Vortec Lover
Behold the Beast
you guys are all so encouraging
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All those who want this, do it DURING the RCX, not after. Will be much, much easier on you.
Not sure what you all have going on, but an upper ball joint takes me about an hour. That's with a coffee break, trip to the can, watching a little TV......
I use air tools though.
Up on the jack, off with the tire, out come the cotters, zip off the upper nut, air-hammer pickle fork the joint taper (jack under the lower arm to control the release) air-hammer off the rivets and reassemble.
Lower is not much more of a pain:
Tire off, axle nut off, pop the tie rod taper, cotter out, nut loose a couple turns, pickle fork the joint (jack an inch under lower arm, it's still loaded), slowly turn nut until off, then lower jack to unload lower arm. CV axle back if needed to rotate knuckle for clearance, air hammer the lower ball joint out (or hammer or press if preferred).
Reassemble is locate lower ball joint in bore, jack underneath the new ball joint and load the lower arm, quick rap with the hammer on side of the lower arm and ball joint pops in (or use a press if preferred). Reassemble the rest.
Complete front end (4 ball joints, two tie rod ends) and ready to go back to the alignment shop is about two to 3 hours start to finish. 4 if I'm being lazy.
It's all just "nut and bolt" work, but east coast trucks get the smoke wrench for the removal phase. Not worth the aggravation trying to turn seized and rusted bits....
The right tools and practiced skills make a big difference though....
mind helping me install my lift???
how so? (in a curious way, haha)
You will have to undo all the work you did during the lift with regards to the torsion bars and their drop brackets if you do the RCX lift and then later do the relocators.
You will have to undo all the work you did during the lift with regards to the torsion bars and their drop brackets if you do the RCX lift and then later do the relocators.