OK, I got my LCA's in and I have everything undone EXCEPT
the ball joint on the stock lower control arm. Bang as I might,
I cannot get it to break loose.

Any ideas? I have the pickle fork ... it doesn't touch it ...

Cliff

 

Have you ever seen those pickle forks that you can put on the end of a Air Chisel....

The work pretty slick.

 

SVT_KY,

Assuming that you have already removed the castle nut, another option is to use a pitman arm puller (rent at your local auto parts store) and use that to push the ball joint out of the lower control arm. This also illiminates damage to the rubber ball joint boot.

Good Luck!

 

Thanks guys ... It just needed a BFH and a tap or thirty ...

Since I am throwing these away I could care less about the
rubber boot, but the Pittman puiller is a slick idea ...

 

This might sound stoopid, as you call it.
But try this
Conect everything back up, at least loose

then put a jack under the Lower control arm and just put a little pressure under it with the jack.

Then hit the ***** with the hammer.

 

The trick is to strike the arm 90% to the castle nut side.

By that I mean hand tighten the castle nut to protect the threads
(even though you don't want these)

Now hit the femaile side that has the Morse taper like hitting the top of this T the taper being horizontal and the tie rod or whatever being Vertical.

It slightly deforms the female tapered side enough to release it. When you put it together with the new Male peace it will get its shape back from tightening the nut.

The pitmin arm device sounds good or I just use a small craftsman gear puller.
It usually pops when it comes apart.

 

You mean like on the boss of the casting? I tried that ...
with a 5 LBer ... It stayed stuck ... Next time I go with
the puller (IF THERE IS A NEXT TIME!!!!)

 

yes, I usually do both.

Put my little puller on it with the center rod of the two arm puller in the loosend castle nut. Than Wack the beejesus out of the side of the female.


Sounds like yours is tighter than normal. I have always been able to get them to pop for me, hmmmmmmmm.