Why You NEVER Mess With Original LOWER BALL JOINTS!!

[@nathanhale7444]

The first time I did tortion bars I couldn't get a rental tool so I made my own out of a U bolt. It wasn't until a few years later I realized how blessed I am to have survived

[@sirhcmi3]

Very brave of you working under your car at night. In my neighborhood people would be stopping to make sure you weren’t stealing the cat :)

[@MrMinuteman69]

I change the lower ballpoint on the vehicle. Unless you plan on replacing control arm bushings there is no reason to remove them. And the arm is far more solid to work on while attached. And I don't drill out the rivets. I use and air chisel and cut heads off. Then use air hammer with punch tip to drive them out. And when I don't have air I use grinder to grind heads off rivets. Then use hammer and punch to drive out rivets.

[@davidsacco4860]

Hi Jim, How I get those riveted lower ball joints out is to grind the top of the rivet with a small wheel grinder stone attached to my electric or pneumatic grinder. I carefully grind them so they are very thin on top and punch them out with a hammer and 1/4 inch punch. I found this to be much easier than trying to drill them out and trying to center the drill bit so it doesn't damage the holes in the control arm. I keep the control arm on the truck letting it hang down supported by a jack with a 2x6 piece of wood under the control arm. You have to remove the upper control arm and the drive shaft and steering knuckle also. Some penetrating oil helps also. This may not work for every vehicle depending on how much clearance you have, then you have to remove the control arm from the vehicle. Good advice on the OEM torsion bar clamp tool, and marking the orientation before removal. You want something heavy duty when working on torsion bars. Good video.

[@walterkersting9922]

Driving them out, is harder than wood pecker lips.

[@x-man5056]

You did good on the torsion bar keys Jimmy. The only thing I would've added would be an admonition to never attempt to adjust or R&R torsion keys with the weight on the wheel you are working. You were already on stands. ALWAYS have the weight off of the torsion bar before to touch the key with a wrench. If you don't have a stout bench and huge vise, DO NOT remove the whole front steering/suspension assembly in one piece like Jimmy did. Take each piece apart on the vehicle. The vehicle will hold those large heavy pieces to assist in dismantling. Smarter, not harder. The chrome will be chipped of the large socket with use with impact and wrench it may shatter. For larger sockets always by a impact socket, it will work everywhere the chrome one will. Get a brass hammer for this work. Never strike hardened steal with a steal hammer. A rubber mallet looks like a comedy routine. DO NOT DRILL OUT THE RIVETS. Cross cut an X in the bucked side of the rivet with a cutoff wheel and use a hammer and chisel to knock rivet head off, then knock them out with a punch. Drilling them is more difficult, time consuming and fraught with risk (miss-aligning the hole and damaging the mating surfaces and holes), no matter how much you love the drill or drill bit. This whole drilling thing is silly. You aren't removing a panel from an aircraft here. Chassis work is dirty, heavy, and fasteners have much higher torque. ANYTIME you work on anything under a vehicle, except for changing oil, use real mechanic's gloves, not your wife's hair dyeing gloves. If you must wear gloves to hold the blood in rather than protection, use only Nitrile gloves, they are more robust than the silly things Jimmy is wearing for this job (Latex), but they offer little protection for your knuckles. Wear safety glasses under there also.

[@davidsacco4860]

Very good advice.

[@fredc8618]

Pin this comment!!!

[@justinpass8154]

My 89 Chevy was 2wd had press fit ball joints. Realized after a bit of research only AC Delco, Mevotech and Proforged had ball joints that only fit the factory control arms. Decided on Proforged fit perfectly. As a reminder remember if rebuilding the factory lower control arm on 89 up Chevy 2wd trucks with press fit ball joints make sure you get lower ball joints that fit factory control arms not aftermarket control arms.

[@jamesgehris757]

Doing maintenance in a white t-shirt.....legendary!!!!

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Air Hammer Works Amazing with a Chizel bit for Large Rivets for suspension components alot faster then drilling and Hammering by hand @1Road

[@michealrobinson]

Heck yeah! A good suspension air hammer is a beautiful thing! Not one of those cheap body air hammers.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

@@michealrobinson yep

[@Bore_Punch]

It probably would have been easier to leave control arm on the truck so you’re not having to hold it while you work on it

[@oxygenium92]

Or having a vise.

