Greetings, I am working on '87 brat front end. Am going to replace the front struts. I have the steering knuckle and strut assembly off. Tie rods are off. Ball joints are stuck in control arm

I have pb'd them, beat on the control arm with a 2x4 under the castle nut.

I am thinking heat next and beating.

 

Are the pickle forks an option? I will be replacing the ball joint.

 

Take the control arm off, and have the stud pressed out?

 

Has anyone used a puller on them?

 

Thanks, Dave in Prescott, Az.

It's a tapered fit. I always just put the control arm on the edge of a solid suface with the nut end of the ball joint up and smack the threaded end of the ball joint with a copper or brass hammer. It generally drives them out without issue. You could use a T-bar or two-jaw puller to push them out also.

 

GD

Done!

 

Patience, persistance, and p b blaster.

Pickle forks work great if you are replacing the ball joint as they almost always tear the boot. Pullers are the best if you happen to have one. I've gotten them off by loosening the castle nut enough to cover the ends of the threads, then jacking the arm up by the ball joint end so the suspension is compressed (not enough that you lift the car off the jack stand though) then beat downward on the arm with a BFH of your choice.

 

This doesn't always work and you stand a good chance of buggering either the threads or the nut or both if you're not careful. The puller or pickle fork is the preferred method, but as those aren't always available....

 

Good luck!

It's a tapered fit. I always just put the control arm on the edge of a solid suface with the nut end of the ball joint up and smack the threaded end of the ball joint with a copper or brass hammer. It generally drives them out without issue. You could use a T-bar or two-jaw puller to push them out also.

 

GD

 

GD, would that be with the control arm out of the vehicle?

I ended up propping a two by under the castle nut and placed a large chisel flat on top of the control arm. That gave me a larger striking area, just whaled on it.

Thanks.