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How to remove Balljoints?
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Author:  87Slant_sickness [ Sun Dec 21, 2003 8:08 pm ]
Post subject:  How to remove Balljoints?
Hey all,

Ok well its time, i'm taking the front end apart on the Volaré, My buddy steve that ownes Joners Custom Coatings here in wpg is going to powder coat all the front end parts for me (upper/lower control arms, swaybar, etc) and i'm at the point where i just need to get these balljoints out then unbolt the upper/lower control arms, beat the bushings out then sandblast everything and take em in. i'm getting what ever done on the front end, plus a valve cover, plus a timingchain cover done for 85bux Canadian :)

any help is awesome!
Justin
Author:  Pierre [ Sun Dec 21, 2003 8:58 pm ]
Post subject: 
You need a puller, and a balljoint socket (or pipewrench, but that makes things a bit more difficult...)

First you undo the upper ball joint cotter pin and castle nut. Then you use a puller, such as http://www.eastwood.com/itemdy00.asp?T1 ... 61&I1.y=52 or (bottom left in this picture) http://www.eastwood.com/itemdy00.asp?T1 ... 76&I1.y=45 to seperate it from the spindle. A pickle fork will work but I find those harder to use and they would probably ruin the seals which isn't good if you plan on reusing them.

Now the upper ball joint can come out. The upper ball joint screws out of the A-arm. You can get a balljoint socket probably from your local auto store. A pipewrench could work but you might mess up the balljoint and chance skinning your knuckles.

Now you can remove the spindle by undoing the two bolts between it and the lower ball joint.

To remove the lower ball joint you use the puller on the tierod end, then the puller between the lower control arm and the lower ball joint.

Sometimes it helps to remove the brake backing plate to let you get to things easier. Also, turning the steering wheel one way or the other may get you extra clearence to certain spots.

Also may make things easier if you put a jack under the lower control arm to raise the whole assembly upward.
Author:  87Slant_sickness [ Sun Dec 21, 2003 9:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hey, i dont plan on re-using any of the wear items on the front end, i have all new bushings, balljoints, tie rods, idler arm and pitman arm.

I've been struggling to separate the spindal from the upper/lower crontrol arms. I have the brakes/backing plate already removed and i just cant seem to split the spindal/control arms :(. I was also told that on F-bodies the Balljoints are pressed in? just wondering if thats true (hope not lol)

Justin
Author:  Pierre [ Sun Dec 21, 2003 9:49 pm ]
Post subject: 
Erp, good point maybe F-bodies are different? I used the procedure I mentioned when doing my disc brake swap on my 71 a body.
Author:  steponmebbbboom [ Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:21 pm ]
Post subject: 
If the joints are pressed in, you dont want to go and buy the puller, and youre taking the suspension pieces right out of the car, I suppose you could take the control arms out first, then press the joints out with a bench arbor. The local truck shop will have one and they might not charge you anything to remove them.

This thread reminds me of something I saw at an unfriendly shop during one of many emergency repair jobs on my old Lincoln; in one bay a very frustrated hack was using a torch and a pipe wrench with an 8 foot bar on the end to force the base end of a joint out of an UCA on a Chrysler Laser, of course the temper of the steel in the CA was destroyed and the eye probably bent and released the joint not much later, probably with disastrous consequences. I have never seen so much mechanical buffoonery before or since I owned that hideous car.
Author:  volaredon [ Mon Dec 22, 2003 4:40 pm ]
Post subject:  its like this..
Go get yourself a BFH (4 lb.hand sledge is big enuf) and a pickle fork, a wedge with a U shaped hole in it, and put it between the spindle and control arm, and then hit the handle end of the pickle fork with the BFH....
the CA aand the spindle will pop apart. The uppers are threaded into the UCA the lowers are pressed into their CA. But both go into the spindle by way of a maachined taper.
Author:  slantosaurus [ Thu Jan 08, 2004 2:45 pm ]
Post subject: 
leaving the car as is on the weight of the suspension, could you not remove the cotter pin, unthread the castle nut a few threads only, then using a small fbh (5 lb) tap the part of the knuckle where the ball joint is. the tension from the suspension and weight of the car should pop the knuckle apart the small amount you have backed the nut off (a few threads). then, release the tension on the torsion bar and remove the castle nut completely. the spindle should come out once off the taper seat. this is a trick my father showed me; it saves the ball joint by not using a pickle fork (and works when you do not have a pickle fork)

