ball joint removal

[TorqueFC]

can anyone suggest a way to remove balljoints. been trying for the last hour. ground off the rivets from the top-from there nothing has moved...

[nicko]

hit it harder

[Phantom]

Do you have a ball joint breaker? like a big two pronged fork with a long handle use that with a mash hammer
                              Cheers Rusty
     
           

[FB_MAD]

Try heating it a little with the gas axe around the ball joint taper fit area but don't get it hot to the point it is red hot as it might not be too good for the metallurgy side of things.Then carefully give it a squirt with WD 40 around the fitment area CAREFULLY!!!.Wear protective eyewhere as any WD splashback will be bloody hot!!! and you will get heaps of smelly WD 40 smoke as well.This heating and quick cooling plus lubricating properties of WD 40 can help to "crack" the rusted taper fit tightness of the ball joint.This can also be applied trying to loosen tight and rusted bolts and other parts as well.This is what I was taught as an apprentice  mechanic by an old bloke who started his apprenticeship at a Holden dealer and remembers FX Holdens on the dealership floor all those years ago and it works most times.

Oh and yes "hit it harder"  hehehe!

Watch for skinned/crushed fingers too.

Terry.

[Chuck]

Darcy

With the top ball joints, as I said, grind the rivets flush with the control arm and then give the area beside the rivets a hit with the ball of a ball peen hammer.  This will indicate exactly where the body of the rivet is (a small circle will appear in the part you have just ground smooth.  Place your pin punch in the centre of the circle and drive the old rivets through.  The new ones will come supplied with bolts.

With the bottom control arm, the tool Rusty described is a ball joint separting tool and is used to separate the ball joint from the stub axel.  Once you have done this, support the underside of the control arm with soft timber (such as pine) and use a large (either lump or small sledge) hammer to drive the ball joint out by hitting the tapered rod from the top side.  Lubrication will help this.  Be very careful if you choose to use the oxy method as it will heat the grease in the ball joint up sufficent enough to give you a full thickness burn when is sprays every where when you hit it or worse still to blind you.

Chuck

[HARKO]

If your trying to break the tapered part of the ball joint free from the stub axle and you dont have a ball joint seperating tool ,Try holding a hammer against one side of the stub and belting the other either side of the taper ,this will break it free but be weary if you have springs in there under pressure cause they go poing and will take out ya nuts or fingers or whatever else is gonna hurt.
Leave the nut a couple of threads back from tight ,That allows it to hold the pressure untill you undo it - rest the car on something preferably not metal (slippage) to completely release it but use common sence at all times.