I am working on doing my lower ball joints. I got the right side done and now I am working on the left side. I am trying to seperate the LCA and the steering knuckle. I cant seem to get the damn thing to spilt. I have been hammering on it with a pickle fork for an hour and it wont budge. I have been hammering from the outside for the most part. I tried from the inside for a bit but once again I saw now progress. Any suggestions?

PS: yes, the bolt on the bottom of the ball joint is off.

 

Ha. If you have access to a torch try heating it if you can. Im trying to remember how I did mine....

 

Bigger hammer or torch.

 

Better than a pickle fork, they actually make a proper tool for this.

But I don't see why a pickle fork won't work, you are hammering it inwards towards the BJ, not hammering it like a lever right?

 

I have been slamming it with the sledge hammer for a while. It will take one or 2 hits and then pop the fork out and ussually onto my foot. I dont really want to use a torch because its now soaked in WD-40 and theres grease in the ball joint. I dont really want anything starting on fire....

 

I am hammering it in towards the ball joint.

 

Bottle jack??? If I understand what your trying to do, put a bottle jack under it and start "jacking" (ha no jokes) and knock the hell out of it from all directions. The force of the jack and hammer should break it loose. I think that is what I had to do with mine, if I understand your situation.

 

i did mine with a bottle jack as well

 

There is a small separator tool you can find for like $15 (thats what I paid). Is goes around the ball joint and presses the stud of the BJ back through the knuckle/spindle.

It does so without ripping the boot, I used it to seperate my spindles when I did my spindle lift, and it saved my BJ boots from ripping like the fork will do.

Go get the tool if hammering isn't doing the job.

Here it is:


In action on a tie rod, but the BJ is the same concept:

 

you need a bigger hammer my friend!

 

Where can you get that?

 

You can rent them at Autozone

 

I live in Canada and got it at a store called Princess Auto. From what I hear, you guys in the US have something called harbour freight? You know, anywhere that sells chinese junk. Try there.

Edit:
Hey, what do you know, I was right :)

$20

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=99849

 

Well I went apesh!t with the sledge and that pickle fork and finally broke them apart. Everything is bolted back together now. Now its time to let tires plus have their fun and try to align it.

All in all. I will never try this again.

 

i had to do that not to long ago. a 10 lbs sledge helps.

 

I always use a air hammer, with the3/4" flat tool pick a spot on the spindle around the ball joint and hammer it for 5-15 seconds and the vibration will pop it loose. Works on tie rod ends too. To do suspension work the three mandatory tools are a "BFH" air hammer to take it a part and a 1/2" impact to put everything back together. If you have a problem getting the ball-joint to go all the way into the control arm, Put your jack on the frame to use the weight of the vehicle to press the joint in. Use jack stand to brace the arm or ball joint depending on year and use the air hammer to vibrate it in to place