Upper Ball Joint Replacement 02 4Runner Questions, searched!

[RunnerUp]

hey guys, i had a split upper ball joint and was getting some nasty noises from it so i am replacing it today. problem is, i have the old one almost out i just cant figure out how to reinstall the new one... here are pics

what order do i put these rings in? and where?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/runnerup/bjreplacement001.jpg

and im assuming i just press this housing out in order to reinstall the new BJ, correct me if im wrong.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/runnerup/bjreplacement002.jpg

[RunnerUp]

and how the hell do i get that housing out? theres nothing to press against, my BFH wont pound it out, how do i get it out?

[97kurt]

You can use a 2 jaw puller to "push" it out. I went through hell trying to get mine out when I went to a uni-ball arm. What ended up working was unbolting the CV and caliper and getting the spindle far enough out that I could take an over head swing with a mini sledge.

Tip, when you go to put the new one in. Put the new one in the freezer over night.

[RunnerUp]

im using a 2 jaw puller and unless i get like a 2"x2" sheet of 3/16" steel or something the pushing part of it wont contact with anything in order to get leverage...

i really dont want to unbolt the CV, i mean, its not hard but its more than i wanted to do this time... though i will take your advice on the freezer trick.

unless anyone else has an idea ill either try the 2"x2" piece or unbolt and slam it with my 3# mini sledge.

[RunnerUp]

and if anyone knows the correct order of the way the clips work for the upper bj (the c clip and then the round thing that looks like a paperclip made into a circle that would be a great help!

[RunnerUp]

okay so i think i figured out the order, the c clip or snap ring goes on after the BJ is in the spindle to hold it in place sort of and then the round paperclip lookin thing is used to hold the boot on. PLEASE correct me if im wrong, i dont want to have to do this again... oh wait, i have to do it again on the other side, oh well, you know what i mean.

[RunnerUp]

okay question that needs an answer as soon as humanly possible!

how bad of an idea is it to cut the old housing out? im sitting out there rounding out my wrenches, not the bolt, but my wrenches with the amount of force its taking to make the housing move, and i just know its gonna go flying when it finally decides to let loose

[97kurt]

1 Bolt for the CV, 2 bolts for the caliper. 4 bolts for the lower ball joint, 1 bolt for the ABS sensor. Then you can take the spindle out and go medievil on it with a mini sledge. Its worth the 30min it will take you to put it all back together.

[RunnerUp]

lol, i love the medieval line of thinking! anyways, while i was waiting for a response, i went out there and started trying to press it out, discovered after about an hour that i had forgotten to remove the c clip, pressed it back in, and then removed the c clip and the thing almost fell out it was so easy!

so then i took about 20 minutes pressing the new one in (took a lot of different ghetto manuevering of the pullers) and then installed the new c clip and the boot and then the paper clip thing around the boot. tightened everything down to 150ft/lb and took it for a test drive, not all the noise is gone, but its def. better, so i think im just going to replace the lower bj's (much easier) and then see if its still there.

im rolling on almost 150k miles so a total front suspension overhaul is prob. not a bad investment with the amount of abuse it gets on a reg. basis.

anyways, if anyone has any questions on an upper bj replacement just post up here and ill help you out to the best of my knowledge!

[RunnerUp]

oh, and just for reference, toyota wanted 370.00 per side to do the same job i did for 50$ plus a new ball joint puller (40$). so def. do the work yourself if you know how to figure stuff out!

[97kurt]

Glad you got it out.

paper clip == cotter pin

[RunnerUp]

no... not the cotter pin, the round paper clip type thing...

[surf4runner]

oh, and just for reference,
kinda late to mention...but there was a (lower only :? ) BJ recall

[RunnerUp]

yeah it was a lower BJ recall, already had it done a long time ago...