Upper & Lower Ball Joints: Removal
WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 8 other vehicles, including the 1990 GMC S15 Pickup, 1990 GMC S15 Jimmy, 1990 GMC Pickup, 1990 GMC Cab & Chassis, and 1990 Chevrolet S10 Pickup. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
- Raise and support vehicle under lower control arms. Remove wheel. Depress caliper piston, detach brake caliper and wire aside. Remove brake rotor. Remove dust cover, cotter pin, drive axle nut cover, drive axle nut and washer.
- Slide hub and bearing assembly off of axle shaft. Separate tie rod end and ball joints from steering knuckle. For "T" Series, use Ball Joint Separator (J-34026 ). See Figure . On "K" Series, use Ball Joint Separator (J-36607).
- On all models, remove steering knuckle as previously described. To remove upper or lower ball joint, use a drill and a 1/8" (3.18 mm) drill bit to drill pilot hole in rivet.
- Drill a 1/4" (6.35 mm) deep pilot hole in ball joint retaining rivets. Using a 1/2" (12.70 mm) drill bit, drill out the rivet heads. Using a hammer and small punch, drive out rivets and remove ball joint assembly.