Ball joints...

[dhirocz]

So...here I find myself this month in the middle of 4 different projects on my truck.

On an aging vehicle I try to keep in top condition, I normally prefer to proceed with proactive maintenance and repair with a certain approach...go through an entire system and make sure it's 100%. Anal? Yes. But I reinvest some of the money saved on labor and I'm rather thrifty so it works out.

Anyway, the subject here is ball joints. I am waiting on springs for my front end, and already have a list of parts to replace as part of my 'rebuilding' of the steer axle:

-drums and shoes
-s cam bushings and seals
-s cams
-slack adjusters
-brake chambers and hoses
-both spring assemblies
-bearings, races, seals and caps
-pro torque lock nuts...ordered sockets.

I already checked parts availability on spindles, since Pete's and kw's seem to have a problem with flattening the spindles under the bearings at 700k+ apparently, which is where I am now, so I'll be checking for spindle distortion while it's apart. It has started to wander recently too so I'm sure I'll find something worn. I'd rather deal with it before it tears up my steers.

If I go as far as to pull the spindles it would be almost foolish to not put in new ball joints and tie rod ends. Tie rods are pretty self explanatory, however, my ball joints have what looks like a bolt in the bottom side to fit a socket, and seeing that they could be getting replaced, I wanted to ask you guys for any guidance that might save me some grief in replacing them...do they just unscrew from the spindle? If so...that's an odd one to me.

Also, I know on the automotive side that Moog is generally better quality than OEM. While I have no problems with the paccar stuff, I have been given replacements for other things before that don't have zerks (which I hate). Anyone have this problem with replacement ball joints or tie rod ends on these trucks?

[JMBT]

I am guessing you are talking about your kingpins. On any KW or Pete I have done the thing on the bottom is just a dust cap. You are correct, you will unscrew it, but the kingpin will not fall out. Once you have removed everything connected to the spindle and the dust caps on the top and bottom of the kingpin. There will be one or two bolts, depending on the axle model, that run perpendicular to the pin, look for them near your turn stop bolt, remove those. If you are really lucky and the bushings aren’t beat to hell, you can wiggle the spindle a bit and the pin will slide out the bottom. However usually, you have to get a drift and beat the living shi#t out of it. Support the spindle and put a 6x6 block or a jack stand under the axle eye so each blow you strike isn’t wasted in axle flex. I have seen them go both ways, slide out easy breezy, or pound until you think you are gonna destroy something and then she falls out. Once the kingpin is out remove the thrust bearing, under the axle eye, there may also be some shims, then you can remove the spindle, and start pounding or pressing out the bushings from the spindle eyelets.
As for replacements, I use the Kyser Kwik set. The kit will come with, the king pins, shims, thrust bearings, and instead of bushings, a stainless steel coil that you can slide into the eyelets on the spindle by hand, no pressing or pounding. Since it is a coil it allows grease to actually lubricate the lower bushing when you grease the truck with the front end on the ground. Eliminating the need for lifting the front end off the ground for proper greasing of the lower OEM style bushing.
I just did my brother’s 99 W9, the pins took a little pursueding with a dead blow hammer, but nothing like the “stepped” kingpins in a Volvo front end. Look on you tube and you can find some vids of guys swapping kingpins on KW’s.

[JMBT]

The tie rod should be fairly easy. I found a tie rod remover on amazon that you screw on to the bolt on the tie rod end after you remove the castle nut. Then put a block or jack stand under the spindle arm and smack the tool with a big hammer until the end drops a 1/4” or so, unscrew the tool and the tie rod is free. Otherwise you will need a pickle fork to spread the gap between the tie rod end and arm on the spindle. Make sure you index the clamps the same when you put the new ends on. On some trucks they will rub on shock mounts and u bolts if not indexed properly. When you put the new tie rod back into position on the truck anti seize the cone shaped area on the tie rod end. That way the next time you drop it you won’t have to beat the hell out of it!
I have never been offered a replacement without a grease zerk, but I have a 20K steer axle so everything is built extra heavy duty.

[Rawze]

(10-14-2017 )JMBT Wrote:  ....
anti seize the cone shaped area on the tie rod end. That way the next time
...

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.

[JMBT]

Well, difference in practice I guess. I have ALWAYS, anti seized the tapered portion on all my trucks and have never had a problem while torquing. Further I don’t believe there is any physical way that anti seizing could cause ANY sort of danger if the castle nut is torqued properly and a cotter inserted in the nut. I am calling BS on that. It only helps to remove it later, so you aren’t beating the hell out of it. Also supporting the arm on the spindle as I stated above while you smack the removal tool, KEEPs it from distorting the steering arm. I torque with a torque wrench like you not an air gun and always advance the nut to the next slot if cotter won’t fit. So there’s that.

[dhirocz]

Tie rod ends shouldn't be a big issue. They were done by someone recently, but before I got it. However, they look to be some cheap china crap, so I'm putting OEM on it.

Also doing the u joints in the steering shaft for good measure.

The ball joints are the goofy one. I've done many styles of ball joints before, but none on something like this with that nut looking deal on the bottom. Makes me wonder what is different about the procedure that an engineer decided that was necessary...

[Nilao]

Semi steer axles do not use ball joints. They use kingpins. That nut looking thing is nothing but a threaded cap to keep dirt out and the grease in.