Suitable Ball Joint Press

OK, if I have one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Astro-Pneumatic-Joint-Press-Adapters/dp/B0002T5U2C

Is this enough to get the stock ball joints done? Or is the specialty products #41570 sleeve set really necessary?

If I don't have the sleeve set, how many more beers is the job?

It looks like it should have you covered with the adapters that are there. Unless your XJ is huge you will still need to use a ratchet and socket to turn it for the upper ball joint. Have fun.

The bottom ball joint is a pain, the knuckle has a slope so the press/adaptor needs to be shimmed near 1/4 inch to push straight. I had a lot of trouble with it. I made my own adaptors, I have a selection of pipe and pipe couplings in the garage. Funny none of the adaptors that came with mine were much use.
My press is really heavy duty and at times I thought it was going to explode. I guess it all depends on how bad the ball joint is rusted in there and/or if any of the penetrating oil penetrates.
I can picture bending or breaking a press that's too light. Though you may get lucky and yours may not be in there as tight as mine were.

8Mud said:

I can picture bending or breaking a press that's too light. Though you may get lucky and yours may not be in there as tight as mine were.

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I used this press on my Y2K Dakota (with IFS) lowers, which were waaaaaay tough to press in. It was so bad my shoulders ached for a week when it was done, but the press took it OK.

This Jeep is an AZ/UT car, so they shouldn't be rusted in too bad. Most all chassis fasteners I've ever removed from it came out easy. Most of them, anyway...

Thanks for the feedback.

I got mine from harbour freight and it works great for u-joints too. I haven't used it for ball joints but it is a pretty stout tool. There is alot of pretty sh&*^y tools from harbour freight but this isn't one of em
http://da.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=ball+joint

MADXJ found fault with the HF kit: http://www.madxj.com/MADXJ/technical/technicalfiles/ARadjustableBallJoints/adjustableballjoints.htm
(scroll down til you see the huge red X) The Astro kit doesn't look much different but who knows?

I think the Astro and HF look pretty close too. You might luck out because of your location, I have seen these presses bend but that was trying to get out ball joints here in New Hampster...lot of salt, lot of rust.

dizzymac said:

I think the Astro and HF look pretty close too. You might luck out because of your location, I have seen these presses bend but that was trying to get out ball joints here in New Hampster...lot of salt, lot of rust.

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I bent the holy Hell out of a HF press. Ordered an OTC via Amazon.com - in the time I spend bending the HF frame, I did all four ball joints (out and in) and was putting things back together.

Heat can help with removal - heat the knuckle, not the joint.

Coat the barrel of the new joint with never-seez so you'll save work next time. Also, coat the taper (NOT THE THREAD) with never-seez, which will make disassembly easier. Oddly enough, I may use a lot of never-seez, but I rarely use it on threads...

NOTE - if you do use never-seez on threads, remember to reduce installation torque for the fastener by HALF. The friction reduction of the never-seez makes it painfully easy to pull the threads right out/off of something...

5-90

krelja said:

I got mine from harbour freight and it works great for u-joints too. I haven't used it for ball joints but it is a pretty stout tool. There is alot of pretty sh&*^y tools from harbour freight but this isn't one of em

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That press is great for u-joints, but I wouldn't recommend it for ball joints...they're too close to the limits of the HF. DJ ruined his HF press on relatively young D30 balljoints and then destroyed mine trying to complete the job. When I replaced my balljoints this fall, I used an Autozone 'rental' made by OEM. Yes, that's actually the company name...

Yucca-Man said:

That press is great for u-joints, but I wouldn't recommend it for ball joints...they're too close to the limits of the HF. DJ ruined his HF press on relatively young D30 balljoints and then destroyed mine trying to complete the job. When I replaced my balljoints this fall, I used an Autozone 'rental' made by OEM. Yes, that's actually the company name...

Click to expand...

Yeah - that's what I went through. Mine's in the scrap iron bin - the "flying end" of the C-frame was deflected about 1/2" from where it was, and the backbone of the C is curved, rather than straight...

Dunno where you can find the OEM, but you can source the OTC through Amazon.com for about $80 shipped - and it works on U-joints as well (and heavy truck brake anchor pins, and such.)

I didn't get the Jeep adapter set - and I managed to do the job without it. One of these days, I'll have an axle torn to bits and I'll sort out which sleeve to cut, and how much (damn Jeep adapters are spendy...) Either that, or I'll work out how to do it using a galvy pipe coupling - then I'll post it up. It's on my "someday" list, so please don't rush me!

If you are looking at doing this job, spend a little extra and get a tool that works - not one "Made in China." Their steel may be US scrap and generally useful, but the Chinese haven't got the hang of heat treatment yet, which is key to making useful steel anything...

5-90

Yucca-Man said:

That press is great for u-joints, but I wouldn't recommend it for ball joints...they're too close to the limits of the HF. DJ ruined his HF press on relatively young D30 balljoints and then destroyed mine trying to complete the job. When I replaced my balljoints this fall, I used an Autozone 'rental' made by OEM. Yes, that's actually the company name...

Click to expand...

....................Ditto, just rent the Vato Zone unit. Save yourself some time, money, and a large headache.

I use the press for removal of both ball joints and installation of the lower.

For the upper installation, I use this.

Yucca-Man said:

That press is great for u-joints, but I wouldn't recommend it for ball joints...they're too close to the limits of the HF.

Click to expand...

The Astro I listed is pretty solid. The Dakota joints I used it on required my 18" breakover plus a chunk-of-pipe extension to get enough force. The C-frame was visibly deformed (and I was bracing for the big Boom), but when it was done, it went right back to it's proper shape.

My original question really had more to do with the suitability of the included sleeves and adapters to get the job done without needing extra stuff (while the front-end is all apart).

I found this press works great, not sure about the cheaper one.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42236

John's pointed this out already, but I'll add another $0.02. HF does sell multiple balljoint presses. Don't bother with the smaller ones. The good presses weigh in at 5+ lbs. just for the C.

I bought a press several years ago (spent WAY too much on it,) with the Dana adapters. Did all 4 balljoints on a D30 without airtools in under 4 hours.