Ball joints...

[Rawze]

(10-14-2017 )JMBT Wrote:  ....
anti seize the cone shaped area on the tie rod end. That way the next time
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NEVER EVER EVER Anti-Sieze the tepered joint!. It is designed to be a friction fit tapered joint, and if you even have a finger-print on it, it will slip when trying to torque it!. -- You put anti-sieze on it, it becomes a risk that can kill someone!.

Use ACETONE to clean the tapered mating surfaces and ensure it is a dry metal fit!. It is difficult to separate on purpose!.

In fact, I have NEVER had to use an air-gun or impact gun to do the final tightening of the joint. THAT IS INSANE, IT SHOULD ALWAYS, ALWAYS BE PROPERLY TORQUED!. I have always done it by hand, and hand torqued them and never had a problem with them slipping while making the final torque adjustments when it is done right.

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Here is how I learned to do it, this was shown to me at the same time I learned to re-man a power steering unit...

IF you don't have the proper removal tool specifically designed and recommended by the manufacturer for that model pitman arm or tie-rod end...

There is no need to beat the top of the joint when removing it. it always distorts it slightly to moderately depending on how tight it was. -- All you need to do is LOOSEN the castle nut a few turns until it is only hanging on by a turn or so, then Smack the SIDES of the ARM only!. Not the nut, or the top. I always Use a pair of 4-bl hammers simultaneously to "shock" the ackerman arm from only the sides and it will drop right down from the vibration, even if they are stubborn. -- This results in NO DISTORTION to the joint OR the tie rod (or pitman arm) end and all components can be re-used if necessary. i have done this myself dozens of times when helping people here...




In all the books/procedure manuals I read on them it also basically says ...
"When installing the carter-pin after torquing it to specification, NEVER back off the nut. Only Tighten it to get the alignment form the castle nut to the key hole."

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LAST, If you have never done this kind of work,.. SEEK PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE the first time you do something like this,. Your life depends on it being 100% correct in the end. Just my word of caution towards others, and if someone tells you to just tighten the s$it with an impact and not bother to torque it properly,..-run the other way!. The NTSB would not look kindly if you did not follow exact procedure, had a front steer blow-out, the 80,000 lbs of load stress caused a tie rod joint to come apart because some butt-turd lazy mechanic used a f%KIN IMPACT ON IT instead of torquing it, and your truck crossed the highway slamming into a buss load of school children.




I am not implying that is what happened in this video, but it sends the correct message in that you should always be safe in what you do and don't give any steering components, tires, or other things an excuse to fail.