D22 upper ball joint removal

Nissan Navara Forum

Help Support Nissan Navara Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Hi ben, bast advice is to pay someone like i did! unless you have access to a press and some good workshop tools its a total PITA of a job!

Cheers
bryan
 
As it happens I did mine last night. It’s not that big a deal, IMO.
Spend $100 on a ball joint kit on EBay. The first hour of your mechanic’s labour will cost more than that. I’d never changed a ball joint in my life, now I’m an expert. 😉 Redone the entire front end. Tie rod ends, upper and lower ball joints, drag link bar, idler arm and drive shafts.
 
As it happens I did mine last night. It’s not that big a deal, IMO.
Spend $100 on a ball joint kit on EBay. The first hour of your mechanic’s labour will cost more than that. I’d never changed a ball joint in my life, now I’m an expert. �� Redone the entire front end. Tie rod ends, upper and lower ball joints, drag link bar, idler arm and drive shafts.

Yeah, I bought one of those kits for about 60 bucks and it worked a treat. Got another thingy to help separate the ball joints from control arms, worked well also. Still a pita though lol. It didn't fix the clunking nose when cornering at low speeds either, so was probably unnecessary. At least it shouldn't develop ball joint problems any time soon. Looks like the lca bushes next.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, I bought one of those kits for about 60 bucks and it worked a treat. Got another thingy to help separate the ball joints from control arms, worked well also. Still a pita though lol. It didn't fix the clunking nose when cornering at low speeds either, so was probably unnecessary. At least it shouldn't develop ball joint problems any time soon. Looks like the lca bushes next.

Have you managed to fix that clunk yet? Mine does it & I reckon it's more than one issue causing it. My last one made the same noise from new, but the service manager at the dealership I bought it from couldn't hear it apparently lol.
 
Have you managed to fix that clunk yet? Mine does it & I reckon it's more than one issue causing it. My last one made the same noise from new, but the service manager at the dealership I bought it from couldn't hear it apparently lol.

Not yet mate. I assumed it was a balljoint (one of the rubber boots had lost its grease). They weren't too bad though in the end and it never pays to assume lol.

Can't find anything obvious that's causing it but it now sounds like a lower control arm noise, around the area where the torsion bar bolts on, but it's difficult to know sure. The old girl is getting new lca bushes, drag link and tie rod ends so I will report back when done.

Yeah, I bought one of those kits for about 60 bucks and it worked a treat. Got another thingy to help separate the ball joints from control arms, worked well also.
This should have been to "help separate the balljoint from where it bolts on to the wheel hub", still had to use heat, worked ok though.
 
Not yet mate. I assumed it was a balljoint (one of the rubber boots had lost its grease). They weren't too bad though in the end and it never pays to assume lol.

Can't find anything obvious that's causing it but it now sounds like a lower control arm noise, around the area where the torsion bar bolts on, but it's difficult to know sure. The old girl is getting new lca bushes, drag link and tie rod ends so I will report back when done.


This should have been to "help separate the balljoint from where it bolts on to the wheel hub", still had to use heat, worked ok though.

That's pretty much where I reckon the noise is coming from in mine too. I can't find anything faulty though! I'm starting to wonder if it's just the way the torsion bars are designed that's causing it? What puzzles me is that mine only really does it at slow speeds, turning right (think roundabouts). This one hasn't got that many K's on it, but it has done at least 20K of dirt/gravel roads. It'll be very interesting to hear how you go after you've replaced the stuff you mention above! :cheers:
 
You will probably find that the noises you are talking about is the body blocks. I would be checking them for wear.
 
Good suggestion Tony. Will have a bit of a look at that. Will still replace the steering/suspension parts in the old girl though. Lots of miles, most of them very difficult miles as well and the steering is recently starting to develop a mind of it's own lol.
 
You will probably find that the noises you are talking about is the body blocks. I would be checking them for wear.

You're probably right. Mine aren't showing any wear, I've been checking them regularly, but I don't have a lot of faith in the quality of the materiels used in them. Maybe they've hardened up or something.

Lots of creaks & groans in my Ute when it's empty (the rear of the torsion bars rattle at the slightest bump in the road, the leaf springs creak & groan and the tow bar hitch rattles) , but they all disappear when towing any sort of weight!

We just recently took it up the Oodnadatta Track & on through Mt. Dare, Finke, New Crown, Old Andado, Santa Teresa, Alice and back to Adelaide, full of gear & towing an off road camper & it never creaked, nor groaned once! Not even the knock when turning right at slow speeds!

Same when it's towing a cut down tree to the dump at work - nothing!

Frustrating! :(
 
That's pretty much where I reckon the noise is coming from in mine too. I can't find anything faulty though! I'm starting to wonder if it's just the way the torsion bars are designed that's causing it? What puzzles me is that mine only really does it at slow speeds, turning right (think roundabouts). This one hasn't got that many K's on it, but it has done at least 20K of dirt/gravel roads. It'll be very interesting to hear how you go after you've replaced the stuff you mention above! :cheers:

Haven't replaced any other steering or front suspension components yet Kevin, though after changing cabin mounts, the clunking at roundabouts has gone. There are still some slight front end noises occasionally when chucking a u turn, but it's intermittent and nothing drastic. I will eventually replace bushes and steering joints, not urgent though, it's quite acceptable the way it is.

Thanks for the suggestion Tony. :cheers!:
 

Latest posts

Back
Top