened was the clicking noise that the wrench makes when its torque something to its point..
I brought a 25" breaker bar today at work 1/2 inch the 3/4 is too expensive but it definitely has the torque i need... I hope this 25" will do it!!
The last time I broke the axel bolt torque I did it with my girl and a long fat pipe and we broke it with the breaker that just broke on me....

You don't need to separate the unit bearing from the shaft, just remove the 3 bolts holding the unit bearing to the knuckle and pull the shaft and bearing out as an assembly. If you are talking about the large nut under the wheel centercap?

wait a minute are you telling me I dont need to take off the axel bolt to take the ball joints and the knuckle off! Get outta here so the axel will slide out with the axel bolt on. yes its the bolt behind the wheel caps. I hope Im hearing this correct please someone verify Im not crazy lol

SINCITY192 said:

wait a minute are you telling me I dont need to take off the axel bolt to take the ball joints and the knuckle off! Get outta here so the axel will slide out with the axel bolt on. yes its the bolt behind the wheel caps. I hope Im hearing this correct please someone verify Im not crazy lol

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I can't verify that you're not crazy, but you definitely don't have to remove the shaft from the knuckle to remove the knuckle.

Shorty said:

but you definitely don't have to remove the shaft from the knuckle to remove the knuckle.

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??Pull the three hub bolts after the brakes have been removed, slide the hub and axle out as an assembly, then tackle the ball joints with it all out of the way. The axle hub and shaft must be removed to do the ball joints

Yep, shaft and hub can come out as one, no need to mess with the axle nut.

bcmaxx said:

??Pull the three hub bolts after the brakes have been removed, slide the hub and axle out as an assembly, then tackle the ball joints with it all out of the way. The axle hub and shaft must be removed to do the ball joints

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yeah, my fault-- you don't have to pull the shaft to remove the hub-- hub will have to come out to remove the knuckle.

I knew what I meant-- how come youall didn't?

I guess i broke my favorite breaker for nothing
lol, but thanks a million guys your the best I cant believe I didnt figure that one out.....
I dont even think I needed to take the nut off to change the wheel joints or did I?, doesnt matter at least I got them done.
Now on the the ball joints thanks guys!!!!!

Shorty said:

yeah, my fault-- you don't have to pull the shaft to remove the hub-- hub will have to come out to remove the knuckle.

I knew what I meant-- how come youall didn't?

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BTW shorty I knew what u meant u give to much good advice to have meant it the way u said it.... Thanks again

long story short i had to stop doing my ball joints and try to put everything back together because things went wrong for me. If a ball joint can move by its stem is it bad or good?
also the two spindle nuts that hold the knuckle on. The top one wont tighten stem just turns with it...I had to put everything together like it was spindle nut for the top of the knuckle is half way on cant get it straighten out neither so im lost on what to do..?

So you're driving around with the knuckle not tightened to the axle? When are you going to learn?

step away from the tools. take it to a professional.

JJacobs said:

So you're driving around with the knuckle not tightened to the axle? When are you going to learn?

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Im not driving around at all actually im trying to get a mechanic to come to me but the way things are looking i might have to searching for a mechanic man. I dont want to drive like this but I think i might have to to get to a shop as i dont know this area that well i dont know who's good and who isnt so...