How do YOU disconnect LCA from ball joint?

How do you guys prefer to pop the lower control arms off the ball joints? I tried doing this last week to pull the front axles out of the tranny during my clutch install. No dice.

 

1) Remove cotter pin

2) Remove castle nut

3) Disconnect sway bar endlink

4) Tried jacking up the brake rotor, used a dead blow mallet, neither side would drop.

See this for removing axles.

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/removing-front-axles-without-removing-ball-joint-127203.html

Nothing to say on ball joints. For me on aluminium arms they came right out with just hand pressure, twice so far.

There is a specific tool to pop ball joints. Looks like an odd fork with a joint. You can probably get it at autozone.

 

-Jake

Take out the bolt that holds the ball joint into the knuckle.

From the front of the car, slide a big prybar/crowbar/pipe (has to be strong or it will bend) between the control and knuckle and slide it up till it rest's under the chassis.

Pull down really hard and it will pop out.

I have a walk thru here some where with some good disscussion. I just need to find it.

 

I use a 1/2" impact gun to remove the castle nut, AFTER removing ALL the cotter pin. Put the nut back on the stud.

 

Then hit the LCA with a 5lb Hammer after a few hits try and pry the LCA down. Hit it a few more times try again.

you can just use a truck pitman arm puller. it will pop the ball joint out of the LCA with no damage to the grease boot on the ball joint and you dont have to worry about damaging you lca or brake rotor.

 

use this - [ame=http://www.amazon.com/OTC-8150-Conical-Pitman-Puller/dp/B00061SMS0]Amazon.com: OTC 8150 Conical Pitman Arm Puller: Automotive[/ame]

Subscribed as I couldnt install my alk due to not being able to get the ball joints out

Thanks for all the resoponses guys. FYI I was able to replace the clutch WITHOUT removing the front axles from the tranny. This info will be helpful when I put some drop springs in there.

This: http://www.harborfreight.com/tie-rod-and-pitman-arm-puller-1752.html

Works like a charm and cheap, too.

This: http://www.harborfreight.com/tie-rod-and-pitman-arm-puller-1752.html

Works like a charm and cheap, too.

 

YES!!! I just used one of these this past weekend. It came apart so easy, I thought I broke something.

See the problem with mine are that the bolt wont even come off to release pressure on the joint.

With the above tool, you don't take the pinch bolt out, you take the castle nut off the bottom of the LCA and pop the ball joint out of the LCA.

PITMAN ARM PULLER! Makes easy work out of it. Unless your replacing the joint I would not recomend a ball joint fork because it will destroy the dust boot.

A ball-joint fork is also known as a Pickle fork, right?

 

I plan on using a pitman puller when I do mine in the next few weeks.

I took the LCA off the car first with the ball joint still attached, then popped it out with a pitman arm puller. Simple. Quick. Pop.

How do you guys prefer to pop the lower control arms off the ball joints? I tried doing this last week to pull the front axles out of the tranny during my clutch install. No dice.

 

1) Remove cotter pin

2) Remove castle nut

3) Disconnect sway bar endlink

4) Tried jacking up the brake rotor, used a dead blow mallet, neither side would drop.

 

How tough was it to get the cotter pin back in?

When we upgraded my LCA buehings we left the ball joint on the car. All we did was remove the pin and bolt.

How tough was it to get the cotter pin back in?

 

Well, we were using an electric impact, so if it wasn't aligned we just hit it again for a sec and it lined right up. I would highly suggest an impact.

Folks I know that this thread is old but thought i'd try..

 

The pinch bolt broke off in my steering knuckle! ON BOTH SIDES!!

 

I tried drilling the bolt shaft out with hardened drill bits. no luck.

 

Ideas, suggestions?

How far from the head of the bolt did it break? If right at the top, then you can (have someone) weld through the center of a nut to make a new head.

 

If you need to get the ball joint out of the control arm, use one of these: http://www.harborfreight.com/tie-rod-and-pitman-arm-puller-1752.html

Folks I know that this thread is old but thought i'd try..

 

The pinch bolt broke off in my steering knuckle! ON BOTH SIDES!!

 

I tried drilling the bolt shaft out with hardened drill bits. no luck.

 

Ideas, suggestions?

 

I heard this bolt was a real pain, so I've been spraying it with solvent whenever I have the wheels off to rotate tires or check the brakes. I don't look forward to bad news.

I know I'm late on this discussion but you should never use a pickle fork to pop ball joints unless you plan on replacing them. A 3 or 5 pound mini sledgehammer and sometimes a pry bar like someone else mentioned is the way to go.

 

If you haven't resolved it yet, just clean out the old bolt with progressively larger bits, then use a through bolt and a nut on the other side.

 

O.

My recomendation for anyone trying to seperate the ball joint from the control arm.

 

http://m.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarter-inch-forged-ball-joint-separator-99849.html

 

And the consensus is only pull out the pinch bolt if the ball joint is being replaced. Seperate the knuckle from the strut for axle replacements.

I feel like I might have briefly tried pulling the axle by just disconnecting the strut from the knuckle, and it didn't give me enough clearance to pull the axle from the wheel bearing. I might be wrong though, this was around a year ago and I forget exactly what I did. If you are able to remove it that way, then that is definitely the easiest way to do it I would think.

 

I should also add that I didn't want to twist and contort the axle too much since I'm not sure how flexible they are at the wheel bearing end.