balljoint not budging!!!

diponyou

New Member
Oct 30, 2007
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0
1
well im doing my balljoints and i did the drivers side and now im doing the pass and i cant get the ball joint to even budge.ive been banging on this picklefork and it wont even move.does anybody have any tips or suggestions?
 
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I had the same problem on the driver's side one. I just kept going at it from different angles with the fork and a heavy 3 lb sledge until it finally broke loose. Supposedly, you can also whack different spots on the spindle where it mates to the balljoint to loosen it, but I didn't have much luck with it. Keep at it, it will eventually break loose.
 
Dude, what you do in your off-time is up to you, but how about some advice about the balljoint.

:D

:lol: ahahahaha that was funny as hell.

but anyways i got it by beating the hell out of it with the fork and a large pice of metal.haha.new joints new rotors,should be rollin pretty smoothley

thanks for the replie guys
 
The trick is to use a helper and have him hold the 3 lb sledge against the spindle socket for the ball joint. You get on the opposite side and pound on the spindle socket with a 2 lb or heavier hammer. The vibration will shake the ball joint loose from the spindle.
 
I agree about using heat. Use MAPP gas since it's much hotter than propane, but it's not too hot to start deforming/melting the control arm. Make sure you have enough support on the end of the FCA so that you don't bend/deform the FCA when you're bashing on it.
 
this may sounds kinda dumb, but i was taking some spindles off a gt for my bros ex-fourbanger brake upgrade. I was having trouble cuz the ball joint broke free but the control arm was caught on the dust shield and i didnt notice. Just a heads up, might be whats happening to you.
 
FWIW, I took the dust shields off when I did mine, just to have the thing outta the way. Only has, what, three bolts holding it on, so as long as they're not rusted solid on there, it's a minor extra step to save you that much of a headache.
 
To get balljoint loose from the spindle I back the castle nut almost all the way off and let the suspension droop. A few good whacks on the spindle should bust it loose. Then jack up the control arm to remove the castle nut. To remove the balljoint from the control arm I've beat it out with a 10 lb sledge before, but I caved & bought a balljoint press from Harbor Freight. It was like $40.
 
I know this was back in november but I went to murray's auto parts and rented a kit that with a clamp and they popped right out. The kit was $200 bucks to buy, but to rent they charge the $200 bucks to your credit card then when your done the put the $200 bucks back and don't take out anything for the rental!
 
balljoint

my friend was doing one the one side came off easy the other side he worked on for hours and it would. he gave up the car was at her house so she called and asked me to come get it off. i got over there and the tool he was using would not go over the balljoint. i came and got another tool from home and went back over. it was not a easy job but it came off. check your tool and make sure the tool will go over the balljoint end that is off