LF tools and help near Hutto...

[rushthezeppelin]

Well I've been slowly breathing new life into my 98 GMC Sonoma 4.3l, but have come to a bit of an impasse. I'm at the point where I'm going to undertake replacing my steering linkage and ball joints, just got the parts in today. The linkage is no problem but I don't have some tools I'm going to need for the ball joints. First of course I need a pickle fork to knock then off the steering knuckle. Also the top one is riveted in (which means these things are 289k miles old ) so I need an air hammer to knock those buggers off (don't have a compressor much less tools for one). The bottom one is press fit so I need a ball joint press for that. Also I wouldn't mind an extra hand on the project (in exchange perhaps for some cold ones or something else agreeable). Is anyone nearby possibly amenable to letting me borrow some of your tools and time in your driveway on a weekend?

Disclaimer: I'm not exactly a trained mechanic but am very mechanically inclined. I have already managed to replace the driveshaft and rear diff on this truck mostly by myself with the pretty much just the manual as a guide. Luckily there are youtube videos showing alot of the steps of this job so I know what I'm getting into (and frankly it seems fairly easy just time consuming and need more tools). I accept full responsibility if I **** up this repair

 

[Dawico]

Many parts stores have specialty tools for rent or even loan.

That is all I can do for you. Good luck.

 

[Vaquero]

Ball joints ain't in my vocabulary. I don't back down from much at all, but those need presses and such.
Good luck man.

 

[Dawico]

You can grind off rivets too. A 4 1/2" grinder is a very handy tool to have anyways and cheaper/ easier than an air hammer and compressor.

 

[southtexaspilot]

My ex wife has everything you're looking for. I can give you her number. When your done, bring the tools to me!

W

 

[hink]

You don't need a pickle fork - those things are the devil. Jack up the front end, remove the tire. Remove the ball joint cotter pins. Loosen the ball joint castle nuts by a turn, then hit the a-arm adjacent to the ball joint with a hammer. The ball joints are tapered where they go through the spindle, and years of rust and crap make them hard to remove, so you're using the spring force to help you out. I use a 2 pound sledge, but your hammer swingin' skills may differ from mine. Once both ball joints are loose, put a jack under the lower a-arm to release the tension from the ball joint nuts, then take off the ball joint nuts. At this point pull the upper a-arm up and away from the spindle. Run a chain theough the coil spring and lower a-arm. Lower the jack and the tension will release from the spring. Remove the a-arm hardware and the front end is apart.

You don't need big tools to get the rivets out for the ball joints - grab a new can of wd40, a drill, and a 1/8" bit. Drill through the center all the way through the rivet. This gives you next bit a guide to follow. Then increase your bit size until you can see the inside of the a-arm hole. Insert a punch in the hole a d work the handle in a circular fashion until the rivet head comes off. Then use the punch and a hammer to push the remaining stem out. Remember to use loctite on your new hardware.

Hit the local parts store for a ball joint press - they'll probably have a tool loan program.

if you have a 4wd, use the ball joint press to release the tenstion on the torsion bar keys so you can remove that bolt, but wait until after you have broken the ball joints loose of the spindle. There's also a nut under a dust cap on the end of the spindle that needs to be removed.

While you have it all apart, don't forget to grease your new joints and you may as well replace your wheel bearings while you're at it.

 

[Gunns0902]

Try this place:

Loyal Austin DIY Shop

Let me know if they are worth towing my rig to Austin.

 

[rushthezeppelin]

Try this place:

Loyal Austin DIY Shop

Let me know if they are worth towing my rig to Austin.

I ended up being able to rent all the tools I need from AutoScone, but that place looks very interesting. Might have to check it out sometime. Reminds me a bit of the DIY machine shops were starting to see pop lately.

Here later today I should be getting to those pesky ball joints. Got the press for the lower one and I decided I'm just going to drill the rivets on the upper ball joint (they are actually pretty small so shouldn't be a big deal).

Sucks though I think I might have gotten a bunk fuel pump from Airtex, it lasted all of 30 miles before I could get nothing from it. Going to drop the tank and redo my wiring for the new harness (they "improved" on the GM harness). This time I'm going to solder that stuff instead of using heat shrink connectors and hope like hell that it was my wiring and not the fuel pump, otherwise I get to go through fun RMA stuff.