ball joint press question

[Dr mac]

So I have to replace ball joints on the wife's 2000 xj and my 87 mj .

 

Which ball joint press to purchase . I hate to borrow tools even from auto zone.

 

TIA

[skidoo_j]

So I have to replace ball joints on the wife's 2000 xj and my 87 mj .

 

Which ball joint press to purchase . I hate to borrow tools even from auto zone.

 

TIA

 

I found the cup kit from harbor freight very useful. The generic cups didn't fit aswell and found it difficult to keep them square. With the harborfreight ones they fit snug and seemed to make a huge improvement. http://www.harborfreight.com/14-piece-master-ball-joint-adapter-set-66958.html I use that set with the press from autozone.

[xjrev10]

Yep I agree. The HB ball joint press kit works great. Comes with a nice case also for around 80 buck IIRC.

[Automan2164]

Yep I agree. The HB ball joint press kit works great. Comes with a nice case also for around 80 buck IIRC.

 

This. Many kits out there at many prices, but the harbor freight one works great.

 

Rob

[skidoo_j]

Harbor freight has a 4x4 kit that has the press and like 6 cups rather then the generic 3 if you wanted the benefit of the more exact cups and press.

I'd take a new ball joint into where ever you're buying the tool an make sure it has a cup that will catch the lip of the new joint. The cup kit i mentioned had a cup that fit well when i shimmed it with an aluminum can, so it stayed centered and kept it from slipping to one side etc. It was a royal pain in the @$$ when I installed them on my brothers jeep prior to purchase of the cup kit. The generic three sucked. I ended up having to press them in from the top instead of the lip and it tweaked the walls some, how it effects the longevity of the new joint is yet to be determined.

[87Warrior]

I used the HF 4x4 ball joint press to do the ball joints on my TJ. Got it for less than $50 when I lived near a harbor freight. It was a slow a tedious job, but it worked as it should since I kept the threads oiled. The only thing you will want to do is use a flat piece of iron on one side of the press when installing the upper joint. This is to keep the press parallel to the joint and perpendicular to the hole the joint goes in. The outter C's have a bit of angle to them.

 

There are two very good YouTube videos of a guy pressing out the ball joints and installing new on an 86 Cherokee. Watch those a few times and you would have no problem.

[AMCJeepMJ]

I too picked up a HF kit to do mine. As stated above, oil the screw of the press, use a spacer to keep the reinstallation joints square, and watch the youtube videos. Use something solid for a spacer- you'll be putting a LOT of pressure on them to get them in or press them out. A tap or two from an engineer's hammer after you have the press cranked down helps to pop them out.