well ive put an ex tranny on my y7....... but of course something goes wrong...... while doing it i fucked up one of my lower ball joints. i know you may say why did you mess with the ball joint at all. well i was just following the helms manual. in any case does anyone know how to replace a ball joint easily? without a press. i would just follow the helms but then again i did that and ended up ******* somthing up. any help would be appreciated. thanks . im anxious to find out how much faster my damn car is from the 3.52 f/d to the 4.25.

 

the easiest way i've done 'em is w/ an air hammer. it that doesn't work then go get a ball joint popper(separator, tie-rod remover, whatever it's called). make sure its the right size. the wrong size will just make thigs messier. then get a sledgehammer. just try not to miss.

Paul

 

Actually just dis this. I used a 4" puller. (The kind with the two or three claws and a screw that goes throught the middle). Convert the puller to use two claws.
Remove the rubber boot. There is a wire retainer that you have to unwind.
Get a pipe that is the same diameter as the balljoint collar and cut it to about the length of the balljoint post. I put a piece of aliminum plate over the end of the pipe (you don't want to press directly on the balljoint post, only the collar)
Put the screw part of the puller on the aluminum plate and the claws on the spindle, and start cranking.
Ball joint will back right out.
All will make sense when you start to look at it. Good luck.

 

I just hammer it out with a small 5lb sledgehammer. It's already a dead balljoint anyways.

Remove wheel
Remove cotter pin
Remove castle nut

--The following steps are to give teh balljoint enough room to pop all the way up and out--
Remove 32mm axle nut
Pop axle out of hub
Remove knuckle ring on the back of the hub
--[end]--

Put a 18mm deepsocket on it
Hammer it

At some point, you'll need somebody to help you hold the hub/knuckle assy. You might also forego the deepsocket at some point too if you it complicates hitting it.