Are the upper ball joints actually part of the stock Xterra upper control arms. Or where can I get just upper ball joints ?

I aborted the upper control arm mission when I couldn't get new ball joints today. I did get the new torsion bars in though.

The ball joints are part of the stock arms, but are serviceable on the replacement lift arms. Stock Hardbody balljoints are used on the lift arms.

I think those use the stock ones.......

The replacement UCA's I have came with no ball joints and it kinda looks like the stock ones are pressed into the stock UCA's. Even if they are separate I figure I should get new ball joints for the new UCA's because I'm not sure I can get the old ones out without destroying them even with a ball joint press.

I have to redo the torsion bars again unless it settles enough this week to get a couple more turns on the bolts. After taking it apart and putting it together a second time to get the adjusters turned to where they'd crank up inside the frame the darn things still stick down too far. I know I don't want to go offroad with those adjusters showing below the cross member.

I'm a torsion bar changing expert now though so it won't take long to reindex them *again*.

Stock hardbody ball joints, ok. Is that a dealer item or do I have to go somewhere else?

most parts store chains will have them. Look for Moogs if not getting OEM.

Dooooooooooood not that I have any time but let us know when you are doing this stuff.

NAPA sells the best ball joints I have seen anywhere, including stock. Ask to see their cutaway examples, if they have them (most stores do). You'll never buy anything else once you see those. I believe their suppier is Dana.

-Spike

quote:

I'm a torsion bar changing expert now though so it won't take long to reindex them *again*.

I am now the Mississippi regional representative. I, too, have just gone to the Nissan school of hard knocks and T-bar indexing.

quote:

Originally posted by Stone:
Dooooooooooood not that I have any time but let us know when you are doing this stuff.

I figured I'd bring the spring packs to gourmet day on the mountain and ask for a little help then Seriously, I know everybody's got their own todo list. I might take a crack at the UCA's this weekend if I can find the ball joints.

What I could REALLY REALLY use is just a little help from a friendly welder to tack my sliders to the frame to reinforce the bolt on technology. I'm getting nervous about jacking the whole truck up and down with the hi-lift relying on just the slider bolts and I need to block it up again to re-do those torsion bars one more time.

And I should have spent the extra 12 bucks for the 60" instead of the 48" hi-lift. I need to stop and see if Unique 4x4 will help a brother out and let me trade up.

woohoo, got the ball joints I need so now I can do the upper control arms. Thanks Marshall!

There was a moment of truth there along the way to getting the UCA's changed out. The first pickle fork I chose ripped the boot and didn't budge the ball joint. Fortunately I had picked up a couple different sizes at Harbor Freight ($3 each, wtf) and got the stock UCA's loose. After that the worst of the ordeal was getting the truck back to something resembling alignment. Now it sits higher up and drives mostly straight. It looks like a real truck until I park it next to SWANKY-X

You can buy just the 60" bar for your hi-lift and swap the rest of the bits over to it.