[Vid]

I used to think electrical problems were the most fun… until now!

Been spending the better part of the afternoon trying to get my 69 LeMans upper control arms removed to make way for a pair of better ones. Beating and banging with the pickle fork hasn’t budged anything. I’ve driven the fork into the joint pretty much as far as it can go.

Is there a trick that I’m missing to get these suckers off, or do I just need to start hitting the gym?!





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[DOC]

Air chisel /hammer works good as well if you have access to one. Good Luck and be careful

[Vid]

Originally Posted by DOC

Air chisel /hammer works good as well if you have access to one. Good Luck and be careful

Unfortunately my toolbox isn’t that sophisticated


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[mgarblik]

With that pickle fork installed like your picture. You need to smack that ball joint ball stud with a hammer. That will jar it out of it's taper. As mentioned, an air chisel will do that for you in 5 seconds. Make absolutely sure your lower control arm is supported with a floor jack. Some people run a chain and padlock through the spring to the frame for complete safety. As mentioned in the next post you can let the spring help you with a little tension, but have that jack in position for safety.

[GtoFM]

Do you have a floor jack under the lower control arm taking pressure off the spring? If so, lower it until you have a gap. The spring tension is your friend here. Have you tried a BHF with another BFH as a backup on the spindle flat spots?

[Vid]

Originally Posted by GtoFM

Do you have a floor jack under the lower control arm taking pressure off the spring? If so, lower it until you have a gap. The spring tension is your friend here. Have you tried a BHF with another BFH as a backup on the spindle flat spots?

I do have a floor jack under the lower control arm and it’s just making contact. Maybe 1/8” lift for support. I’m sorry but not sure what the BFH is.


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[62posbonny]

BFH means Big Friggin Hammer. Leave the castle nut on the ball joint, then hit the side of the spindle where the ball joint passes through. The shock will allow the spring pressure to pull the ball joint out of the seat. You will have to give it a few good whacks.

Hit it right on the flat circular part you see on your first picture. Hit it like you mean it.

[Vid]

Originally Posted by 62posbonny

BFH means Big Friggin Hammer. Leave the castle nut on the ball joint, then hit the side of the spindle where the ball joint passes through. The shock will allow the spring pressure to pull the ball joint out of the seat. You will have to give it a few good whacks.

Ahhhhh oh yeah thanks now I remember. Yeah I’ve been using the biggest FH I have and it’s a stout piece. I’ll keep fooling with it until it’s off. I suppose it’s best to leave the two frame bolts tight until the ball joint is loose from the spindle?


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[Formula8]

I think you might have to remove the shock so the full pressure of the spring is applied?

[62posbonny]

Yes, leave the frame bolts in. Just keep hitting the side of the spindle where the ball joints pass through. Dont try to hit the joint out from the threaded end, hitting the side of the spindle will work for you. Let the jack down until both ball joints release with the castle nuts on, then jack back up, unthread the castle nuts and drop it down and apart.

[62posbonny]

The shock should be out before any of the above steps are taken.

[Sirrotica]

Have you tried a BHF with another BFH as a backup on the spindle flat spots?

As has been already been posted, if you've spent any time in auto wrecking yards, they also work with a limited amount of tools, this is exactly how they dismantle tapered suspension components.

Here is a link to Stacey David on his show Gearz, showing several methods of splitting tapered suspension components:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_JzIdlolfg

There are quite a few videos on You Tube showing budget methods for splitting splindles from ball joints. 95% of the time shocking the joint with a BFH will split them been doing it this way as my profession for decades.

Instead of removing the shock, all you need to do it put a stick of wood between the frame, and the upper control arm to keep tension on the spindle, no need to screw around trying to get rusty shock bolts off. Work smart, not hard........

[Schurkey]

Wild guess: Picklefork is too small, you're hitting the stud instead of wedging the knuckle off of the control arm.

'64--'72 A-body uses a forged-steel steering knuckle. You hit it with a hammer, you stand a chance. I really despise folks who wail on cast-iron steering knuckles, because cast iron has NEVER NEVER EVER been known to crack from abuse. My Trailblazer got "serviced" by one of those guys, he used a hammer to separate the lower ball joint stud in the process of replacing the CV shaft. He raised a burr on the arm that later prevented the proper tool from fitting right when I was replacing lower ball joints. I had to grind down the mess he made before putting it back together.