[@prototype9000]

Allot of these youtube mechanics are severly lacking in common sense

[@AdamantineAxe]

yeah, you put a stand under the lower control arm and drop a bit of the trucks weight on it, loads the spring up so you can leave all that alone

[@coodapop1535]

I hate to see what he does to put new brake pads on

[@proofofpurchase747]

This guy scares me. I hope his family does not ride in that thing.

[@Michael-jp4oh]

Jimmy, those torsion bar crossmembers are notorious for cracking on the top just above the torsion key arm. No new ones are available but you can have a metal plate welded to the top corners to reinforce them.

[@bartbarnett2811]

While this is true honestly I've only seen it with trucks that have the key turned up or heavy abuse.

[@justinpass8154]

Remember the Sunoco sticker thing if they see it on truck you get a free tank of gas? People would checker board thier truck with em 😂 I say checker board the your truck with 1R stickers!! 😁🤣

[@erickvallad4189]

I think that the Sunoco's marketing manager will be fired right away this days

[@patrickgargis2249]

I had riveted in balljoints on my 04 Silverado. And they were absolute hell to drill out and use an air hammer. I had better drill bits than most people could get

[@LangelXIVXO]

The Lca on the AWD astros will also fit the k1500 and moog makes a complete replacement

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Always Use Grease Or some kind of fluid like wd 40 or cutting fluid on the threads of press tools like the Torsion bar press will make the threads last longer @1Road

[@AdamantineAxe]

I've always preferred anti-seize for forcing-screw threads. If the load force is high enough to break the surface tension of the oil the soft metal is still present. Anti- seize is more technically anti-gall imo

[@the1andonly]

Good job. I have a similar one coming up on my 1989 pickup. Watching you is almost as good as doing it for learning the process.

[@shoes121255]

Need to be using that bench vise and get yourself some cordless impacts. I have the kobalt 24v line and am very happy, right angle 3/8 impact, small regular 3/8 impact and the BIG 1/2" drive impact. Worth every penny. Husky impact sockets are a great value as they're made from cro-mo steel not the inferior cr-v steel

[@Ghandisgarage]

if you are lifted, which judging by the rough country upper arm, you are. install the upper ball joint on the lower side of the control arm, it will help correct your camber.

[@motokev2727]

My 2004 Sierra has 275k miles with original ball joints. They're still nice and tight.

[@MM_in_Havasu]

Excellent tutorial on lower ball joint removal, as I have a 94 Suburban K2500 w/156K miles on it and may need to do this same job at some point. All good stuff, thanks, Jimmy!

[@1RoadGarage]

Thank you for the comment! 👍

[@reecelynch3522]

I attempted to remove the torsion bars out from my 94 k1500. Those suckers were rust welded in and required me to cut the crossmember and torsion keys to remove. Air hammers and c clamps did nothing. Beware doing this on a northern truck. you might end up replacing the torsion bar/ key.

[@29madmangaud29]

Good idea, in just a minute some shop will get that thing popped out, and the new one popped back in!

[@jrdreinke1]

I live in Wisconsin and it hurts my soul to see how easy this was for you.

[@laszlovona]

nice Makita commercial.. Hint2: you would not beleive but every 220V,.900-1200 Watts drill works just like this one did. Hint2: A drill press would have been more safe and less of a hassle.

[@craigyarmulasr1845]

Keep up the good work on your truck. I plowed with my Dodge and had to replace the ball joints every other year. Harbor Freight always had the tools I needed. As for the stickers I'll take one.

[@myinfo3406]

A grinder works way better on the rivets for the lower ball. Use a punch with a good hammer.

[@1RoadGarage]

Noted, thanks!

[@guitarguy3221]

Mine were unable to be punched out. Looked like part of the ball point flange

[@zoefaith120]

It's so cool how tough some parts are. For bring in there cast .20 plus years for certain parts.

[@stevieraymac774]

Well, EXCELLENT WORK, EXCELLENT VIDEO 👍, You always put Safety First and that's AWESOME 👍

[@Pantherforlife]

Getting ready to do the upper control arm my Lincoln town car. Bought also a ball joint press kit, it's much better to buy your own tools. Love your classic truck and thanks for showing the tools you used.

