Lower ball joint! Real time ideas to get this thing apart today! (1 Viewer)

[fjman]

So I read all the threads about swapping out the lower ball joints and its seemed like a fairly straightforward process... until the lower ball joint refused to separate from the hub. I have wailed on this thing forever. I had to suck up my pride and drive my wife's car to work yesterday. She wasn't very happy about that nor the prospect of me doing it again today!

Any special tricks to getting this thing off? I tried compressing it with the big ball joint compression c-clamp with no luck. I have a BFH and have been beating on it like a mad man. It wont budge. If the ball joint threads were still in good shape I'd put it back together and pay someone else to do it!

Maybe I'm just missing something here? I have a pickle fork and the gap between the hub and control arm is too much to make a difference. I've basically used the pickle fork and a chisel on the hub where it meets the ball joint. I've also beat on the joint from below.

I have not tried putting the jack under the actual ball joint and raising the control arm that way to put weight on it. Planning to try that and also heat it up with a torch. Maybe? Should the control arm be supported by an jack or not???? Should the upper be completely disconnected? why won't my axle slide all the way back in!? Argh!

Thanks in advance and sorry for the somewhat slopping rant and process description! Any advice will be greatly appreciated! Its an LX470 with AHC in the low position ( I can change that before I go back out there if it matters, I loosely reassembled it and put the tire back on)

 

[Mauser]

Have you tried putting tension on it with the ball joint compressor and whacking it with a hammer. A lot of times the shock and vibration will pop it loose .

 

[fjman]

Have you tried putting tension on it with the ball joint compressor and whacking it with a hammer. A lot of times the shock and vibration will pop it loose .

Where would I be wacking it?

 

[sdnative]

Do you have a picture of your c-clamp setup? I rented this one from autozone.

https://www.autozone.com/loan-a-too...3-pcs-ball-joint-u-joint-press-set/449947_0_0

Dumb question, but you have removed the c-clip and are pushing the BJ down right?

EDIT: nevermind I see you are only trying to remove the knuckle not trying to remove the BJ from the control arm.

I removed the cotter pin and loosened the nut a few turns, lowered the jack enough to not completely support the lower control arm but still support it when it pops loose, and wacked on the raised pad on the side of the knuckle until it poped.

 

[87warrior]

If I understand, the ball joint is not separating from the knuckle (what you referred to as the hub).

Do you have a Harbor Freight nearby?
3/4 in. Ball Joint Separator

When I encounter a stuck ball joint, I like to apply pressure with the above separator then whack the side of the knuckle with a hammer where the ball joint is stuck. If that doesn't work, apply heat to the knuckle material the ball joint is stuck in and try the separator, then use the hammer if necessary.

 

[leveeguy]

I used this tool from advance to pop LBJ loose and had it hit with hammer once the ball joint tool was tightened

 

[fjman]

If I understand, the ball joint is not separating from the knuckle (what you referred to as the hub).

Do you have a Harbor Freight nearby?
3/4 in. Ball Joint Separator

When I encounter a stuck ball joint, I like to apply pressure with the above separator then whack the side of the knuckle with a hammer where the ball joint is stuck. If that doesn't work, apply heat to the knuckle material the ball joint is stuck in and try the separator, then use the hammer if necessary.

Sorry. Yes the knuckle. I bought something like that but it didn’t fit. I think it was meant for a tie rod hmmm

 

[leveeguy]

Get tool I used tightened up against LBJ, you prob will have to raise control arm to whack the tool, you will be hitting the part of that tool that's closest to the ground in pic, the nut part thats used to tighten it in an upward motion, the hammer impact it what it will take to get it free

 

[Mauser]

Where would I be wacking it?

The control arm if you can or even the tool itself. When I am having a hard time pressing ujoints with my hydraulic press I put pressure on it and hit the top of the press frame. Works every time.

 

[fjman]

I did something similar on the lower with no luck. But I also didn’t hit it while it was on there. I did help get the upper to pop

 

[fjman]

I did something similar on the lower with no luck. But I also didn’t hit it while it was on there. I did help get the upper to pop

 

[fjman]

Like this

 

[Mauser]

Put the bottom of the tool on the nut

 

[fng36]

 

[Mauser]

Anywhere close to the tool that you can hit it. You arent trying to move anything with the hammer, just cause a shock .

 

[Mauser]

Do you have a pickle fork?

 

[Mauser]

I changed mine about a year ago. Im pretty sure i just used a pickle fork qnd a hammer .

 

[BEG]

I used this tool from advance to pop LBJ loose and had it hit with hammer once the ball joint tool was tightened View attachment 1742550

You want this exact tool. Maybe @leveeguy can post some details on it. I had the same issue replacing my LBJs when the pitman arm puller that I had used during my CV job (where the dust shield has to come off) didn't fit with a fully assembled knuckle. I made do with several applications of heat (torch), penetrating fluid (PB Blaster) and impact (BFH). When I was finally ready to give up, I gave it one last whack and suddenly 100 lbs of knuckle, brake rotor and wheel spacer flopped into my lap.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Plenty of room on the lower bj, but the uppers (for me at least) had to come off. Much easier to use a press then.

 

[leveeguy]

On Second thought I got that tool from o'reillys not advance auto

You want this exact tool. Maybe @leveeguy can post some details on it. I had the same issue replacing my LBJs when the pitman arm puller that I had used during my CV job (where the dust shield has to come off) didn't fit with a fully assembled knuckle. I made do with several applications of heat (torch), penetrating fluid (PB Blaster) and impact (BFH). When I was finally ready to give up, I gave it one last whack and suddenly 100 lbs of knuckle, brake rotor and wheel spacer flopped into my lap.

I can't provide any more information on the tool at the moment other than it was 29.99 at o'reillys and it's adjustable puller