Jeep WJ Maintenance - Part 2: Balljoints and Hub Bearing Assembly Replacement - Vortex Garage Ep. 4

[@VortexGarage]

No Music Remaster is now live here! - kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2OoaqOOoKeSjs0

[@mattp9029]

Can you update the description with the size of the bolt heads you are removing for each step?

[@carterandy7202]

i know Im asking randomly but does any of you know of a tool to get back into an Instagram account..? I was dumb lost the login password. I love any assistance you can give me.

[@daxscott6096]

@Carter Andy instablaster ;)

[@carterandy7202]

@Dax Scott I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later with my results.

[@quadpit]

These type of KZbin videos have saved me a ton of money in allowing me to do almost every service on my 2003 WJ Overland with confidence. Thank you for taking the time and effort to make this and other videos as I am one if I see the steps it makes it so much easier than following my service manuals. Will need to do front bearings on mine this Spring so I am thinking I might as well do the ball joints too since I have 130,000 miles on mine and might as well freshen it all up at once. Cheers!

[@VortexGarage]

awesome, thanks! good luck!

[@Den-tx1ml]

@@VortexGarage What kind of red grease you are using for everything?

[@VortexGarage]

@@Den-tx1ml general axle grease. I think the grease gun has a tube of Lucas synthetic grease and I have a few tubs of general axle grease as well as a mobile one axle grease tub.

[@farmboi1979]

Huh dude forgot the upper rubber boot 😂 that will suck

[@farmboi1979]

Grrr people don't use you're old pads it easy to replace them especially when you're put a new rotor on. If you're putting on a new rotor just use new pads so they seat vers old pads could have wore alittle different. By the way that front end looked it might have been the original rotor

[@genobrn8743]

Thank you, great video and close up shots. I replaced bearing hub assay’s last year when I also did all 3 rear swing arm assay’s- those original bearing hubs are a challenge- hahahaha. Excellent tip on capping the lower joint grease fitting port. I’m ready for my weekend project on the 01 GC and thanks again.

[@ericporter7303]

Thank you so much Vortex, you have made this rear upper and lower control arm job simple .I just completed my replacement job on my 2001 Grand Cherokee . If I had taken it to the shop they would've charged me $650.00 and I can do my own work so it was a pretty good Job . Thanks again Eric.

[@VortexGarage]

I'm glad it was helpful! There's a lot of jobs on the WJ and similar cars that is a fair bit of labor, so the cost gets high if you pay a shop to do it. Always feels great when you can do it yourself and save some $$! And you know it was done right!

[@Rottidog68]

Very good videos. Thanks for all the effort & information! To "lock" the front axle, I use a 2x4 cut to length. Put it on the brake pedal & wedge it against the front edge of the drivers seat. It's a must when working alone. Especially if you run wheel spacers (as I do).

[@wbball15]

Watching again in 2023

[@UNKPCRIDE]

Great video! Thank you. It helped me replace mine. Just a tip. If you are not able to get the rotor off, or just plan to replace the rotor with the wheel bearing, just unbolt the 3 bolts on the back of the hub, give it a solid hit with a sledge and the rotor and wheel bearing comes out as one piece.

[@kenandrew2557]

After watching your video repeatedly I jumped in and completed the job. Tons of help by watching you but you must be superman,, pressing those balljoints in and out takes some serious horsepower. Thanks again and excellent tutorial-

[@ronv6637]

The press is to put pressure on the ball joint then hit the axle to cause it to move,tighten/hit until loose. A impact gun can work but good chance of bending press. A heavyduty air hammer can also drive the ball joints out(well equipped shop)

[@JamesLaursen]

Thanks for this series of videos! It helped cut the time in half. I did a full front and read rebuild on my 04 WJ by watching them. Especially this one!

[@mrboots53]

Great job -- Glad to see you used a new cotter pin!

[@jamesdewer]

Hey! Thanks for doing this vid. It was informative and saved me one hell of a lot of work. I'm keeping my ball joints lubed up. I noticed when they're lubed the steering is so much more precise. There's virtually no lag between input and road feel is greatly enhanced. Again, thank you for saving me about 4 hours.

[@southbay281]

after changing my ball joints it cured my death wobble and made my steering feel tighter and more responsive. thanks for the video. the joint i got came from 1a auto and did not come with grease fitting inserts or plugs. they did come with snap ring but were not able to be used. tha threw me off a bit thinking they were not seated all the way but they were

[@zxtenn]

Just finished the passenger side axle on my 96 ZJ, replaced the axle, hub, backing plate and new hub bolts. To get the hub out I used 2 old bolts threaded in as you explained, that method works very well. Since its 20 years old I replaced the 3 bub bolts, 26.00 for all 3, it comes from NY so the typical rust underneath, old assembly was in there for 7 years and the boot was starting to crack-- Seemed easier to remove the ABS sensor because that's a tight fit

[@whizwit215]

Great vid! My 02 WJ Overland needs ball joint replacement. Now I know exactly what to do. Thank you!

