Symptoms
Loose or sloppy steering, wander and uneven tire wear. With the front jacked up, the wheel rocks when you grip it at the top and bottom.
The fix, step by step
- Dana 44 axles (mid-1971 on) use upper and lower ball joints; earlier Dana 30s use king pins with tapered bearings instead.
- On a Dana 44, remove the hub, bearings and spindle and slide out the axle shaft.
- Owners on ClassicBroncos remove the castle nut, unscrew the upper ball joint's adjusting bushing with a spanner tool, then separate the knuckle with a pickle fork, alternating taps top and bottom.
- Press out the old joints and press in the new ones, keeping the upper grease fitting accessible.
- While it's apart, replace the spindle bearing and seal and the axle-stub slinger and seal, fit new hub seals with the inner bearings, and consider new axle U-joints.
- Pack the wheel bearings and set the preload.
Tools & part numbers
- Ball-joint press (rentable)
- Dana 44 ball-joint spanner
- pickle fork
- brass drift
- spindle-nut socket
Where to buy the parts
Dana 44 upper and lower ball joints (one side), 1971–77 BroncoWild Horses 4x4 ↗Amazon ↗
Dana 30 king-pin bearing and race (Timken)Bronco Graveyard ↗Amazon ↗
1966–71½ wheel bearing and hub seal kitBronco Graveyard ↗Amazon ↗
RockAuto catalog, 1972 Bronco 302 — ball jointsRockAuto ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Ford Bronco (1966–1977) parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.