ocbinva Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I am a new to Comanche's. Owned wranglers and Willy's in the past. I traded a K5 blazer for it. Blazer Rear end blew and they guy had one. I had to reinstall the distributor (in wrong) and I fixed the shifting issue with a new TPS (THANKS TO THIS SITE!!!). Wiring issues to the rear all fixed now also. Off course floors (in the spring) My new question is it just failed state inspection for ball joints. Repair guys all want around $400 in labor alone to change them. Haynes will not even show how to do it. So long story shorter....How much pain is the ball joints to do ? Am I better off paying the $400 or renting the hand press? I seen a couple Youtube videos but not sure if they are showing all the steps. Any insight is appreciated. Rick Here is what she looks like... https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fjpbP8dhIbwlKSYKXkUz3V6X4Hc1aoD-asBy7TvOnp8?feat=directlink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I replaced the ball joints in my TJ last year (same as an MJ). I used these videos as general instruction for the procedure. The process is not hard, just very time consuming. I used the Harbor Freight press as well. $400 isn't a bad price to install these, but you can do it your self. Spicer brand is the stock replacement for ball joints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 not to scare you off, but I took my MJ for inspection a couple years ago to Merchant's Tire (they mounted the 35's for me, and I take the wife's car there for tires so I figured they kinda knew me and wouldn't try to bend me over on the inspection). 20 minutes in and the service writer comes out and says everything passes except the driverside upper BJ. Funny, becuse I just rebuilt the whole axle (but not the BJ's and installed it under the MJ about a year beforehand). I asked him to quote $$$ to repair and how long it would take, to which he says "around $100, and about 30 minutes". Noticing a sign on the wall that said no repair would exceed 10% of a written estimate, I ask him to kindly write the quote on the ticket and sign it....which he did (it was early and they didn't have much work in the shop). I settled into the waiting area with a cup of free nasty coffee and start watching a rerun of the Brady Bunch on the tv in the corner. MJ is in the first bay right outside the glass-walled customer area. 45 minutes later I see one very pizzed off mechanic call the writer out and they get into a lively conversation about the intracacies of a 20+ year old D30 ball joint that wouldn't budge. By now the place is filling up, and there are two mechanics working on my rig...cold chisels, dead blow hammers, presses, and then out comes a cutting torch. I finish my second cup of rotgut coffee and get a pack of crackers from the vending machine, Brady Bunch goes into a second episode. Service writer gets called back out, more conversing ensues. A third mechanic joins the party, a cutting wheel appears and sparks fly. Upper ball joint has been cut through. I am aksed to come outside for a consultation, and I learn that they plan on cutting the lower BJ off with the cutoff so they can get the knuckle off to press out what's left of the upper one still in the C. (I should mention thaat they already tried to get the axleshaft out but had even less success with that). I told them in no uncertain terms that they could do what they had to to get the lower BJ out but I was only going to pay for one upper BJ, no more, no less. They asked me to leave the area. Another HOUR goes by and the writer comes out to me with the clipboard. They ended up getting pretty smart pretty fast and got the remants of the upper out and a new one pressed in without damaging the lower one. I ended up paying the $100 quoted plus the $12 for the inspection and drove away, laughing so hard I could hardly steer. They had about 20 customers waiting for service work by that time. Sorry, it's a slow day at work.....thoght I'd share a funny story :) Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocbinva Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 Wow...Thanks for the Tips and the story. Well to me $400 for labor is not unreasonable but yet I do not have a chance to get familiar with the front end by doing that. Plus who knows what else they will find. Pep Boys wants $650 parts and labor, The good ole boy down the road wants $522, I just do not know yet what brand of BJ he plans on installing yet. If I do it I can check hubs, brakes, and tie rods. Yet its getting colder, The house I got has no garage and I have surgery in 2 weeks that will stop all work for a few weeks. I just want to get past the inspection so I can make it a drivable project. I have my Durango and bike but I always have at least one project to keep me amused. Everyone keep the ideas coming. In the spring there will be a lift and a frame ON restoration going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimoshel Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Just shows the value of "getting it in writing." Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue XJ Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Don't take the hub nut off, just remove the three hub bolts on the back and pull the hub out with the shaft still attached. Press the upper joint out first, then the press 'bolt' can go through the upper ball joint hole when doing the bottom one. I've done them quite a few times (about 8) they aren't that bad, first time will probably take a good 4-5 hours to do all 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffN Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 spend $70 at Harbor Freight and get their ball joint press, makes the job simple and you can put it on craigslist once you are done with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comanchedude Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Get the press, I use it for u joints also handy tool. the ball joints can go fairly easy or they can be a MF ya don't know till you get started.. but you can save a lot of cash doing it yourself. you will be surprised how fast the 400 becomes 600 to 800 at the shop after they mark up the parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue XJ Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 spend $70 at Harbor Freight and get their ball joint press, makes the job simple and you can put it on craigslist once you are done with it. Just rent the one at the parts store. Every store around here rents them, its like a $100 deposit, but you get it all back when you return it, just make sure to ask what their time limit is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cody4359 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 i replaced upper/lower ball joints on my 96 xj 3 years ago. took 3-4hrs if i rember right, but total cost was less than $100. i just used the free rental at schucks since i bought the joints there. to me $400 is more than i would want to pay, but you know your abilitys and tools you have to finish the project if you run into problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Sounds like you need to make some friends........lol For $500 I'd just buy a donor and swap the whole damn D30 then save your original and rebuild the whole axle at your convenience. Rape the donor and scrap it and get your money back. Yeah yeah I know........But I take the long way around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue XJ Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Sounds like you need to make some friends........lol For $500 I'd just buy a donor and swap the whole damn D30 then save your original and rebuild the whole axle at your convenience. Rape the donor and scrap it and get your money back. Yeah yeah I know........But I take the long way around Yes, because any complete jeep you buy for $500 is going to have ball joints that are in better shape than your current ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camjeep3 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 You say this is a project vehicle and you have something else to drive? :wrench: get under there and get familiar with it! you will learn so much about your truck, save money and bust a few knuckles in the process! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocbinva Posted February 25, 2012 Author Share Posted February 25, 2012 Well the Youtube video helped but I just do not know why the repair maual says take to dealer. It was time consuming but was very straight forward. Anyone with average skills could easily do it with a couple wrenches and rental tools. For everyone who commented, Thanks!...Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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