How to Press Out a Truck's Lower Ball Joint

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 the actual pressing out procedure for your old ball joint. What I have is my half inch drive ratchet and and seven-eighths socket. The ball joint press has a hex head on it that will either be seven-eighths or thirteen-sixteenths. What you're going to do is set your driver on the ball joint press and tighten up your drive screw, just like so. Now I won't kid you, this may take some extra muscle, some extra force. It is okay to use what they call a cheater pipe inserted on the handle of your ratchet to give you some aided leverage. We're gonna give it a try without it first. Okay, I'm gonna get my cheater pipe. I've got my cheater pipe here. I'm gonna take and tighten down our drive screw and keep going. You'll notice when the ball joint finally lets go, there might be a pretty good sound popping noise, that would be all the corrosion and rust giving out or, pay close attention right inside here and you'll be able to see the ball joint begin to move. Once you've got the ball joint going in the right direction it may be necessary to loosen your press, remove your driving cup, and use the screw itself. Which is why they designed the screw to fit it. There we go, that is the proper way to press out your ball joint."