[@VortexGarage]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Den-tx1ml]

whats the torques specks do you use for all bolts?

[@matteades1413]

Thank you for posting this. It's a well made video and has a lot of good tips.

[@clintegbert3405]

That was the best video ever, good job!!!

[@Macnificent78_]

I have a 2003 grand jeep cherokee will I need that angle cup for the top ball joint ????

[@OverlandTT]

Excellent step by step, my girlies Jeep needs the nearside balljoints doing but its 2˚C in the UK and no garage... Like you i'd do a talk through of what I do to help others. Her 2.7 Turbo Diesel WJ has been faultless. Good stuff!

[@sanriot2]

Hi i was wondering can you do a video. In the Front Differential of the back of it there is a valve connected a hose to it, can you reveal where does it lead to?

[@Jeepfeenz]

Hey man please go check out jeep feen'z on KZbin and subscribe for the wj build!! Thanks

[@jakegaming818]

It is the axle vent tube. It just tucks up in the engine bay... I zip tie mine up with slack for axle flex

[@jamesdewer]

Thank God I live in California. My Jeep's got 233,000 mi on the chassis and it still looks like it's pretty nice. No leaks. These can

[@jamesdewer]

Hey now, those front axles look ancient. How'd the boots manage to stay looking so crisp?

[@shanekelly9810]

I changed the balljoints in my WJ after watching this video but as I attempted to install a new CV Axle I noticed that the new one I purchased from O’Reilly is half an inch shorter than the old one. I have done plenty of research and actually went to the dealership with my VIN to get the proper part number for my axle. I have a 2004 WJ with QUADRATRAC II. The only other axle O’Reilly offers is an inch too long. With that said, I was hoping you could answer this question: Is it possible that an old worn out CV axle can appear longer than a new one because it is no longer at a “compressed length”? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to make these videos!

[@JORGECARMONASANCHEZ-w7h]

Excelent. Greatins from Costa Rica

[@subiemon]

always put a 90 degree elbow on the bottom ball joint grease fitting makes it easier to get to it!!!!

[@markcarpenter3600]

Will a 90° elbow fit on the bottom ball joint on the WJ? I was looking at 90° threaded elbow to extend the bottom zerk out to the edge of the knuckle.

[@subiemon]

@@markcarpenter3600 yes it will fit

[@AA-zm4ow]

A short c it lubricate tie rods with oil or transmission fluid .then screw the bolt closer out to the end. Grab a sledge hammer bang it softlyas straight and out it comes top one is harder i know some one has use a socket and hydraulic jack and a carpet tool as a seperator that as a butt end to hit with sledge hammer

[@Macnificent78_]

How do you know where to line the angle adapter ???

[@PB-dl5xd]

You forgot to put the boot on the upper ball joint...27:45

[@Twizter68]

Great video, but a couple sticking points; you said "maybe use a new cotter pin" or words to that effect. Never, EVER, reuse cotter pins. The bending multiple times weakens them, they are cheap to get. Also, your retainer cap for the axle nut looked pretty corroded, I may just be picky, buy any thin metal like that, that is that rusted, should be replaced; again, they are cheap at the parts store. Last point: precleaning will save you hassles taking everything apart. A good shot with some degree service and a pressure washer will make it easier to get PB Blaster, etc, into those joints.

[@russellking201]

There is one thing that I would have gone that you didn't do. Degrease (and maybe hit it with a rust inhibitor or black spray paint) the whole area before re-installing the hub. The one thing that will stop a Jeep is rust. And it will make replacing the part next time much faster.

[@VortexGarage]

I totally agree - in retrospect it was the time to do that. I definitely recommend that as a step especially as these WJs continue to age! I'm seeing more and more rusty ones and it's sad

[@lembo7792]

Why did you decide to grease the ball joints after the knuckle was installed?

[@VortexGarage]

I like to grease the joints after they are fully installed/torqued

[@diekatzefliegt]

hi, any tips for cleaning the toothed ring on the cv axle? I suspect it may be causing some kind of a chirp/squeal from my front end

[@VortexGarage]

Sorry for slow reply - wire brush may help? Also check our WJ playlist, there is a shorter video about brake caliper brackets being sources of noise. Basically the sliding caliper wears a spot in them, and it can cause the caliper to bounce around and squeal. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYa0qmSef791m5Y for that vid.

[@diekatzefliegt]

@@VortexGarage no worries! The noise for me ended up being the wheel hub bearing seal. Thanks!!

