Help removing 40 year old balljoints.

[mantas]

I don't know where to fucking begin. I've removed balljoints millions of times. I've learned to use a puller, and i can work a hammer quite well and get them out that way - which is really a big waste of time. Either way, i tried to remove the centerlink and the balljoints. After hours of playing around with them, i ended up cutting a few off. Now i'm stuck on the drivers side arm connecting to the steering shaft, how is that supposed to come out?

 

Tried the following - 2 arm, 3arm pullers, fork, hammers of every size, breaker bar. I would post pix but all of a sudden i can't use Flickr links on this forum......

[qwik510]

I always use a pickle fork and a BFH (Big Friggin Hammer)

 

Loosen up the castle nut but leave it in place and place the fork in between and get it a few good wacks.

[izzo]

Pickle forks and BFH works great.  I bought a pickle fork to use 5 or six years ago and have had it since, yet haven't used it since either.  Some how it made its way to the floorboard of the B and has been there since February.

[h190]

HEAT IT.

[Draker]

[mantas]

HEAT IT.

This seems like my last resort. Tried the pickle fork guys. And i was very surprised that it did not work. I've never had this issue with balljoints. Going to get a torch tonight and heat it.

[Burabuda]

i thought this was about hip replacement

[JoeCool]

With mine I used a powerful air chisel with a pickle fork attachment to break my ball joints free. A 5lb hammer.and torch did nothing.Also saturating them several times with PB blaster would help.

[mantas]

With mine I used a powerful air chisel with a pickle fork attachment to break my ball joints free. A 5lb hammer.and torch did nothing.Also saturating them several times with PB blaster would help.

Yeah i tried hammer and pb blaster. I think i've wasted a whole can of pb blaster on it, i actually let some of it sit for a day and nothing...have no air tools at the moment. But i'll try a torch. Ive read that its supposed  to get rid of any dirt in the cracks that might prevent it from moving - sounds like a load of you know what but worth a try.

[Dawa]

did you try pissing on it?

[mantas]

did you try pissing on it?

 

Might be worth a shot......LOL

[ggzilla]

I use a 12# sledge hammer and pickle fork.

[]2eDeYe]

Hit the metal of the idler arm right at the tie rod hole. Make sure to turn the wheel to lock to hold the idler arm in position.

 

Like so...

 

 

 

 

This also works for ball joint removal.

[ggzilla]

Funny, i have never been able to get any joint loose hitting it there. Though many guys swear by that method.

 

With a large sledge with pickle ive taken off hundreds of ford, gm, chrysler, toyota, datsun, etc. never fail

[datsunaholic]

I've always had to use the 12# sledge method.  With the fork.  Having no sledge I used a splitting maul a few times...

[yello620]

Yeah i tried hammer and pb blaster.

 

Doesnt matter how big of hammer you use when you swing it like a little girl. :rofl:

[mantas]

Doesnt matter how big of hammer you use when you swing it like a little girl. :rofl:

 

 

 

:rofl:

 

Going to wait until the power is back on then i'll report the progress.

[ggzilla]

I use a non-power hammer to get those two parts separated. Just hit it hard.

[]2eDeYe]

Funny, i have never been able to get any joint loose hitting it there. Though many guys swear by that method.

 

With a large sledge with pickle ive taken off hundreds of ford, gm, chrysler, toyota, datsun, etc. never fail

 

I have pickle forks that gather dust, this method allows removal of the joint without damaging the dust boot. It's simple metal deformation physics :)

[datsunaholic]

I have pickle forks that gather dust, this method allows removal of the joint without damaging the dust boot.

 

I figure, I never remove them unless I need to replace them.  Because by the time I've gotten some of them off, I HAVE to replace them. 

 

I suppose a situation could someday arise where I would need to remove a functional one for some reason, and hope to reuse it... haven't had that happen yet.

[ggzilla]

Rarely does the pickle fork damage the joint. It just splits the dust boot open ...

 

Just simple metal deformation physics really.

[Dat Lurka]

 

 

Never fails.

 

Well, as far as I know.

[ggzilla]

You use a hardwood hammer?

[Dat Lurka]

Yes, I never hit metal with metal. That's what my old hickory is for.

[ggzilla]

So you never drive metal nails with a metal hammer, or is there more too it? Bodymen use metal hammers on metal panels. Professional mechanics use metal hammer to hit metal drifts.

 

The weight of the hammer is what makes the ball joint easy to get apart. Why guys say Big hammer or 12-pound hammer. What does the hickory mallet weigh?