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More truck problems: How difficult a project would this be?

N

NTB

Diamond Member
Don't you just love high-mileage vehicles? 😛 Anyway, I have a '93, 4-door, S-10 Blazer (4x4) that needs some repairs. I took it into a shop Friday and had four new tires put on it; took it in again to have a front-end alignment done Saturday morning since they hadn't had time the day before. An hour later they pull my truck out and the mechanic hands me the keys. Seems he couldn't do the alignment because the truck needs some repairs: Both lower ball joints and an idler arm need to be replaced.

Now, the place I was at said that because of the way the truck is put together, replacing any of the ball joints requires pulling all four of them out, so I might as well replace them all at once. Is this correct? Sounded reasonable to me, but then I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about vehicles 😱. I am learning though. What didn't sound reasonable was the price - they wanted almost $1,000 to do the work. A little investigation (see links below) revealed that there would be at most about $120-$150 worth parts involved, which set both my dad and I to wondering how difficult it would be to replace the parts ourselves. My dad has done this before, albeit a)on an older vehicle and b)on a Ford, not a GM. So, how difficult of a project would this be? we have access to a building in which to work, so time isn't a problem, and my dad said that he knew of at least one special tool he'd need - and he already has it. Can't remember what it was off the top of my head; I'll ask him when I see him later today.

Lower ball joint x2


Upper ball joint x2

Idler arm

Nate
 
The tools needed are a big hammer and a "pickle fork". Technically this is not too difficult a job for someone that has done it before.
However it is very labor intensive and time consuming. Plan on a full day. It might go faster, but as usual something goes awry.good luck!

I don't know what you consider high mileage and if they do need replacing. Ball joints and idlers seem to be a favorite scam for some
franchise places wishing to raise commissions, so you might want to get a second opinion.
 
Originally posted by: slewfoot
The tools needed are a big hammer and a "pickle fork". Technically this is not too difficult a job for someone that has done it before.
However it is very labor intensive and time consuming. Plan on a full day. It might go faster, but as usual something goes awry.good luck!

I don't know what you consider high mileage and if they do need replacing. Ball joints and idlers seem to be a favorite scam for some
franchise places wishing to raise commissions, so you might want to get a second opinion.
Click to expand...

uh...springs..? uhoh..that thing has CVs as well ..🙁
 
Thanks for the info guys. I found a book today at the local autozone that illustrates how to get the ball joints out and replace them. Showed it to my dad and he seems to think that it won't be that big of a project, although it will be time consuming like you said, slewfoot.

As for how high mileage, this blazer has roughly 133k on it 😛. Since I got it in April, the fuel injectors and the muffler have been replaced, the front end is out of alignment, which is how we discovered the current problem, and I just had new tires put on it. Most likely needs new shocks, too. But I've done that before; that's simple.

Nate
 
It might not look hard..it never does, but trust me, changing ball joints is not fun. You might as well start hitting your hands with the hammer and cutting all you nuckles now to get them used to the feeling.
 
I would agree that this is one of those repairs that never seems to go as easily for an amateur as it would seem to be. Nothing impossible about it though. I would recommend you have good jack stands and blocks and be very careful. You're going to be really banging away at it and if it comes off the stands it will really ruin your day. Also, the higher you can get the vehicle, the easier it will be. A lot of the reason shops can do this easier (besides having better tools and more experience) is that they can get the whole front end at eye level.

By the way, a Blazer isn't really a truck. If you wouldn't be willing to haul a load of manure in it, it isn't a truck. (On second thought, with 133K maybe it is a truck.)
 
It's not too hard.. if you have the right tools.

You will need a tosion rod release tool (can probably borrow it from Autozone).. A SHARP quality 1/4 - 1/2" drill bit, and high-speed drill to drill out the rivets that hold the factory ball joints in. A pickle fork (to separate the tie-rod ends frpm the steering knuckle), but I use a big hammer... This should be covered in decent detail in a Clymers/Haynes manual. If you want to replace the control arm bushings (Doubtful you will need to) you may have to farm those out, a press is usually needed for that operation.

I rebuilt the front suspension on my 86 Buick Regal, it was a full-day job, but was worth it afterwards, in dollars and pride of a job well done.
 
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