[@8Cylindres]

I love your videos, I own a 06 Silverado and I use them to maintain mine, greetings from France bro!

[@1RoadGarage]

Hello to you! Thanks for watching and glad you’re enjoying it!!

[@MrBowNaxe]

Love this series Jimmy! But, for the love of God mount that vise and use it! I'm waiting'til the end before I start doing my front end... Can't wait to see what's next. P.S. How do I get a sticker?

[@lugnutgmc]

I like the in depth explanation of the torsion bar removal. I did not realize that there existed a scenario where those keys would actually separate from the bar. While in the process of frame swapping a GMT 800 truck, I've only been able to remove 1 out of 4 of the torsion keys between the 2 trucks. I think I'm going to have to torch the keys off. One truck is an 06 and one an 2010. Both much newer than the GMT 400 in this video.

[@MrCrsv82]

How “not” to do it video… still fun to watch.

[@ocavant]

The first thing you should do is go out and get a factory service manual. That way you know how to take it apart… The right way. With that said all us self taught mechanics have done exactly what you have done. Next time take a thin grinder and cut slots in both sides of the rivet heads In a cross pattern, then take a chisel and a big hammer and cut the tops off you’ll be done in 10 minutes.

[@JamesBrown-rm2rd]

next time use your impact, with a flat chisel bit to take the head off the rivet, the use a pointed chisel to punch the rivet out really easier that way.

[@turq57nomad]

I did this job on my 94 k2500 burb. It’s a pain in the ass! I powder coated original spindles and upper and lower arms. I did the same ball joints too. It has been about a year, I’m in idaho and live down a dirt road. So far they seem to be holding up. Love your channel, you’ve helped me out a lot.

[@canyon.county208]

Hell yeah, IDAHO 💯💯💯

[@LonersGuide]

I have a Milwaukee 1/2" VSR Magnum I call the Wrist Breaker. The motors in drills like that are very torquey and they're geared down to be practically unstoppable. Besides one-handing it, the other mistake you made with the drill was not clamping your work piece down--that's just asking for trouble.

[@amdstrollo3074]

Love your videos man, your channel deserves to be way bigger than it is, keep at it!

[@1RoadGarage]

Thank you!!

[@danglenn569]

I always enjoy your stuff man

[@pigpen74]

armchair quarterback here , for the life of me , I can't understand why you didn't secure the control arm to your table while drilling out those rivets. Ask your wrist for a second opinion. Rock on dude.

[@kstricl]

I Def like that control arm design. My 95 has the press fit - I still need to go measure the diameter because 2 different sizes from what I've looked up. I bought a ball joint press which is just as beefy if not more so than the oemtools torsion bar tool, might work.

[@mr.schwartz2090]

My 94 k1500 has bolt in ball joints. Was 94 the last year before they converted to press fit?

[@kstricl]

@@mr.schwartz2090 Rockauto still has them listed for 96, so guess not.

[@mr.schwartz2090]

@@kstricl Thats odd, maybe someone with a 96' can chime in

[@kstricl]

@@mr.schwartz2090 I worked at a parts store back when these trucks were still relatively current. Some of the wierdness associated with parts selection makes a guy shake his head. The worst is something like "and did it come with a cd player or cassette?" and the customer is wondering "what does that have to do with a rear wheel bearing?" Car engineers really need to spend 5 years wrenching on existing models before they ever get to design anything.

[@mr.schwartz2090]

@@kstricl Thats funny, always wondered why some of the questions were so left field but figured there must've been a reason even if the parts guy didn't know it. Being relatively young and working on mid aged vehicles more and more Im starting to see there is not always a rhyme or reason. And to your point that Scotty Kilmer guy gripes about how hard engines are to work on nowadays, its like the engineers haven't set foot in a garage.

[@rickn.7298]

what was the torque specs on the bolts to the lower control arm?

