Archived ball joint

[SeanM]

I went to replace my ball joints on my 02 4x4 while I was visiting my mom in florida. I have to be in maine in 7 days. I can not get one of the bottom ball joints out!!! I have changed ball joints in probably 100 different vehicals ranging from hondas to 7 ton trucks. I have never had this problem before if someone has a idea I have not tried please let me know other wise tomorrow evening I am going to take the blue wrench to it and blow the ball joint out. And I did not mushroom the top of the joint while I was hitting it. I don't want to heat it up to much but I gotta get on the road so if you got somthing let me hear it.



here the list I have tried

PB Blaster

wd 40

heating it

pounding on it

shocking it (heating it and rapidly cooling it)

pounding on it some more

the actual press from miller special tools

pounding on it with a bigger hammer

and all the above at the same time

 

[BHanna]

Mine were tough too. I got them out by putting as much pressure as I could on the press without breaking it and then hitting the knuckle at the side of the ball joint a few times with a ball-peen. Then you can tighten the press another half turn or so and repeat until it comes all the way out. I didn't need any heat or anything like that and I didn't pound directly on the joints.

 

[kenny61]

Try a bigger hammer. also try Bhana's suggestion. If that dont work see if you can find a shop with a 20-40 ton press and have them push out the old one I would also have them put in the new ones while I was there. shouldn't cost you more than an hours labor

 

[tkerrigan]

Using two 2 or 3 lb hammers, hit both sides of the knuckle at the same time. Usually about ten good whacks will squirt it out.

 

[PVanderlugt]

Try a bigger hammer. also try Bhana's suggestion. If that dont work see if you can find a shop with a 20-40 ton press and have them push out the old one I would also have them put in the new ones while I was there. shouldn't cost you more than an hours labor

On an 02 the ball joints are part of the axle, can't take them with you unless you bring the whole axle.



On mine I had to totally destroy them in order to get them out. Ended up drilling the tops off, and grinding the bottoms off, beat the center out and then peel the ring out was a B----. first one took me 4 hours, 2nd only an hour once I figured it out.

Pete

 

[kenny61]

Well that just sucks!

 

[F-15I Ra'am]

Try Freon/R-134, blast it with some {make sure and wear gloves and dont get any on you!} and then try pounding it out.

 

[SeanM]

Thanks for all your input. I finally got it out in pieces it was ridiculas but I finally won. I will be on the road tomorrow thanks.