Help with ball-joints.

[454cid]

Yes my 93 originaly had stamped arms with bolt in ball joints, never had issues finding parts for them... Honestly rather those then these press in. Much harder to change even my axle has to come out now, didn't have to before. Half hour per side with tire off & back on if I was rushing lol.

Yes, I imagine bolts are easier. I do like the forged arms, Though. The ball joint press isn't too bad, once you get stuff out of your way to actually use it.

But yes from what i have learned in the last year the originals were what people called stamped and these new ones are forged. I got the Moog k6658 bushing kit, covered both frontward and rearward, they seemed to go in smooth enough and fit the control arms, truck and bolts nicely. I'll call the parts store tomorrow with those numbers! Thank you for the info.

Well, the later stamped arms are press in also, they're just smaller then the parts for the forged arms. Your 96 must have stamped arms, so the ball joints for it didn't fit your forged arms.

 

[Duallylife]

The 96 arms look exactly like the ones I got from the 2000, the ones in the picture. But when I order ball joints for it from the local Napa they were 45mm. When I tried 93 they said there was only a listing for bolt in ones (so for stamped arms.) If I tell them it's a 2000 they tell me 2000 was gmt800 NBS and when I ordered the bushings they were wrong so when they told me again it was NBS when I asked for ball joints I told them just order for 2004 since that's what worked for the bushings, but they were 50mm. I'll call them with the Moog part number the other guy gave and see what that gets. Hopefully get it fixed up.

 

[454cid]

The 96 arms look exactly like the ones I got from the 2000, the ones in the picture. But when I order ball joints for it from the local Napa they were 45mm. When I tried 93 they said there was only a listing for bolt in ones (so for stamped arms.) If I tell them it's a 2000 they tell me 2000 was gmt800 NBS and when I ordered the bushings they were wrong so when they told me again it was NBS when I asked for ball joints I told them just order for 2004 since that's what worked for the bushings, but they were 50mm. I'll call them with the Moog part number the other guy gave and see what that gets. Hopefully get it fixed up.

The same part is for both 96 and 2000 forged arms. I think they must have ordered the ball joints for the stamped/welded control arms. I'm betting they don't understand that both exist, and both were used at the same time.

Here are the NAPA part numbers on the NAPA Canada website, when I looked up a 2000 K2500.

https://www.napacanada.com/en/p/NCP2601475 (wow those are ultra expensive)

https://www.napacanada.com/en/p/PFE104238 (these are about the same price as I see on the US website)

Can you get parts online from Rockauto easily? They may actually have distributors In Canada. Even if not, look up a 2000 in the Rockauto catalog. You'll need to look up a "K2500", not "Silverado". You'll see ball joints for both stamped and forged, and often the measurements for each.

The GMT-800 ball joints will have too small of a taper any way.... why GM downsized that, I have no idea.

Edit: When I got NAPA suspension/steering parts in 07, they were mostly garbage. The lower ball joints weren't bad, but the tie-rods litteraly were coming apart on me, and the upper ball joints didn't hold grease very well, either. The ilder arm, and pivot are okay.... those are actually still on the truck, I think.

 

[Nad_Yvalhosert]

I studied the pic of the control arm. I've never seen a 400 with a bolt-on lower shock bracket. That's gotta be an 800...

 

[454cid]

I studied the pic of the control arm. I've never seen a 400 with a bolt-on lower shock bracket. That's gotta be an 800...

No, they bolt on. The bolt spacing is different between the 400 and 800 control arms, Though.

 

[94K3500PROJECT]

Ok so the GMT400’s got 3 types of lower control arm.
-Stamped steel with bolt in lower ball joints
-Stamped steel with press in lower ball joints. These have a forged end that is welded to the stamped portion of the arms.
-Forged arm. This is what you have.
Search parts for a 96-98 K2500 with forged lower arms.

Pic #1 are my stamped arms with bolt in lower ball joints
Pic#2 is the stamped with forged end and press in joints compared to the complete forged arm with press in lowers

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[94K3500PROJECT]

Also, Rockauto does pretty good with the listing of parts and description of what they fit.
Here’s a snapshot of a search for balljoints for a 96 K2500

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[Duallylife]

Ok so the GMT400’s got 3 types of lower control arm.
-Stamped steel with bolt in lower ball joints
-Stamped steel with press in lower ball joints. These have a forged end that is welded to the stamped portion of the arms.
-Forged arm. This is what you have.
Search parts for a 96-98 K2500 with forged lower arms.

Pic #1 are my stamped arms with bolt in lower ball joints
Pic#2 is the stamped with forged end and press in joints compared to the complete forged arm with press in lowers

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

Just and update: Thank you to every one for helping and all the suggestions! I ordered some from Rock auto and they seem to fit, got the passenger side in yesterday. I was apprehensive about rock auto as I ordered parts from them a few years back and they sucked, the floor pan I ordered for the truck seemed like they left it in the oven too late to dry the paint and shrunk it haha! It was short by about 1- 2 inches in almost all directions. The other parts were kind of crappy and they were slow and expensive. But since this post started i have ordered quite a few parts for both the 93 and 96, I'm satisfied with them this time! Parts seem decent, well priced and quick shipping!

Also @94K3500PROJECT Yea I had the bolt in style originally... Like them way better haha.

 

[Schurkey]

Also @94K3500PROJECT Yea I had the bolt in style originally... Like them way better haha.

Well, no, not really.

The original ball joints were riveted to the stamped part of the control arm. When the original ball joints get replaced, it's a PITA to drill/grind/torch/press out the four rivets. The replacement ball joint comes with bolts instead of rivets for ease of re-assembly.

From then on, replacing ball joints is fairly easy--just unscrew the bolts once the ball joint is free of the vehicle.

This isn't "new" with the GMT400. I had a '66 Chevy Biscayne, and a '66 Olds Toronado that had riveted ball joints, when they were replaced, the new joints bolted in place. I bet the riveted ball joints go back long before that (but I've never done ball joints on a '30s, '40s, '50s car or truck to have any first-hand experience.)

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Well, no, not really.

The original ball joints were riveted to the stamped part of the control arm. When the original ball joints get replaced, it's a PITA to drill/grind/torch/press out the four rivets. The replacement ball joint comes with bolts instead of rivets for ease of re-assembly.

From then on, replacing ball joints is fairly easy--just unscrew the bolts once the ball joint is free of the vehicle.

This isn't "new" with the GMT400. I had a '66 Chevy Biscayne, and a '66 Olds Toronado that had riveted ball joints, when they were replaced, the new joints bolted in place. I bet the riveted ball joints go back long before that (but I've never done ball joints on a '30s, '40s, '50s car or truck to have any first-hand experience.)

I think the GM vehicles started using ball joints in the postwar era cars( 49-54). IIRC my dad talked about doing them on his 55 Chevy Bel Air (that he got in college in the early 60s) and the process wasn't too different than on our 70s and 80s trucks and cars.