[@TheShmeebitdog]

I’ve done tons of those lower control arms not once have I had to use a torsion bar tool I just paint the adjuster bolt so I can return it to original position unscrew it till the torsion bar is loose enough to move by hand (has no tension on it) then I paint a mark on the lower control arm and torsion bar so they are realigned properly when reassembled and remove the lower control arms rebuild and re install no point in paying money for a tool that’s not needed

[@alanboydston8472]

Thank you Jim needed to see this and we’ll done I have a Chevy Silverado k3500 same front needed to see before I tore into it great info on torsion bars thanks a lot

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Love the Stickers Jimmy

[@fauxque5057]

As I got older I got lazier. Now days I buy replacement arms that already have the ball joint and bushings installed. Pull off the old arm and slap in the new one and I'm done.

[@canyon.county208]

Not lazier, you just started working smarter🎯💯 I'm 25 and I do the same thing just did a full front suspension job on my 2000 suburban k1500

[@kenc.9067]

They don't make replacement arms for those trucks, and OEM ones are discontinued. Salvage yard only.

[@darrylmccorey9646]

Glad your hand is ok,must use both hands holding the Drill 🗜️🔧🧰

[@hectormartinez129]

What you need to do is swap a straight axle Dana 60 . You will never have any problems

[@jamescrow8999]

There’s no need to remove the cross member. When you remove the bolts that hold the lower control arm you can just slide the control arm off the torsion bar. Leave everything attached remove the six half shaft bolts and half shaft 36mm nut push the half shaft shaft outward and downward. Leaving the upper control arm to hang with the steering knuckle and brake assembly.

[@russellstephan6844]

Way back, I thought I would be finally considered arrived when I had a full complement of 1/2" SAE and metric impact sockets and air tools... Then, I decided to obtain a full complement of 3/4" sockets and air tools. Which, of course, required a full upgrade of the air plant and air distribution infrastructure... It never ends.

[@jameshatch3996]

The proper way to check the condition of ball joints is to take a prybar between the knuckle and the joint and take note of up and down movement. You can also pull up and down on the lower control arm and feel for movement. The ball joint that you took off seemed to be functioning as normal. It supposed to be able to spin and pivot. It is a joint, after all.

[@kennethheying7845]

I avoid the problem of the drill bit grabbing by putting it in reverse with a new bit. Cuts well.

[@wallace3953]

This is a great video super good on the torsion bar and great work with a real drill...GET A BIG VICE you need one to be SAFE!

[@29madmangaud29]

Hell yeah Jimmy, I'd want one of each, so......... "how" do we make this happen?

[@guitarguy3221]

So I bought a 100$ kobalt corded drill and still had to stand on it to get thru my control arms. A drill press with quality bits would be ideal for these (if you can balance them right). I got it done by shaving off one side of the heads with a grinder, then punching the center of the rivets, then drilling them out with a bit same size of the rivet. On my 2002 sierra 2wd they were impossible to punch out by grinding off the heads & setting the ball joint on fire. Extremely tight inside the ball joint itself, not really the control arm

[@SFCRambo60]

You should have placed that lower control arm in a vise so it's not walking around and possibly brake the drill bit.

[@1RoadGarage]

I should have. Don’t have my vise set up yet.

[@photondebuger45]

Wonder if an air hammer well a big one really would just sheer them and then right pop them out.

[@toddrhine7648]

Great video! So how is that ballpoint working out for yah? Where is a guy to go and get these?

[@Lucky13tiki]

How have those ball joints been doing? Ive heard mixed reviews on those ttx

[@jacobsanchez2627]

How did the mevotech ttx ball joints hold up?

[@user5.56]

atleast your still taking things apart without the right tools.. some people buy tools as they need them some buy everything & hope they have them when they need them but usally never use them.. im not sure what is better way lol.. i suggest going to garage sales etc for large sockets & wrenches

[@tonyb1968]

I put those ball joints on a Promaster van. They lasted about 6 months. Grease doesn't matter when they use crappy chinesium.

[@jimstratford4577]

What brand do you recommend

[@tonyb1968]

Factory original lasted the longest. I'm still looking for something better. These looked great, I thought they would be good.

[@matt_queso]

7:31 What tie rods are those? Looks super beefy.

[@joshc6080]

First thing I seen. 🧐

[@williamcunha9136]

Have been happy withe the Mevotech parts?

[@michealrobinson]

Jimmy, I think it's long past time time to invest in a good bench vise. Would save you so much headache. Just saying. I have 2 myself, a small one and a big one. Those little stickers are pretty cool looking!

