Before unbolting the torque tube ball pivot, be sure there is no weight on the rear axle tubes. Support the truck by the frame rails- - - -NOT the axle tubes or spring mounts. It's also a good idea to support the torque tube with a small floor jack before unbolting anything. One of my friends from high school back in the 1960s was severely injured by a torque tube of a 47 Chevy sedan that slammed down on him while he was trying to change a clutch. He had jack stands under the axle housing, not the frame, which put the vehicle weight on the springs and loaded the torque tube.
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!