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Re: Quick, cheap, easy ball joint replacement 83 b-150?
Superbeast #222650 August 14th 2008 1:15 pm
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Reed Offline OP
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Don't worry, the arm is staying on the van.

Nate, I'm not 6'4" and weigh 300 pounds for nothing! I lift weigths and work out almost every day. Hulk Hogan could probably kick my ass, but I can probably manage to get these ball joints out.


Windows- they're what make a van worth owning!
Re: Quick, cheap, easy ball joint replacement 83 b-150?
Reed #222662 August 14th 2008 2:01 pm
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old hand
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old hand
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I'm not a big fella (5'7", 128lbs at the time), but a good breaker bar, still attached to the van, and a 2 1/2' cheater bar got mine done curbside one afternnon. Next afternoon for the other side. Always use teh 3-n-1 household oil to put them back in as you can't do it without using cutting oil...


How do you know it won't work? Have you tried it, yet??
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Re: Quick, cheap, easy ball joint replacement 83 b-150?
Natural_State #222664 August 14th 2008 2:21 pm
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Thanks for he tip about the oil!


Windows- they're what make a van worth owning!
Re: Quick, cheap, easy ball joint replacement 83 b-150?
Reed #222672 August 14th 2008 3:03 pm
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N
Supreme Master
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I'm short, but wide..5'10" 328 lbs. I would have nothing but dead weight to put behind that breaker bar. LOL!


Nate Breece
Re: Quick, cheap, easy ball joint replacement 83 b-150?
Reed #222679 August 14th 2008 4:01 pm
Joined: Nov 2003
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Be careful having a shop do the uppers. I had a shop do a set for me, and they pressed them out, ruining the a arm. I went nuts looking for another set.

When I got the new set, I changed them out myself. The socket is 3/4 drive, so I just got a 1/2" adapter and a bigass bar, and did it right on the van. A 4' pipe makes it easy work.




Re: Quick, cheap, easy ball joint replacement 83 b-150?
Boot #222683 August 14th 2008 4:21 pm
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I would've made it the shop's problem looking for A-arms. Aren't mid-Dodge upper arms the same as the ones from the 80's-90's??


Nate Breece
Re: Quick, cheap, easy ball joint replacement 83 b-150?
NateB #222719 August 14th 2008 7:49 pm
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Nope. Starting in 79 Dodge vans went to a passenger car style alignment system and the upper A-arms changed.

Got my balls joints today ($50), went and bought the pecial socket ($43). I figure that I will be able to do it for far less than a shop would have charged me, plus I know it will be done right. But with my luck the cheater bar will slip off the ratchet and bean me in the forhead right when I bear down to get the ball joint out. I will get knocked unconscious and lay there and bake in the 90 degree sun, getting sunburned, until I wake back up and try again.... WHEEEEEE!


Windows- they're what make a van worth owning!
Re: Quick, cheap, easy ball joint replacement 83 b-150?
Reed #222732 August 14th 2008 9:16 pm
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carpal tunnel
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Another trick is to warm the arm up around the ball joint pretty good with a torch and then, right as you're ready to use that socket, shoot the ball joint with freon. It'll contract some and be easier to break loose.

Re: Quick, cheap, easy ball joint replacement 83 b-150?
CatFish #222816 August 15th 2008 1:48 pm
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Torch? Freon? Those are pretty sophisticated tools! I just have brute strength and ignorance working for me right now....


Windows- they're what make a van worth owning!
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