[@jackkatogh]

that victory song.... "It is extremely dangerous and could attack at any time, so now we must deal with it"

[@ochocinco2030]

Is it safe to use lube when pressing the ball joints in?

[@Webbmx7]

What size nuts are on the OE ball joints? I'm reading 23mm and 28mm but I also see various metric sizes on the different forums. I'm getting ready to knock out this repair over the weekend and want to make sure I am properly tooled up.

[@pinkfloyd1116]

Where did you get the ball joint press?

[@ChickenNoodle0404]

Mine are rust welded in how do you get those out?

[@VortexGarage]

Heat may help. Id probably try wire brushing as much off as I could, heat it a bit, maybe try some penetrating oil too. Also hitting with a hammer to break loose some of the rust bond and then try balljoint press again. Rust sucks.

[@gcgc2629]

Haha... for the axle nut washer try one of those pick-up magnet things! Comes right out without any 2-plier fuss.... ;)

[@jamesdewer]

My 2001 has 216k it doesn't look anywhere near that corroded?

[@jamesdewer]

I know. Such a rookie

[@ronv6637]

90* pick pulls the washer right out

[@s.u.6198]

my Axel is not getting in completely again. why can this happen? what can i do it seems 2cm before is in completely it is blocked

[@VortexGarage]

Do you have the quadradrive axle? If so it's possible the splines of the varilok pump aren't fully aligned. Here's a thread for the same in a front axle. www.jeepforum.com/threads/axle-shaft-wont-go-back-in.3676873/ Otherwise I would try turning while trying to seat it also maybe have someone rotate the other side wheel while doing it (jeep fully on jackstands). Otherwise I'd check Jeep Forum for anyone else that's had similar issues.

[@s.u.6198]

@@VortexGarage yes, i hat to spin the Axel Till it moved in the second line of the splines in the diff... thanks a lot

[@stevenliberadzki9160]

Isn't there some kind of seal towards the diff that has to be replaced when removing the shaft? Mine is leaking currently and is starting to get on my tire. Looked everywhere there to see if brake lines are leaking there. Nope dry everywhere on line. Oily on hub near lower ball joint and also wet from where shaft goes in. Am I correct that there is a seal there?

[@poet99999]

there is a seal inside the axle tube, but you have to remove the differential to replace it. also you might have a torn boot on your CV axle that is throwing grease

[@Jolly-Sid69]

Hi there! What sort of tool OTC did you use for the job? I've got OTC 7249, is OTC 8031 a must? I'm planning on fixing my Jeep. Best wishes, Roger

[@VortexGarage]

I have the OTC 7248 (bare press with no adapters) and used a set of Astro balljoint cups. Similar to this: Astro Pneumatic Tool 7868 Master Ball Joint Adapter Set and was able to use this ok. I recall wondering if the Jeep specific kits were any better, but I only have used this setup. That said, you don't need OTC 8031 - you may want to check out OTC 7894 which is the adapters for the Jeeps. And there are now cheaper alternatives (quality may be of concern so check reviews). Here's some links, they are off my affiliate setup so FYI on that but go to Amazon: OTC (7894) Jeep/Dodge Ball Joint Service Adapter - amzn.to/3CdoDkg Here's one of the knockoffs of that OTC 7894 kit, it's $50 cheaper - amzn.to/3xhF1wp Seems to have 254 reviews and 4.5 stars, so may be a good cheaper alternative to go with your OTC 7249 kit. Hope this helps!

[@tavo1213]

How can I know how many pounds to apply with the torquimetro? You could tell me where I can see that information?

[@Rottidog68]

Join a Jeep forum. Lots of people on them that can help with torque specs etc.

[@Adam-yg9xk]

I just changed mine out and installed Moog ball joints. After I was finished I was left with the same gap between the knuckle that you have. When i removed everything the steering knuckle was flush on the axle, is this going to be a problem?

[@VortexGarage]

mine have been great for a good long while now so should be good. some ball joints pull out a bit in addition to swiveling, the Mountaineer ones did and I thought it was a defective part until I realized they did that. so if all is installed good and torqued it's prob fine. the gap may go away when you lower vehicle weight on it. I don't recall how it looks now but mine has been just fine

[@UNKPCRIDE]

This is why I went with Mopar. Some parts are just designed for the Jeep.

[@chrisanderson4961]

How long did this take you

[@Jeepfeenz]

Chris please go check out jeep feen'z on KZbin and subscribe! Thank You

[@abuzayed6246]

O/D start what's problem

[@MichaelBurris5773]

Where did you get your 1/2 inch wrench from?

