what should I expect to pay for upper ball joints????????? and any tricks to getting them off???

 

I'm not sure about price, but there not that bad. The easiest way is to remove the A-arm (while your rebuilding the suspension) and have them pressed out. But a pickle fork, hammer, penetrating fluid and some patience is all you need.

[edit] You can also use a puller that you rent from Auto Zone, or buy. It's all what your comfortable with. I prefer using the C-puller when I can. Some joints need brute force (pickle fork) to remove, or to be pressed out like described above.

 

I would try and use a puller that you can rent, it works nicer and leads to less wanting to beat the crap out of other stuff. but sometimes the puller doesnt work and you gotta get the pickle fork out.

EDIT: whoops took too long for me to get back to this window, and bone daddy added in that time.

 

Some times the upper a-arm will just come right out, other times it will be the biggest pain in the butt ever. Like my car for example. The passenger side came off with just a little tap on the ball joint screw. Now came the driver side. Whew, well I ended up wrecking the ball joint to get the dang thing off the steering knuckle. But, once you get the ball joint separated from the steering knuckle, it's easy. Just grind down the rivets that hold the ball joint in place and remove. From what I've found the upper ball joints go for about $50 each. Lowers go for about $15-20 each.

 

I just put in new shocks this weekend. The easiest way I have found, is to use an air hammer. With the car up on jack stands. I loosen the nut first, but dont emove it. Place the air hammer on the spindle where the ball joint runs though it. then pull the trigger and it should viberate it loose after a few seconds. It woeks everytime...