[@BigRed1151]

How are those Mevotech ball joints holding up 2 years later?

[@marcusaurelius7472]

How long did you txt ball joints last?

[@stevecooper8121]

You can get moog lower control arms with the ball joint on it for a $113 bucks, no drilling and risk of a broken wrist or making holes to big. In my opinion.

[@albertrivera5443]

How many pounds of torque on those new ttx bolts into the arm?

[@williamcarrington3087]

Use wax on your drill bit..keep them sharp. Good video.

[@homepc1826]

how are the ball joints holding up ?

[@joekni2002]

How are those TTX joints holding up?

[@mannysalinas4295]

How are the mevotech lower or upper ball joint holding up?

[@BakkaGaijin]

Jimmy, you be you but this is a great cautionary tale as to why you leave the arms on the vehicle to remove the joints.......or mount the bench vise :) I really, really enjoy the content.

[@wolfhound1a]

Air hammer, with a punch and chisel adapter. BOOM!! Nuff said.

[@Ascendedninja6]

Is this the thing that makes a popping noise when I go over bumps?

[@localenterprisebroadcastin5971]

Just replace the WHOLE CONTROL ARM…sometimes it’s the same price as the ball joint and bushings 😂

[@vettrious]

Not always available especially in these times...even if they are, they won't have grease fittings or they tell you they do and they don't when you get them.

[@markwoten6679]

What size of bolts did you use to attach the ball joint.

[@alejandrotudonmanriquez7702]

Are the mevotech ttx good?

[@drigard3415]

How do i get a stcker, id love a glow in the dark one

[@bobbysuazjFhvcfgh]

Jimmy if u love impacts then it’s ok to use them more often. Nobody is going to call cops on you. Also it’s really hard to see people wrench when impacts are available 😂😂

[@artpatronforever]

Moog Federal is a good replacement for the OEM

[@nathan999455]

I just used a bottle jack to do my torsion bars lol

[@Monza62000]

good job

[@MartinX192]

I have never removed a lower control arm just to do ball joints. Made a simple job complicated 😅

[@MartinX192]

Also I have never used a tool to remove torsion bars no idea it even existed

[@bwagenberg]

Did you replace the rivets with nuts and bolts or similar?

[@BakkaGaijin]

The MevoTech comes with the mounting hardware. A little C bracket with 4 threaded studs that goes through the arm and nuts to fasten it.

[@walterk1221]

Someone please buy Jimmy a vise!

[@1RoadGarage]

Haha! I have one. Just haven’t bolted it down yet.

[@walterk1221]

@@1RoadGarage 👍

[@Pantherforlife]

@@1RoadGarage I know what you mean, life kicks in.

[@slams777]

What did it cost for the rebuild ?

[@vcmdpropulsion126]

what would be the price on that job?

[@ronsmith7739]

Sometimes wonder why car companies make things difficult to assemble and disassemble parts. There has got to be an easier way .

[@RayleighCriterion]

I wonder if that lower ball joint just needed more grease and wasn't actually bad.

[@tvviewer4500]

You can just use a long bolt through the hole to hold the torsion lever and it will cost like $1.50

[@canyon.county208]

How do we get a sticker?

[@Herbertti3]

Shows of massive ball join tool, proceeds not using/needing it. lol

[@TheFuzzy0ne]

Almost 20 minutes of video and I'm still unsure why you NEVER mess with original ball joints. :)

[@SilverBullet93GT]

1:38 that's what she said 2:58 that's what he said

[@mmpiforall5913]

Jimmy you never said "Why You NEVER Mess With Original LOWER BALL JOINTS!!"

[@aidenstefanson2175]

Bullet dodged taking those lower control arms to someone else for the bushings. What a nightmare getting the old ones out.....

[@Andy1416]

The front end of your truck, is looking great so far!!! I would be definitely interested, in a few of each type of sticker if possible?

[@matthewholzinger1042]

Cordless tools are wonderful. But being a hobby mechanic and not professional I just can't invest in cordless. I don't use the tools enough for the cost and needing to keep charged. I'll keep my corded and air tools till I can wrench no more.

[@gregbrightman1205]

🤣Chevy!!! what a fucked up set up