So got my old ball joints out (bottom one took me over 5 hours). And started getting the new ones in. Top one went in no problem.

Bottom one is not going in for crap. I put a press on it and it doesn't move. Applied heat and then pressed no luck. Tapped it with a hammer while press no luck.

Applied enough torque to the press that the press started bowing.

Now the lugs (as I found out last year) are from a grand cherokee.

Is the upper ball joint the same for the grand cherokee but the lower ones different?

I really need to get this back on the road as it is my only form of transportation atm

 

so you have a cherokee with a grand front axle? or what im confused

 

There's no differents with the ball joints on a d30 from either cherokee or grand.
I know the ball joints are a to bang out and bang in. I've done a few and they suck most of the time.
Put a ton of pressure on it with a ball joint clamp and give a it a couple wacks with a hammer if it starts going in put more pressure and another wack.

 

I'm not sure. I just know that the studs have a smaller diameter and are for a grand cherokee. Its possible that it is from a grand cherokee just I didn't think they had the CAD but mine does. >.> <.<

 

I think if you put the ball joint in the freezer it might make it easier- I think that's right. One or the other needs to be cold and the opposite one needs to be hot, but I can't remember which needs to be which. If you get it backwards it'll make it harder to put on.

 

Also, the pressing surface on the inner "C" is not level/square with the pressing surface of the ball joint. There is a tapered cup that should help with this issue. It doesn't matter most of the time, but it will help with difficult ones. HTH!!

 

So heh got it in but the adjuster nut is a hunk of rust. Cant get it apart. Need a new knuckle. Anyone in central Va have one they want to donate or sell to me?

 

maybe now's the time to go with WJ knuckles...

 

friend at a machine shop got it free.

How tight should the castle nuts be. The knuckle is still bout 3/16" away from the boot

 

should be around 75 lbs/ft.

 

Not for nuthin a a ball joint press bowing? Thats a first for me.

 

i just did all 4 ball joints today, along with a knuckle swap on my xj.
the old ones were in there pretty good, but a 7a impact worked great on the press.
getting the new ones in was pretty tough too, but with the correct adapters, they eventually sat in place but took some work with the impact.

 

I had the same issue pressing AufoZone ball joints in. I returned them and bought TRW ball joints at Advanced Auto. The TRW ones went in nicely. Good luck.

 

in my experience, when the old ones come out it is a good idea to use some brake cleaner and a green scuffing pad to clean out where the old ones sat, they reinstall a lot easier

 

I did all 4 of mine in about 3 hours, taking my time and cleaning and painting stuff. Snap on makes a good tool to do the job quickly. Getting them out and in.

I don't understand all you guys having problems putting the new ones in....I use top of the line Moog only. Better than the OE.

My 2 cents....use real professional parts, from dealership, Federated/Fisher Auto Parts, or NAPA .....ONLY. Autozone, Advanced, and so on, sell crappy stuff.