Upper Ball Joint: Removal
- Raise and support vehicle. If frame hoist is used, support lower control arm with adjustable jack stand. Remove cotter pin from upper ball stud. Loosen nut 2 turns (but do not remove at this time).
- Remove brake caliper and suspend it from frame with wire. Do not hang caliper by flexible brake hose. Install Ball Joint Separator (J-23742 ) between the ball studs. See Figure .
- Extend bolt on separator tool to loosen ball stud from knuckle. Remove separator tool and stud nut. Center punch rivet heads, then drill out rivets and remove ball joint assembly.
CAUTION:
When installing upper and lower ball joint nuts, do not loosen nut to install cotter pin. If necessary, tighten one extra notch.