the axel is out of a 2002 f350

what is the procedure for replacing worn balljoints, do i need a press? any links to read or advise? thanks again

Do yourself a favor and rent or buy a ball joint press from autozone or whatever. It'll cost right around 100 US, whatever that amounts to in Canada, and if you rent it, you get the money back--at least that's how autozone works. The press is basically a heavy-duty C-clamp with several fittings that allow you to place it over the ends of the joints to press out.

Also rent or purchase a ball joint seperator fork. It'll cost around 10 bucks. These will make the job go a lot easier.

Once everything that mounts to the knuckles, such as brakes and rotors and hubs, have been removed, along with the axle shafts, remove the large nuts on the ball joints. Then use the fork to seperate the knuckles from the axle housing. You'll want to have a pretty good-sized hammer for this.

You can also just beat the shit out of the knuckles, and they'll eventually drop, but the fork generally takes less time and effort and does less damage to the knuckles. Another method is to unscrew the upper castle nut till the top of the nut is dead-even with the top threads of the ball joint. Hit the top of the nut as directly as possible and it'll drop the knuckle without damaging the threads on the joint to the point that you can't remove the top nut. However, it's not the best method.

Once the knuckles are out, use the ball joint press to press out the old joints and press in new ones. There may be snap rings on the bottom of the joints, so remove them if they're there. Press out the lower joint first, then the upper. Reinstall the upper first, then the lower. Reason is you need the long bolt on the ball joint press to pass through the open hole where the lower joint goes, while pressing in the upper. If that doesn't make sense to read, it will once you try and do it.

Once pressed in, reinstall using the new nuts and cotter pin and that's pretty much it.

cool thanks bro i already have the fork, i will be renting the ball joint seperator, i will just have to see where i can rent the ball joint press i quess as well. is there a way to not have to use a press or is it nesessary? thanks again for the help

The press is necessary. With the amount of effort it takes to get them out with a press, I couldn't imagine trying to pound them out manually.

Getting them out without a press is no big deal. Its the getting them back in. I use an airhammer to knock them out then the press to install.

cool thanks guys gonna be tearing into ti tomrrow