Help with steering knuckle ball joint experience

Hey everybody, need some wisdom to hopefully put my mind at ease.
My main question and concern-
While waiting for new steering knuckles to arrive, I poured through OE shop manual,
Service manuals, and videos like I always do, did everything I could to be ready to install new parts.
When new tires were installed, less than 10k miles ago, also had new Moog problem solver upper and lower ball joints installed because originals were shot. Two years ago.
So yesterday, by all instructions, and everything was clean and new because it's only been on the road through this restoration process,
I removed both old steering knuckles with the hammer method, wasn't too hard, about ten swings per side with two lb. Hammer, used nut on bottom ball joint to keep it from dropping free, careful to protect threads, everything came off clean, looks good, feels good.
But my concern, even though I found no warnings against the methods I used, are the ball joints built to take that beating, without internal damage or sacrificing the structural integrity of the ball joints themselves?
The way I proceeded seems to be the common practice, but I am worried.
I just now bolted up the knuckles, torque to spec, looks good, feels good, but dang it, can any of you lend your expertise, maybe put my mind at ease? Any experience with this exact situation? I hate hindsight, and really hate the thought that I could have messed up new ball joints, or caused unseen damage that could cause premature failure. Thanks in advance guys. Not proceeding until tomorrow.

SamwiseGamJeep said:

Hey everybody, need some wisdom to hopefully put my mind at ease.
My main question and concern-
While waiting for new steering knuckles to arrive, I poured through OE shop manual,
Service manuals, and videos like I always do, did everything I could to be ready to install new parts.
When new tires were installed, less than 10k miles ago, also had new Moog problem solver upper and lower ball joints installed because originals were shot. Two years ago.
So yesterday, by all instructions, and everything was clean and new because it's only been on the road through this restoration process,
I removed both old steering knuckles with the hammer method, wasn't too hard, about ten swings per side with two lb. Hammer, used nut on bottom ball joint to keep it from dropping free, careful to protect threads, everything came off clean, looks good, feels good.
But my concern, even though I found no warnings against the methods I used, are the ball joints built to take that beating, without internal damage or sacrificing the structural integrity of the ball joints themselves?
The way I proceeded seems to be the common practice, but I am worried.
I just now bolted up the knuckles, torque to spec, looks good, feels good, but dang it, can any of you lend your expertise, maybe put my mind at ease? Any experience with this exact situation? I hate hindsight, and really hate the thought that I could have messed up new ball joints, or caused unseen damage that could cause premature failure. Thanks in advance guys. Not proceeding until tomorrow.

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@AndyG

AndyG said:

No experience here on beating on ‘em - I have a ball joint press -

But, I must say , they take a beating for years in use-

Andy

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Well man, you mean a press to remove the ball joints themselves?
I would of course used one if I were removing them, but wasn't, being as their new, You know I was just removing the steering knuckles, leaving the ball joints intact.

Mike_H said:

They'll be fine. As long as you didn't hit the ball joints themselves with a hammer, they will work just like they used to.

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No sir, very careful not to hit them, their all crispy and new. I just had to wail the knuckles pretty good, and the afterthought of the force made me start worrying.

rasband said:

Take a look at how they're designed.

View attachment 332644

Knowing that this image is upside down, consider what you did and how it may have impacted anything. The short is, you're fine. You took them off in an expected and common way.

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Right, and the ball is hardened steel, the socket is hardened steel, and all of that is encased in the housing it's pushed into on the axle, so it's pretty solid and strong huh?

Thanks Mike, and thanks Rasband, you guy's are putting my mind as ease, I'll be able to rest tonight!

rasband said:

Just don't get the dimpled or ribbed ball joints whenever you need to replace them - since you can never go back.

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Heh? What do you mean by "can never go back?

rasband said:

On the same inner C's, you can't go back to the standard spicer BJs (they're smooth). Most here will always recommend the standard spicer BJs for any TJ axle up to 35"s. Beyond that you'd be looking at d60s.

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The moogs are smooth though?
And yessir, if I'd known what I know now I would have definitely gone with spicers, like I did with all my U joints.
But that and tires were literally the first thing I did to it.

mrblaine said:

Doesn't matter what it is made of or from. What matters is they easily withstand and endure you hitting a pothole at 70 miles an hour and the force that single event creates is greater than you beating on it with the puny little hammer for weeks on end. If you ever set your purse down and use a real hammer with both hands, it takes one, maybe two hits to pop that knuckle off. I did wonder since I get to see a lot of core knuckles what method was used to gently coerce those into submission, now I know. You can always tell because the top of the knuckle looks like someone machine gunned it with a fucking tack hammer.

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That's good to know man. Ya'll really have made me realize it's alright, I truly appreciate it, I've just poured my guts and bucks into this TJ for two years nonstop, for therapy really, and hate doing something wrong.
And I probably exaggerated a little, probably only took four or five blows with the three pounder on the knuckles, I'm 6'4, 230, so I can put a little ass behind it lol. And dang it maybe I don't wanna put my purse down, that's where I keep my nuts.

Looking at the images of a ball joint, I guess my main concern is all the impact downforce on that ball joint, of hitting the knuckles down with a hammer, which is opposite of hitting potholes.