1979 Chevy Silverado - Father Knows Best - Tech

If you're doing a similar job on a vehicle that's had little or no maintenance, remove scale and corrosion from the bushing shaft with a wire wheel or, at least, a handheld wire brush.

Since this truck had original ball joints, Jason got a grinding disc to remove the old joint's attaching rivets. He ground down the heads and drove the shanks out with a hammer and punch.

Next, a little mild persuasion was necessary to separate the ball joint from its 25-year resting place.

Again, out came the grinding disc to properly clean the ball joint's mating surface.

The new PST ball joints simply bolt in place. Just be careful not to damage the grease boots while you're working.

The new bushings were driven in place, making sure they were seated far enough into the control arms. As a word of caution, these bushings can be pressed in if you have access to a standard shop press. However, we're not in the habit of doing them on a regular basis and don't have all the correct fixtures to secure the arms and line everything up. You'll find that control arms are awkward to keep steady (and properly aligned).

PST's lowering springs ought to get this pickup sitting rather righteous.

With the rebuilt upper control arm bolted in place, the spring and new PST spindle came next.

All the brackets and hardware are supplied with the PST brake package.