subject: Ball Joint Tool - Fix Your Front End! [print this page] Ball Joint Tool - Fix Your Front End! Ball Joint Tool - Fix Your Front End!
My father always told me that you need the right tool for the job and when it comes to ball joint removal you are going to need a specialty tool. Sure you could just try using other tools like a hammer, flathead screwdriver or a small pry bar but chances are you are going to do more damage than good.
This part in you vehicle works very much like it does in your hip or shoulder. The main purpose of this part is to hold the suspension together. This is a tough and demanding job. There are a few things that can make this job even tougher. The current road conditions and weight or load of your vehicle can prematurely wear out the joint in your vehicle and to make things even worse some vehicles have two of them, an upper and a lower unit. So it has to take the abuse of the pothole ridden road and the weight of your vehicle. If you live on a dirt road, chances are you are going to be replacing your joints much sooner.
Replacing the ball joint will require special tools but with the right tools it is still considered a do it yourself type job. You are going to need to jack up your vehicle and remove the tire to get to it. I would recommend using a jack stand for safety and never get under your vehicle when it is on a jack or a stand. Once you remove the tire and get access to the worn out joint, then the ball joint tool can do it's work!
