February 18, 200521 yr While replacing the ball joint in my Subie today, I was having a Dickens of a time getting the top of the new joint to go into the recess where the pinch bolt retains it. Trying to pry on the pinch slit was not working too well, regardless of whatever was being used to try and give it a little relief. Screwdriver blade, small prybar, nothing seemed to work. In the end what worked rather nicely, was simply a small metal wedge, the kind that are used to retain the head on a wooden handled axe. I inserted the wedge in the slit. Then, using a good sized C clamp, I placed the head of the clamp against the wedge and then screwed it down until the end of the threaded shaft was against the rotor. Actually, it was against a small block of wood I used to protect the rotor itself. I could then gently apply pressure to the wedge by turning the clamp with one hand, while pushing up on the ball joint with the other. With just a little turnig the pinch slit spread just enough to where the top of the ball joint just popped right in, no excessive prying or hammering required. Steel wedge pulled right out with two fingers.
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