Ball Joints

[JFAComanche6]

can I put ball joints off a 2wd front axle onto my Dana 30? There brand new and I can't sell theold 2wd axle...

[AMCJeepMJ]

The short answer is: yes. The long answer is: yeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.

 

The alternate answer is: I don't know, can you?

 

:)

[skidoo_j]

I doubt It will be worth it. My guess is when you press them out you'll damage them in some way and it won't be worth re-installing them or even if you get one out successfully when you go to press in to the new axle you'll damage it then just due to the fatigue of multiple pressings. The upper is going to be the biggest problem as you can't press on the stud to get it out if you plan to reuse it. They're not really designed to be pressed on anything beside the lip and the edge and IIRC there's not alot of ball joint exposed to press it out of the axle c. You'll have to go really slow, hope you used alot of grease when you installed them prior, probably end up using large deep sockets as press cups, and remember a big hammer will not help in this scenario.

 

 

 

Depending on where you bought them, cough cough, press them out because they're broken and exchange, although some places charge you for the replacement now and then ship off the bad for a "review" of the failure.

[Geonovast]

There is no way I would ever re-use ball joints, regardless of how new they are. You simply put way too much stress on them during removal. Considering that if they fail because you re-used them, and someone gets hurt or killed because of it, there's not even a second thought to getting new ones. They're not expensive.