How to Remove the Retaining Nut on Trucks

Video Transcript

"Hi, My name is Nate McCullough on behalf of Expert Village. In the following clips we're going to talk about the correct procedure for replacing your upper and lower ball joints on a 2 wheel drive, full size vehicle. In this clip we're going to talk about removal of the lower ball joint cotter pin, and breaking free of the lower ball joint retaining nut. You're going to have to pardon me for just a second, I may get in your way. I'm going to use my wire cutters or dikes or side cuts to pull out the cotter pin. Now you use wire cutters because, they have an amazing amount of grip strength in them and just because, they have a sharp edge they'll bite into that cotter pin and pull it out. Once you have the cotter pin out you can take your socket wrench, slip it on the nut, and break it free. You may have to put a decent amount of elbow grease into this to get it loose, and there we go. You're going to continue ratcheting it until the nut comes off. You don't have to worry about saving your cotter pin or the fastening nut because, they're going to come with new mounting hardware in your replacement ball joint kit. That's the retaining nut right there. That is the proper way to remove the cotter pin and the lower ball joint fastening nut."