I have a 95 F-250 HD 4X4 351W
So I found a right side lower ball joint( Lower king pin) that is bad. I have never replaced one of these and the Haynes manual doesn't cover it. Can I pop this ball joint out without tearing off the spindle? I have the tools and experience to do anything but it looks like it might come out the bottom of the axle arm. Anyone been here.

 

The truck should have ball joints, not kingpins (those are on '91-down F350's). You will be seperating the knuckle from the axle yoke when you remove the ball joint. It would also be a good idea to just go ahead and do the upper ball joints at the same time, since you're going to have the whole frontend apart anyways. You will neeed to remove the tie rods from the knuckles (don't unscrew the tie rod ends, just remove the whole tierod/end assembly from the knuckle), then remove the brake rotors and 4wd hub, remove the spindle (bolts onto knuckle), pull the axleshafts out, and use a pickle fork to seperate the ball joint studs from the yokes once you back off the castle nuts on top and now the knuckle and balljoints will be free of the axle and you can take them down to a shop and have the old balljoints pressed out and new ones pressed in.

 

You may want to follow this thread, it deals with F-150 but I used it on my Explorer.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=213522

It reinforces what was said above.

 

The ball joints are pressed onto the yoke. They bolt onto the knuckle. It looks like if the lower ball joint is unbolted from the knuckle then it would slide out the bottom of the axle yoke. Are these pressed in with a press or with light hammering?The lower ball joint has a C-clip on the bottom outside of the ball joint.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...g/IMG_1808.jpg

Her is a pic of the axle housing and knuckle. It looks like I could remove the nut from the lower ball joint and picle fork it out of the knuckle. Anyone know if the ball joint is pressed into the axle housing?

 

The lower ball joint come out and is pressed back in from the upper side of the knuckle. Do both ball joints while you have it apart. I bought the ball joint press, makes the job fairly easy. I found out latter the local parts store presses them for $5.00 per ball joint
I have to make sure not to tell my wife I spend $300.00 to save $20.00

 

I don't understand. Are you saying that I need to remove the whole axle housing from the leaf springs and take it to a machine shop so they can press in new ball joints? You have got to be kidding. I haven't taken an item to a machine shop since I started working on cars 30 years ago unless it's an engine bore or cam bearings. Fords have always been easy to work on. There must be a trick to this. You say you bought the bearing press so you have actually done the work. So, for sure the ball joints have to be inserted from the inside of the axle housing?

 

NO, don't remove the axle housing.

I think the problem here is we are having a communication error on the terms 'yoke' and 'knuckle'. The Yoke is on the end of the axle housing. The Knuckle is the part that the spindle bolts to, the brake caliper mounts to, and the tie rod connects to.

The ball joints are pressed into the knuckle and bolt onto the yoke. Use the pickle fork to seperate the balljoint studs from the axle yoke, then take the Knuckles to the shop to have the ball joints pressed in/out.

 

after you have removed the wheel bearingsthe hub and rotor will come off next to be removed is the spindle after the spindle is off loosen up the nuts on the top and lower ball joints i left the nuts on just flush with the thread on the ball joints then hit the nuts with a hammer this will loosen them from the knuckle then you can remove the knuckle with the ball joints in it and go from there hope this helps

 

i think you are right

everyone needs to take a minute before getting anymore confised and study these pics so we are all on the same page

http://fordtrucks.com/lc/lc.php?acti...3d800a49a3.jsp

-cutts-

 

My bad. Now I see what you mean. The knuckle will come loose from the yoke(axle housing). Then press the ball joints from the knuckle. Sometimes I am a such a knuckle head. No problem with this repair. I will price the local auto shop to replace the ball joints and maybe try my shop press to pop them out.

Thank you

 

Sounds good! Watch out for cheap junk ball joints. Get some good ones (Moog or DanaSpicer) so they last a good long time .