Im about to replace my driver side ball joint and it's my first time doing it. I have the part and a ball joint separator. Is there anything else I should need? Proper techniecs exc.. any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

Delish

Heres some stuff you may need:

 

1:BFH

2:some type of penetrating oil spray

3:Gloves

4:Big breaker bar or air gun

 

Start by spraying the mating surface between the balljoint and the control arm as well as the nut that screws onto the ball joint with the penetrating oil.Let it set in for a few minutes.(really makes things easier)Good luck!

Also check similar threads @ the bottom of this page

 

Here is what I do I undo the ball joint castle nut remove flip the nut over

 

tighten jut enough that the nut and bolt make a flat suface at the end ( this way the ball joint does not come all the way out it just breaks it free

 

Then I take a jack with a divit in the top so the ball joint bolt has a place to rest with out sliping than just jack it up on that side useing only the ball joint bolt as a lifting point. I usally go just high enough to start lifting the car. than give a few taps with a hammer on bolth sides of the joint and it should pop loose from the control arm

 

I just really hate those fork I ve waisted way too much time with them

 

 

This way is the ezest for me but it could be the I just have done it too much

LT

Also check similar threads @ the bottom of this page

 

Here is what I do I undo the ball joint castle nut remove flip the nut over

 

tighten jut enough that the nut and bolt make a flat suface at the end ( this way the ball joint does not come all the way out it just breaks it free

 

Then I take a jack with a divit in the top so the ball joint bolt has a place to rest with out sliping than just jack it up on that side useing only the ball joint bolt as a lifting point. I usally go just high enough to start lifting the car. than give a few taps with a hammer on bolth sides of the joint and it should pop loose from the control arm

 

I just really hate those fork I ve waisted way too much time with them

 

 

This way is the ezest for me but it could be the I just have done it too much

LT

 

Thank god you posted this information!

 

Night 1 - Jacked up car. Removed hardware. Beat the hell out of the ball joint stud under the control arm. Mangled it. Got fed up. Put back together because it was needed for work the next morning.

 

Night 2 - Think I am smart - got a pickle fork. Jacked up car and removed hardware (again). Beat the hell out of the pickle fork on both sides of the ball joint. Mangled the boot and scored the top side of the control arm. Got fed up. Put back together because it was needed for work the next morning.

 

Night 3 - Picked up a 2 jaw puller and a pitman arm puller. Neither would fit. Got pissed off and surfed web for a bit. Read the mtnman38's post about the jack.

 

Day 4 - Jacked up car and removed hardware (again). Jacked up ball joint at the stud. Popped loose with no effort or tapping. Pinch bolt was piece of cake. Bingo - ball joint finished in total of 20 minutes.

 

I'm going to pick up another ball joint and do the other side whether it needs it or not - now that I am armed with this valuable tip! (Other ball joint is cooked anyway).

Your only replacing one side?? You'll regret that when your doing the other side in a few months.

I think our man screwbaru2 missed this line?

 

"I'm going to pick up another ball joint and do the other side whether it needs it or not - now that I am armed with this valuable tip! (Other ball joint is cooked anyway)."

Also check similar threads @ the bottom of this page

 

Here is what I do I undo the ball joint castle nut remove flip the nut over

 

tighten jut enough that the nut and bolt make a flat suface at the end ( this way the ball joint does not come all the way out it just breaks it free

 

Then I take a jack with a divit in the top so the ball joint bolt has a place to rest with out sliping than just jack it up on that side useing only the ball joint bolt as a lifting point. I usally go just high enough to start lifting the car. than give a few taps with a hammer on bolth sides of the joint and it should pop loose from the control arm

 

I just really hate those fork I ve waisted way too much time with them

 

 

This way is the ezest for me but it could be the I just have done it too much

LT

My GOD!

 

What a wonderful trick. It took me only THREE hours to separate mine with a two jaw puller.

 

Thank you, mtnman38

I am doing my Brats when the weather gets warmer, have had both bj's (balljoints) for 2 months, i didn't want to put her into surgery for fear of what happened on my Legacy. On that car, the first problem was the uppoer pinch bolt breaking, even after penetrating spray. second problem was the axle, was seized into the hub (whole reason for that job was to fix my axle). 3rd problem was the ball joint was seized into the knuckle hub as well. Minnesota car......rust...... I had to get a jy axle, hub, spindle.....cause my old was seizedc and wouldnt even press out...

 

Hope my CA brat is all fine.

I've watched my mechanic and he takes the castle nut off, takes a BFH and rapps the lower control arm once or twice. Voila, the ball joint is out and the boot is perfect. I've gone to using this system and it's much easier than the fork method. Quicker too.

I've had this issue as well. I gave up on pickle forks some time ago.

 

If smacking the LCA with a sledge doesn't work I goto Advance and get their loaner tool set for 'front end service' I think it is. Pushing 100 bucks - you get your money back when you return it. There is a tie rod seperator in there that is what I think I use (not the ball joint seperator). Sometimes you have to beat down or grind a little on the LCA where the metal seam is on the side to get the tool on.

 

Works like a charm. Really loud when these stubborn guys pop. My ears ring like a gunshot went off.

 

Just another thought.

 

Dave

I've watched my mechanic and he takes the castle nut off, takes a BFH and rapps the lower control arm once or twice. Voila, the ball joint is out and the boot is perfect. I've gone to using this system and it's much easier than the fork method. Quicker too.

 

ding ding ding! great trick for any tapered press-fit (tie rod ends too!). give the piece that it's pressed into (control arm for the ball joints) a good whack from the side, and you'll knock the hole slightly out of round for a moment, and force the joint right out of the hole. works wonderfully. much better (hard to believe, I know...) than the jack trick.

I have used this method of "driving the BFH through"

the joint and it has worked it's magic every time

until

 

I worked on Davebug's Legacy from 'ell

 

I believe the reason it does not work on some of these

is you are not hitting the joint but the stamped sheet metal

around the joint.

Thus the excellent reasoning Chux gives does not occure.

 

Dave had the rent the puller he mentioned.

Napa has a ball joint separator that uses a bolt and arm for only 15 bux..

 

I have both the tie rod (13$), and the ball joint one.. they work great.

 

Anyways.. getting the old ball joint out of your hub/bearing holder can be a pain.. after separating it with a big screw driver or pry bar, you have to pull it out.. it can be hard and have to beat the hell out of it to get it out.

 

I could not get mine back in, and stripped the hell out of the holder.. good thing I picked up a spare hub system at a junkyard.. I will just retap the hole and put it in a vise to compress it befor I try to reinstall the bolt that compresses the ball joint top into the hub area.