When it's me, I use a no-damage Front End Service Set, the ball-joint popper is exactly what you need.
https://www.amazon.com/GEARWRENCH-39...=3GDOO2DH5X29U

[Skip Fix]

There is also a tool in the shop manuals I bought that is basically like a giant coupling nut and a bolt that fits between the upper and lower ball joints and as you unscrew it ti presses it out sometimes needing a slight ding with a hammer to uses the spring itself also. You leave the nut on until it pops.

[ZeGermanHam]

Lots of good advice here already and I think you should be able to get it, but one additional option is trying a ball joint separator tool. You can get them at any auto parts store or Harbor Freight. Sometimes they work, other times not.

[Vid]

Originally Posted by ZeGermanHam

Lots of good advice here already and I think you should be able to get it, but one additional option is trying a ball joint separator tool. You can get them at any auto parts store or Harbor Freight. Sometimes they work, other times not.

So today I bought one of these separators, and an air hammer too. I bought the air hammer hoping not to actually need it for the ball joints, but I’ll use it if necessary. It just seems like a great tool to have on hand. Tomorrow I’ll attack the project and post my progress. I can’t thank everyone enough for the kind and knowledgeable advice. I’m very grateful.


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[Schurkey]

"Most" air hammers are total crap, and "ALL" air hammers are total crap unless you've got a REAL air compressor.

The typical air hammer has little power, a short stroke, and a bazillion blows-per-minute. They make a lot of noise, and little progress unless you're using them to slice exhaust tubing, or cut sheet-metal.

Good air hammers have more power, longer strokes, but sacrifice the number of blows-per-minutes. They make even more noise, but actually get the job done IF they're supplied with adequate air volume and pressure.

[Vid]

Originally Posted by Schurkey

"Most" air hammers are total crap, and "ALL" air hammers are total crap unless you've got a REAL air compressor.

The typical air hammer has little power, a short stroke, and a bazillion blows-per-minute. They make a lot of noise, and little progress unless you're using them to slice exhaust tubing, or cut sheet-metal.

Good air hammers have more power, longer strokes, but sacrifice the number of blows-per-minutes. They make even more noise, but actually get the job done IF they're supplied with adequate air volume and pressure.

Thanks. The air hammer I bought is a 4” stroke and cost about $225. I avoided the $39 model figuring it for garbage. My compressor should be adequate for short bursts, 25 gallons or so. If I had more room I’d get a 60 gallon and that’ll happen after my garage addition.


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[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by Vid

The air hammer I bought is a 4” stroke and cost about $225. I avoided the $39 model figuring it for garbage.

Specs seem reasonable, and you're right--the $39 model IS garbage.

Originally Posted by Vid

My compressor should be adequate for short bursts, 25 gallons or so. If I had more room I’d get a 60 gallon and that’ll happen after my garage addition.

I tried to run my air hammer off of a 20 or 25-gallon single-stage compressor. Worked great for about two or maybe three seconds, and then the compressor had to run awhile to build pressure again. Useless for popping rivets off of ball joints. Probably adequate for ripping sheetmetal or cutting exhaust tubing as long as the cuts aren't extensive.

Things were somewhat better with a 60-gallon single-stage 5 hp compressor. Didn't get "GOOD" until I connected to an 80-gallon two-stage compressor so I could regulate down from the tank pressure, and therefore could keep 90 psi at the tool inlet, with the air hammer running.

Most single-stage air compressors are limited to 120 psi, which delivers about 90 psi to the tool with the tool running, only when the tank is "full". As soon as the tank pressure drops, pressure at the tool drops and it becomes weak. Larger tanks take longer to drain, but it still happens fairly quickly. This is why you need 150+ psi in the tank, so that the tank pressure can drop without losing pressure at the tool because the pressure-regulator compensates.

[Formulas]

simple propane torch to heat up the spindle knuckle as evenly as possible it expands the tapered hole and releases the tapered joint, no caveman busted knuckles no buggered up parts ( comes in real handy if re'using parts) works great on tie rods and the likes

on roadkill garage they dont use a fork they hammer the female part of the joint from the side and the shock releases the tapered joint