Replacing Ball Joints what do I need to know, any tricks?

[ESOX]

Hello everyone reading this, hopefully someone can help. You always have in the past. Because of everyones help and posts on this site I have saved thousands of dollars fixing those minor little things that go wrong, axcel seals, starter, power window, fuel filter, brakes, hot feet, weird rattle from the dash, gas gauge, the part that distributes fuel to all the cylinders. I think I named them all. But with the long weekend I am going to attempt to replace the upper and lower ball joints and put on new shocks while I am at it. I have never done it before and I only have the one car and friends are far away so if I screw something up or need a special tool I takes a while to over come those problems, so I want to make sure I have everything I need before I start the job. So my question to all who reads this is "Please tell me what I need to do to replace the ball joints and what tools I need to make the job go smoothly?

Your help is always appreciated.

[HenryJ]

UPPER:
1. Raise and suitably support the vehicle with safety stands.
2. Remove the tire and wheel.
3. Unload the torsion bar.
4. Remove the wheel speed sensor wiring harness bracket and brake hose bracket mounting bolt and nut from the upper control arm.
5. Disconnect the wheel speed sensor wiring harness bracket and brake hose bracket from the upper control arm.
6. Remove the cotter pin from the upper ball joint retaining nut.
7. Remove the upper ball joint retaining nut.
8. Using a pry bar, placed under the upper control arm and on top of the frame, pry upward.
9. With the aid of a helper, carefully hammer on the steering knuckle in the area of the upper ball joint stud in order to release the stud from the steering knuckle.
10. Disconnect the upper ball joint from the steering knuckle.
1. Place a block under the upper control arm to keep the control arm and the steering knuckle out of the way.
2. Suspend the steering knuckle to prevent straining the brake line.
11. Remove the rivets from the upper ball joint.
Use a 3.175 mm (1/8 in) drill to cut a 6.35 mm (1/4 in) deep hole in the center of each rivet.
12. Drill the rivet heads away using a 12.7 mm (1/2 in) drill.
13. Remove the rivets using a pin punch.
14. Remove the upper ball joint.

Installation Procedure
1. Install the upper ball joint to the upper control arm.
2. Install the upper ball joint retaining bolts and the nuts.
Tighten the upper ball joint retaining nuts to 23 N·m (17 lb ft).

3. Re-install the upper ball joint to the steering knuckle.
4. Install the upper ball joint to steering knuckle retaining nut.
* Tighten the upper ball joint to steering knuckle retaining nut to 83 N·m (61 lb ft).
* Tighten the upper ball joint to steering knuckle retaining nut in order to align for the cotter pin. Do not tighten the nut more than 1/6 turn.
5. Install the new cotter pin to the upper ball joint stud. Bend the pin ends against the nut.
6. Connect the wheel speed sensor wiring harness bracket and brake hose bracket to the upper control arm.
7. Install the wheel speed sensor wiring harness bracket and brake hose bracket mounting bolt and nut.
Tighten the wheel speed sensor bracket and brake hose bracket mounting nut to 24 N·m (18 lb ft).
8. Load the torsion bar.
9. Install the tire and the wheel.
10. Lower the vehicle.
11. Inspect the front wheel alignment.

LOWER:
1. Raise and support the vehicle.
2. Remove the tire and wheel.
3. Unload the torsion bar.
4. Remove the wheel drive shaft.
5. Drill a pilot hole in the lower ball joint rivets using a 3.175 mm (1/8 in) drill to cut a 6.35 mm (1/4 in) deep hole in the center of each rivet.
6. Drill the rivet heads away using a 12.7 mm (1/2 in) drill.
7. Remove the rivets using a pin punch.
8. Remove the lower ball joint from lower control arm.

Installation Procedure

1. Install the lower ball joint to the lower control arm.
2. Install the lower ball joint retaining bolts and the nuts.

Tighten the lower ball joint retaining nuts to 23 N·m (17 lb ft).
3. Install the wheel drive shaft.
4. Load the torsion bar.
5. Install the tire and the wheel.
6. Lower the vehicle.
7. Inspect the front wheel alignment.

[Walt]

Shocks on the rear are easy. Just slide under the truck and unbolt the old shocks, and bolt up the new ones. On the front, I would strongly recommend removing the wheel/tire to change each shock. It makes things much easier.