Car: 2004 WJ. 4.0L 2WD
Miles 143,000
I went in to have alignment checked and was told ball joints were needing replacing. Said an alignment was a waste until things are fixed. I do get some vibration from the right front. Pads and rotors need replacing as well. I can buy moog joints, pads and rotors and new shocks from Rock Auto for just the price of the ball joint parts per the repair quote. I priced all the parts on advance and was approx $300 more than rock auto AFTER the advance 25% promo coupon...

Questions:
1. Danger Level
Several knowledgeable (regarding other cars) friends have warned of the dangers of a ball joint repair if you don't know what you are doing. suspension spring load etc... Is that a factor on these cars? I have read a little and watched on you tube and I don't see the issue / complication. Is there anything about this job that would cause the spring to give away and kill me...?

2. While you are at it.
A: Im thinking of replacing the front hub/bearing assembly as well. While you have it off..
B: It seems like most everything else (tie rods, other suspension bits) are accessible and fixable without taking rotor / hub apart again. Maybe you would want to re-pack the axle shafts / boots or are they ok as long as boots are not torn....

About Me:
Not an expert, but do wrench a bit. On this car I have previously done: Brake Pads, Rotors, Shocks, Water Pump, Radiator Swap, Rear Diff Service, Spark Plugs, Starter Motor, EBrake cable twice, pulled rear axles for bearing / oil seal service....

Is this a dangerous suspension job / over my head? I can't really get my head around suspension design and where the spring load is a factor, but this looks simple, save some grunt work...

 

You don't unload the springs to change the ball joints, that's only on ifs vehicles. The hardest part is getting the old joints out, they can sometimes be rust welded in there, and almost impossible to get out without a torch, other times they pop right out, you will need a ball joint press of course. Changing the wheel bearings wouldn't be a bad idea, but they aren't that bad to replace later on. Since you have a 2wd you don't have any front axle boots to worry about.

 

You can probably 'rent' that from Autozone or NAPA or the like. Call to verify. The deal is, you buy it for full price as a loaner. You return it for a 100% refund. If you don't, well, they sold it. No problem for them. No paperwork hassle, no deposits. Nice.

I second the motion to do the bearings while you are at it. Not a horrible job, but what a pain to have to go all the way into all that again in 20k miles when one goes out. Once the rotor is off, the bearins are only 5 more bolts. You will need one special socket. NAPA has it. Not everyone carries it. It's a 12 point 13 mm, IIRC.

You may need a torch for the bearing bolts. Use heat liberally.

 

Do you know the difference between a 1/2" and a 13mm? A rounded bolt! Make sure you get the right one. I may be mistaken, but I believe it's a 1/2".

 

seen a lot of rounded bolts when folks try to use a 6 point socket on a 12 point bolt as well.