Getting lower balljoint out of spindle?

[foamypirate]

Anyone got any tricks or cool tools they know of? I've exhausted my bag of tricks (with what I have available). I tried using the "homemade press" method with a 1/2 bolt and nut to drive it out. I succesfully bent the 1/2 bolt about an inch out of line...no luck. I even hammered on the spindle to shock it loose with all the pressure of the bolt on it. I used fire, I used PB blaster, etc.

How do I get this ****** out?!!?

 

[crazy4offroad]

When you use heat, heat the spindle, NOT the balljoint. That's all I got lol.

 

[animal]

Make sure the top ball joint is still connected.
loosen the nut on the bottom ball joint. (DO NOT REMOVE IT. this keeps the spring from flying out when the lower comes loose)
With the truck jacked up and supported place one heavy hammer on one side of the spindle where the ball joint goes thru and smack the **** out of the other side of the knuckle a few times. The weight of the spindle will be supported by the top ball joint but the pressure from the spring should force the lower ball joint out of the knuckle.
Ive never used the "forks" this is how I did it at the frame shop I worked at.

 

[Jims86]

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-1...-782A-E011-B31E-001B2163195C&mr:referralID=NA

 

[foamypirate]

Thanks for the help guys! I already had the upper disconnected and the arm removed, so that made things a little trickier. I'll definitely keep the upper arm on until I get both ball joints when I do the other side. I did end up getting it off by pounding the crap out of my pickle fork with an 8 lb sledge hammer...

 

[bucket]

Thanks for the help guys! I already had the upper disconnected and the arm removed, so that made things a little trickier. I'll definitely keep the upper arm on until I get both ball joints when I do the other side. I did end up getting it off by pounding the crap out of my pickle fork with an 8 lb sledge hammer...

That's how I always do it. Support the lower arm, undo the tie rod (it will pop out with a whack to the knuckle), undo the upper ball joint (again, a few whacks to the knuckle), then do the lower ball joint last. Whack the knuckle with the sledgehammer a couple times, then a couple GOOD whacks on a pickle fork will pop it loose.

Don't bother pressing the ball joint out of the arm, again the sledgehammer is your best friend. Smack it down out of the arm, while alternating which side of the ball joint you hit. You will need to press the new one back in though. Press it in until it stops, then crank on it some more, this will swell the arm back up a bit and lessen the chance of the ball joint working loose in the arm.

 

[animal]

Its easier that way. The top will come loose the same way as the bottom once you have the bottom one already loose.