chris
Author:  steponmebbbboom [ Thu Jan 08, 2004 4:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
i have done this on forklifts and industrial machinery, but you need an extra nut as a sacrificial lamb. The nut is not hardened steel like the balljoint itself. If youre going to bang on the nut at all, and you shouldnt, turn it around so the castellated end is pointing inward. Make sure you also have a bench grinder handy, because youll be filing out some displaced metal if you do this.
Author:  junkyardhero [ Tue Jan 13, 2004 1:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
A quick few suggestions:
Remove the spindle from the UCA while on the car. Much easier than chasing it around the garage floor or bending something in a vise.
If you don't have a real pickle-fork (ie craftsman/snap-on/SK/etc) then just take your BFH and give the spindle a good whack right where it meets the UCA. If it doesn't fall off after a few blows, you may need to press it out.
Remove the upper balljoint on the car as well. give it a quick scuff with a wire brush to be sure that the joint doesn't have a little tack weld holding it into the arm (don't ask). DO NOT use heat, you risk damaging the arm. You can usually rent/borrow the proper socket, so if at all possible avoid the pipe wrench and cheater approach.
If the if the UCA isn't threaded, the joint will usually still twist out, but if you're hinky on the whole sitch, then just take it to a shop. To install, just carefully thread the joint on in. On the bushings, a threaded rod some washers and a big socket will put the hurt on the unit. Cake.
Finally, when painting and powdercoating be sure not to coat the areas that are meant for the bushings or that are press fit ie: ends of strut rods, joint landings, bushing shells. Keeping that in mind will ensure that you don't become furious yellow in the assy. stage.
*laughs*
all in all, go nuts homey!

-JYH
69 Fastback, 3rd rebuild... 243K and counting...
64 Dart, gawd... don't ask!
SoCal
Author:  FLChargerFan [ Sat May 22, 2004 8:50 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
A quick few suggestions:
Remove the spindle from the UCA while on the car. Much easier than chasing it around the garage floor or bending something in a vise.
If you don't have a real pickle-fork (ie craftsman/snap-on/SK/etc) then just take your BFH and give the spindle a good whack right where it meets the UCA. If it doesn't fall off after a few blows, you may need to press it out.
Remove the upper balljoint on the car as well. give it a quick scuff with a wire brush to be sure that the joint doesn't have a little tack weld holding it into the arm (don't ask). DO NOT use heat, you risk damaging the arm. You can usually rent/borrow the proper socket, so if at all possible avoid the pipe wrench and cheater approach.
If the if the UCA isn't threaded, the joint will usually still twist out, but if you're hinky on the whole sitch, then just take it to a shop. To install, just carefully thread the joint on in. On the bushings, a threaded rod some washers and a big socket will put the hurt on the unit. Cake.
Finally, when painting and powdercoating be sure not to coat the areas that are meant for the bushings or that are press fit ie: ends of strut rods, joint landings, bushing shells. Keeping that in mind will ensure that you don't become furious yellow in the assy. stage.
*laughs*
all in all, go nuts homey!

-JYH
69 Fastback, 3rd rebuild... 243K and counting...
64 Dart, gawd... don't ask!
SoCal
Just an FYI - my brother had an Aspen R/T - I seem to remember him telling me the upper B.J. was threaded in. If you've got the right socket AND an air rachet the job will be cake. I ended up taking my whole UCA off after struggling with it for a weekend & took it to a shop. He had it off in about 30 seconds (and I even had a 3 ft. piece of pipe over my breaker bar). :roll:
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