[@Jeepfeenz]

Hey please go check out jeep feen'z on KZbin and subscribe! Great wj build going on! Thank You

[@arcoeco]

Great video thanks. I'm looking at purchasing a ball joint remover kit and price determines how many cups/adaptors they come with. Any idea which size cups/adaptors you find most useful? And which brand hubs did you use? Thanks again.

[@VortexGarage]

I've used the 2 larger long ones alot and the shallow tapered on works on these WJs. i use the Astro Pneumatic set from Amazon it was under 100 for a large set. I think OTC makes a Chrysler kit that has only the ones you really need for a jeep. but I prefer all the extras and have used them on other cars and also stuff like ujoint work. Harbor Freight also sells a kit but never used. i heard their balljoint press is weak under hard use unless they redesigned it. Ive used the OTC balljoint press I have on several jobs and has been very solid.

[@VortexGarage]

I went with Timken hubs btw

[@arcoeco]

Great stuff, thanks.

[@burritomonger]

Is there a cheap version of that ball joint kit at harbor freight? Also, what size cotter is that?

[@VortexGarage]

there is but I hear the quality of the press tool is bad. you can prob rent one from the autoparts store though

[@VortexGarage]

don't recall on the cotters but I got a kit of various ones and found one that fit the axle nut. ball joints come with new ones

[@larryhenson9680]

you did not install the boot on upper ball joint.

[@VortexGarage]

It was there just hard to see how it goes through the knuckle

[@PB-dl5xd]

@@VortexGarage 27:45 there is no boot on there...

[@VortexGarage]

@@PB-dl5xd yes, there is. It's integrated in the Moog balljoint design differently and is infact there.

[@TheBassking15]

Grease or antisieze for when pressing the ball joint in?

[@Rottidog68]

Yeah. Lube them up for easier installation. Personally, I'm surprised he didn't wire brush the receivers.

[@UNKPCRIDE]

is that an anti-seize you are using on the hub? What brand?

[@Amarillobymorning777]

EXELENT JOB . GR8 video.

[@123ewq4567]

I cannot be the only person whom is not cotter pin challenged ? Just tap whatever your using to grip the loop end with ,pliers, screwdriver , needle nose , etc. with a hammer or screwdriver handle and out it slithers out. Even when it is still somewhat bent.

[@hazynpeterson4083]

good video

[@CameronDC-Grimes]

Got a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo(WJ) 4.7L V8 (4WD) that needs all 4 ball joints replaced. Been calling local auto repair shops and they are charging between $700 and $1200 for (ball joints, labor and alignment required) But when I looked online a set of 4 ball joints kit with bars and many extras is $100-$120. Online on mechanic sites they estimate it should cost $300 total for the replacement including parts and labor. ▪︎ What does everyone think a reasonable price would be for ball joints replaced? I have $500 to spend but would like to get my windows fixed too cuz they don't work.

[@lylekendall9211]

Tire size?

[@arturoviquez8133]

thanks!

[@tompattison8433]

what are the torqe specs for the bolts?

[@jwondr7505]

Ditto what Torque settings did you use for the various bolts??

[@davidcorrecaminos3064]

Gracias me ayudó mucho, un saludo

[@101Parkside]

Just a comment about Ball Joint Presses and Pickle Forks etc. Depending where you live, there are stores that you can get those tools from and use them for free. You do have to pay for them up front but when you return them you get your money back, unless of course you break them. In Canada, one location that offers these expensive tools that you as a do it your-selfer might only use once in your life is Canadian Tire. I asked them how long you can have them for and they said typically 3 days but they would likely swing 5 for you if need be. They have a fairly large assortment of big ticket tools that make doing a project like this affordable which is the point to doing it in the first place. Question - what kind of grease are you using? Thanks for the Video.

[@mrlyricsneo]

Great jop thank u

[@Jeepfeenz]

Hey man please go check out jeep feen'z on KZbin and subscribe!! Great wj build going! Thanks

[@jimmylee7382]

Great video but music is terribly distracting

[@gayoso59]

muchas gracias! ! me ayudó mucho tu video

[@gayoso59]

thank you so much

[@jamesdewer]

I was in the electrician's mate in the Navy and I know how to use all those presses and grinders etc it's just I don't have access to it, otherwise most of these repairs I could do myself. I could save a bundle.

[@fpsfein]

I really wish you were my neighbor :/

[@davdhortaramirez7635]

🙂👍🏻

[@jcstevegigs]

You’re very knowledgeable obviously and I want to watch your videos but I simply can’t STAND the music in the background!!!! It’s so distracting!!! Your videos would be so much better without it. I’m trying to listen and learn but I can’t. Would a college professor play background music teaching economics? Of course not. It’s a shame because you shoot good video and explain it well.

[@michaelfulton6662]

You guys talk awfully a lot godly just get through the video

[@michaelfulton6662]

Until you started you was doing fine until all the talkin